Uber gives up autonomous vehicle testing rights in California

Adriano Machado | Reuters

The chief executive of Uber Technologies, Dara Khosrowshahi.

Uber will not renew its permit to test autonomous vehicles on California public roads when it expires Saturday. And the company will have some explaining to do if it wants to get a new permit.

California’s Department of Motor Vehicles told the ride-hailing service in a letter Tuesday that it will lose testing privileges after Saturday. If Uber wants to return, it will need a new permit and has to address investigations into a fatal crash in Arizona last week.

Uber’s authority to test self-driving vehicles on California public roads will end March 31 under current permit terms, according to the California Department of Motor Vehicles.

On March 18 an Uber autonomous SUV struck and killed a pedestrian near Phoenix. Arizona’s governor suspended Uber’s self-driving privileges Monday.

Uber decided last week to suspend tests on public roads in California, Pennsylvania, Arizona and Ontario.

An Uber spokesman says the company is preparing a statement.

–Thomson Reuters contributed to this report.