California has enacted Senate Bill 1246, a new law requiring autonomous vehicle companies to implement safety measures that protect emergency responders and improve traffic management during AV incidents. The legislation, signed by Governor Gavin Newsom this week, mandates that companies like Waymo, Tesla, and Zoox provide on-the-ground support to first responders when their robotaxis cause disruptions. The law also establishes penalties for blocking emergency vehicles for more than 30 minutes and requires remote drivers to be U.S.-based with valid driver’s licenses. AV developers must notify local jurisdictions about vehicle locations during system failures and deploy 'local incident technicians' to assist with accidents or obstructions. The Department of Motor Vehicles will finalize implementation details before the law takes effect in July 2028. While the legislation aims to reduce chaos during AV emergencies, questions remain about its effectiveness in preventing future disruptions. The move has sparked discussion about whether other states will adopt similar regulations or await federal guidance. In related mobility news, Harbinger secured a $300 million contract to supply FedEx with 2,000 electric trucks, while REGENT Craft expanded its U.S. Marine Corps collaboration to $19.25 million. Quartermaster raised $140 million in Series B funding from Insight Partners, Overmatch Ventures, and Stifel, and Voltaback obtained €2.8 million from Serena. Aurora plans to deploy 30,000 autonomous trucks by 2030, and Rivian began driverless deliveries for Ikea on a 219-mile Texas highway stretch. Lyft agreed to a $272.5 million settlement for misclassifying drivers as contractors, and SpaceX’s Starship completed its first orbital flight test. Tesla reported 480,000 vehicle deliveries in Q3 2023 and secured $30 billion in credit lines for AI and robotics development, including Optimus robots and Cybercab robotaxis.