California logs over four million test miles by autonomous vehicle permit holders

This year's report on autonomous vehicle testing in California reveals that a total of 4,498,066 miles were logged. This figure includes 3,945,171 miles with a safety driver and 552,895 miles in fully autonomous mode. The total represents a notable decrease from the over 9 million miles reported in the previous period.

The annual disengagement reports are now available. These documents detail instances where human drivers had to assume control due to technology failures or safety concerns. They also provide information about the testing circumstances, locations, and specific conditions under which disengagements occurred. However, these reports are not meant for comparative analysis across different companies but aim to offer insights into each permit holder's operational activities.

Among the companies with testing permits, 20 did not conduct any public road testing during this period. Furthermore, nine companies submitted reports for the 2023-2024 reporting period but have since ceased testing and withdrawn from the program.

According to state regulations, companies are only required to report public road testing. Testing activities on private roads or out-of-state and any below Society of Automotive Engineers Level 3 or conducted in simulation do not need to be included in these reports.

At present, there are 31 companies holding permits for testing with a safety driver. Six are approved for driverless testing while three have been authorized to make autonomous technology commercially available outside of a testing program. All necessary annual reports were submitted by the January 1, 2025 deadline.