Driverless, Not Ruleless: Why 2026 is the Year for Federal AV Standards

For years, 2026 has been a major target for the autonomous vehicle industry. That optimism sharpened at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this month, where the leaders of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and the Federal Highway Administration presented their vision for the U.S. autonomous vehicle industry and a long-awaited federal framework. Their message was clear: 2026 is the year autonomous vehicle policy…