Navigating Regulatory Divergence: A Comparative Analysis of Autonomous Vehicle and Robotaxi Governance Frameworks Across Global Jurisdictions

Abstract

The global transition toward autonomous vehicles (AVs) and robotaxi services presents unprecedented regulatory challenges that vary significantly across geographic regions, creating a complex landscape for technology developers, service providers, and policymakers. Regulatory environments governing autonomous mobility across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and emerging markets reveal divergent approaches to safety standards, liability frameworks, data privacy regulations, and urban integration policies that shape AV implementation trajectories. Critical tensions exist between safety-oriented and innovation-driven governance models, centralized versus distributed regulatory authorities, and prescriptive versus performance-based regulatory philosophies. Region-specific sociopolitical contexts, legal traditions, and infrastructure readiness significantly influence regulatory design, creating barriers to global scalability while simultaneously fostering localized innovation. Strategic pathways toward regulatory harmonization include international standards development, adaptive regulatory frameworks, and public-private collaboration mechanisms, while acknowledging the necessity for contextual adaptation. The synthesis of best practices and identification of persistent regulatory gaps contributes to the development of balanced governance approaches that can simultaneously ensure public safety, protect consumer rights, and enable the transformative potential of autonomous mobility technologies across diverse global contexts.