Robotaxis Are Coming to European Roads. The EU Has Decided to Accelerate.

The European Union has voted to permit autonomous vehicles on public roads before completing the safety standards those vehicles must meet. The vehicles are already being manufactured. Some are already moving. The regulatory framework is being written during implementation rather than before it.

Acceleration is the stated objective. The person responsible for safety said speed matters. This is not unusual. Every institution adopts timelines that precede its capacity to enforce them. The paperwork catches up or it doesn't. Both outcomes look the same for approximately eighteen months.

The vehicles will arrive. The standards will follow or be retrofitted or be abandoned. The choice has already been made by choosing not to make the choice.