Uber?s testing of self-driving taxis in San Francisco didn?t get very far before encountering a significant roadblock.
On Wednesday morning, executives with the ride-hailing service announced they would expand a pilot program for testing autonomous Volvo XC90s to include operations in its home city. By the afternoon, a top official in California?s Department of Motor Vehicles had issued a warning that Uber did not possess the proper permits for autonomous testing.
The state DMV, which has regulated self-driving operations in the state since 2014, demanded that Uber immediately stop its testing or face legal action until it receives a permit.

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?Twenty manufacturers have already obtained permits

to test hundreds of cars on California roads. Uber shall
do the same.? ? California Department of Motor Vehicles

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?Any action by Uber to continue the action of vehicles equipped with autonomous technology on public streets in California must cease until Uber complies,? wrote Brian Soublet, the deputy director and chief counsel for the DMV, in a letter addressed to Uber?s Anthony Levandowski. ?If Uber does not confirm immediately that it will stop its launch and seek a testing permit, DMV will initiate legal action, including, but not limited to, seeking injunctive relief.?
It wasn?t immediately clear if Uber would comply with the directive. A company spokesperson did not return a request for comment Wednesday.
Only hours earlier, Volvo had announced an expansion of their part...