NHTSA and SAE Launch Consortium to Develop Performance Standards for Autonomous Vehicles

Today, there is no standardized test for judging how well an automated driving system performs in the real world. While human drivers must pass a test before receiving a license, no equivalent exists for autonomous vehicle technology.

NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison announced the initiative, called ASCEND, at the AI Horizons Summit in Pittsburgh this week. The consortium aims to accelerate the development of performance standards for automated driving systems (ADS), with an initial focus on competency — what it means for an AV to be a safe driver on public roads.

"Our top priority for this consortium is ADS competency, which will inform and accelerate a corresponding federal motor vehicle safety standard," Morrison said at the summit. "Ultimately, our ADS performance rulemaking will provide federal leadership in this space."

The move comes as vehicles like the Tesla Cybercab and Zoox robotaxi — which lack traditional federally required equipment such as pedals, steering wheels, side mirrors and rearview mirrors — are being developed and deployed. Existing Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) were not designed for such vehicles.

Morrison described the challenge as avoiding a game of "whack-a-mole" with policy decisions and resisting the temptation to predict how the technology will evolve. The agency says the framework will put safety at the foundation while continuing to encourage innovation.

No timeline has been set for when the consortium will produce ADS standards. The initiative also aims to address what Morrison called a "burgeoning past patchwork of inconsistent state and local level requirements" for autonomous vehicles, by providing a consistent federal benchmark.

NHTSA is working on a broader federal automated vehicle framework, of which the ASCEND consortium is a part. The agency has not indicated when it expects to finalize any specific rulemaking.

Why This Matters

Public safety: With robotaxis and autonomous trucks already operating in some areas, the lack of a standardized safety test means regulators and the public have no consistent way to evaluate whether these vehicles are safe enough.
Industry certainty: AV developers currently face a patchwork of state and local regulations. A federal performance standard could provide a single benchmark, reducing compliance costs and legal uncertainty.
Regulatory precedent: The outcome of this effort will shape how the U.S. regulates emerging transportation technologies for years to come, potentially serving as a global model.

Background

The question of when self-driving technology is safe enough has largely been left to industry to answer. No standardized test exists for evaluating automated driving system performance in the real world, unlike the driver's license test required for human drivers. Existing Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards were written for vehicles with steering wheels, pedals and mirrors — features absent in many autonomous vehicle designs. NHTSA has been working on a federal AV framework, and the ASCEND consortium represents a concrete step toward establishing data-driven performance benchmarks.

Key Perspectives

NHTSA: The agency views competency standards as essential to providing federal leadership and ending the patchwork of inconsistent state and local requirements, while balancing safety with continued innovation. AV Industry: Developers stand to benefit from clear federal standards that provide regulatory certainty, but may push back on requirements they view as too prescriptive or costly to implement. Safety Advocates: Consumer and safety groups will likely press for rigorous, transparent standards and may argue that industry-led efforts have been insufficient to ensure public protection.

What to Watch

Timeline for ASCEND output: No deadline has been set; any concrete standards could take months or years to emerge.
State-level responses: Whether states adopt federal standards once released, or continue developing their own requirements.
Industry reaction: How AV developers engage with the consortium and whether they push for looser or tighter performance benchmarks.

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