New Jersey lawmakers are moving forward with a bill that would require all fully driverless commercial vehicles to use cameras plus two additional sensor types. This proposed law, S1677, would effectively prevent Tesla’s camera-only Robotaxi from operating in the state, while allowing competitors like Waymo to continue.
What the New Jersey Bill Requires
The bill, S1677, sets up a three-year pilot program with strict requirements for driverless commercial vehicles. Operators must equip their vehicles with cameras and at least two other sensing technologies—typically radar and lidar. In addition, companies must complete at least 50,000 miles (~80,500 km) of supervised testing with a human safety driver in New Jersey before removing the driver.
Other requirements include reporting every crash to the state and obtaining official authorization before launching any commercial driverless network. The bill also favors vehicles that retain traditional controls such as a steering wheel and pedals, which would exclude Tesla’s Cybercab, a model being mass-produced without these features.
Sensor Debate: Tesla Versus the Industry
Most autonomous vehicle operators, including Waymo and Zoox, use a combination of cameras, radar, and lidar to create overlapping layers of data. This redundancy helps ensure safety if one sensor fails. Cameras are effective for reading signs and lane markings but can be compromised by glare or heavy rain, while radar and lidar provide additional reliability in challenging conditions.
Tesla, led by Elon Musk, has taken a different approach by relying solely on cameras, arguing that additional sensors introduce conflicting data and that software can eventually match human vision. However, experts like Carnegie Mellon’s Professor Philip Koopman argue that camera-only systems are not yet ready for continuous public-road use, especially in difficult weather.
Regulatory Patchwork and Tesla’s Response
The bill only targets fully driverless commercial fleets and does not affect consumer features such as Autopilot or Full Self-Driving, which still require a licensed driver. Despite this, Tesla lobbied against the bill by warning New Jersey owners that the legislation would ban Tesla from the state, resulting in about 4,000 protest emails to Senator Andrew Zwicker’s office in a single day.
Senator Zwicker clarified that the bill is focused on safety and is not aimed at any single company. The framework mirrors recommendations from the nonprofit SAVE-US, which advocates for tighter oversight of autonomous vehicles. Neighboring New York is considering a similar hardware mandate, while other states like California, Texas, Arizona, and Georgia have varying levels of regulation for autonomous vehicles.
Competitor Comparison
Waymo currently operates more than 3,500 driverless vehicles across 11 US metro areas, using a combination of cameras, radar, and lidar. In contrast, Tesla has only a handful of unsupervised test vehicles on public roads, mainly in Texas. This difference in scale and technology highlights the gap between Tesla’s approach and that of its competitors.
Historical Context
The global autonomous vehicle market has seen rapid growth, with 11 million units sold worldwide in 2024, representing a 40% year-over-year increase. As the technology matures, regulatory frameworks like New Jersey’s bill are becoming increasingly important in shaping how and where these vehicles can operate.
Why this matters
New Jersey’s bill could set a precedent for other states by requiring multiple sensor types in driverless vehicles, potentially limiting the rollout of camera-only systems like Tesla’s Robotaxi. The legislation reflects growing concerns about the safety and reliability of autonomous vehicles, especially as they scale from small test fleets to widespread commercial use.
For Tesla, the hardware requirements and preference for traditional controls present significant hurdles, while companies like Waymo, which already use multi-sensor setups, are better positioned to comply.
What this means for buyers
Consumers considering autonomous vehicles should pay close attention to local regulations, as requirements may differ significantly by state. For Tesla owners in New Jersey, the bill does not affect current driver-assist features like Autopilot or Full Self-Driving, as these still require a human driver. However, those interested in fully driverless services may find more options from companies using multi-sensor technology.
Buyers should also watch for further developments, as similar hardware mandates may be adopted in other states, influencing which autonomous vehicles are available in their region.
Key Specs
- Bill Number: S1677
- Sensor Requirement: Cameras plus two additional sensor types (typically radar and lidar)
- Supervised Testing Requirement: At least 50,000 miles (~80,500 km) in New Jersey
- Commercial Fleet Focus: Applies only to fully driverless commercial vehicles
- Traditional Controls: Favors vehicles with steering wheel and pedals
- Waymo Fleet Size: More than 3,500 vehicles in 11 US metro areas
- Tesla Unsupervised Test Vehicles: Handful, mainly in Texas
Source
Images sourced from: caranddriver.com, topgear.com, motortrend.com
