Gov. Jay Inslee’s office on Wednesday welcomed a Torc Robotics vehicle to Seattle, marking the first certified autonomous vehicle pilot test in Washington since the governor issued an executive order last month to support AV technology.
Torc Robotics, a spin-off company from Virginia Tech, safely drove its semi-autonomous vehicle across the country and through Washington state without incident. Charles Knutson, Inslee’s executive policy adviser, was there to welcome the vehicle, buy the support crew a cup of coffee and present them with a Washington state flag to recognize their significant achievement.
Torc Robotics specifically chose to conduct its test in Washington because of the governor’s support of self-driving cars and his recent executive order.
“I want to congratulate Torc Robotics on their cross-country autonomous vehicle trip and welcome them to our state,” Inslee said. “Washington is already a leader in autonomous vehicle technology, and these early tests demonstrate how AVs could help save lives, improve mobility and be an important tool in our efforts to combat climate change.”
Read the rest of the story on the governor’s Medium page.