Self-driving cars are here. So the real question is whether policy, infrastructure, and industry strategy are moving fast enough to keep up.

Ariel Wolf, Partner at Venable LLP, joins The Mobility Perspective to discuss the current state of autonomous vehicles and why 2026 is a crucial year for commercialization. He explains the gap between advancing technology and outdated regulations, the importance of federal transportation reauthorization, and what’s needed to scale robotaxis and trucking. Ariel also emphasizes that autonomous vehicles are not just ca tech story, but a matter of transportation policy, safety, and business.

Key takeaways:

• Autonomous vehicles are leaving the testing phase behind, and 2026 could be the year the industry starts to scale in a real way.
• Policy will set the pace, with federal transportation regulation playing a major role in what happens next for mobility.
• This goes far beyond the technology itself. It is a transportation story shaped by safety, infrastructure, and industry leadership.

Episode highlights:

(00:00) Meet Ariel Wolf

(01:28) Where autonomous technology stands today

(03:21) Why policy is lagging and why 2026 matters

(04:09) What the surface transportation bill means for mobility

(05:54) Where car rental fits in the future of mobility

(09:44) The safety case for autonomous vehicles

(15:43) Cybersecurity, supply chains, and national risk

(21:13) EV politics, China, and the bigger mobility race

(24:09) The push for a federal autonomous vehicle framework

(27:18) What it takes to remove the human driver

(30:57) How negligence and product claims still apply

(38:25) Why safety remains the strongest case for AVs

Resources:

Ariel Wolf on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arielswolf/

Explore Venable LLP: https://www.venable.com/

Don Lefeve on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/don-lefeve/

Sharky Laguana on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharkylaguana/

Explore American Car Rental Association: https://www.acradrivesamerica.org/