February 6, 2026 – In a surprising turn of events at a recent U.S. Senate hearing, two major players in the autonomous driving sector, Waymo and Tesla, set aside their rivalry and joined forces to urge Congress to expedite legislation. They warned that if the U.S. fails to step up its efforts, China is poised to take the lead in setting global technical standards and dominating the market for self-driving vehicles.
During the hearing, Waymo’s Chief Safety Officer, Mauricio Peña, emphasized the imminent threat to America’s leadership in autonomous vehicle technology. “The U.S. is currently facing a direct challenge to its preeminence in the self-driving car arena. We are locked in a global race with Chinese autonomous vehicle companies for the future of a multi-trillion-dollar industry, one that holds strategic significance on par with aviation and space exploration,” he stated.
Peña further cautioned that if Chinese firms emerge victorious, it will be China, not the U.S., that establishes the global benchmarks for autonomous driving technology. To triumph in this high-stakes competition, he argued, the U.S. requires a predictable and sustainable nationwide regulatory framework.
Tesla’s Vice President of Automotive Engineering, Lars Moravy, who also participated in the hearing, echoed the sentiment, stressing the need for Congress to loosen regulations that he claimed were stifling innovation in the industry.
“If the U.S. doesn’t take the lead in autonomous driving development, other nations, particularly China, will become the defining forces in terms of technology, standards, and global market shaping for this sector. China could even emerge as the dominant player in 21st-century transportation,” Moravy warned.
Currently, the U.S. Congress is considering legislation aimed at streamlining the deployment process for self-driving vehicles without human operators and establishing uniform safety regulations. This move comes in response to the growing prevalence of autonomous vehicles in major cities across the country.
The debate over legislation to address the challenges of deploying autonomous vehicles has been ongoing in Congress for years, especially as the testing range of autonomous taxis continues to expand. At present, approximately half of the U.S. states have enacted their own distinct regulations governing autonomous vehicles, while the remaining states lack any form of regulatory oversight, resulting in a fragmented regulatory landscape.
