Congress has been divided for years about whether to pass legislation to address deployment hurdles, while the NHTSA has not moved quickly to rewrite safety rules for autonomous cars.

Musk has bet much of Tesla’s future on AI, robotics, and autonomous vehicles. He has frequently tied the company’s value to its investment and eventual commercialization of autonomous vehicles.

Vermont is one of 11 states including New York, Maryland and Massachusetts that have adopted California’s zero-emission vehicle rules, which seek to end the sale of gasoline-only vehicles by 2035.

Vermont is one of 11 states including New York, Maryland and Massachusetts that have adopted California's zero-emission vehicle rules, which seek to end the sale of gasoline-only vehicles by 2035.

Senate Republicans have voted to establish a new precedent that will allow them to roll back clean air standards in California, including a rule phasing out the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035.