WASHINGTON — Despite news last year of Cruise's robotaxis being investigated by NHTSA and the shuttering of Argo AI, the AV tech startup backed by Ford and Volkswagen, Jeff Farrah remains optimistic about the industry's future.
"Every industry has its growing pains as it grows up, and our industry isn't immune from that and isn't immune from the larger economic climate that's out there," said Farrah, the first executive director of the Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association, whose members include Aurora, Cruise, Ford, VW and Waymo.
Farrah — a Capitol Hill veteran who has spent time working as counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation — joined the association in October. Prior to this role, he was general counsel of the National Venture Capital Association.