Uber transfers autonomous cars to Arizona after ban in California

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - After taking out stand-alone cars from the streets of California, Uber Technologies has now placed them in Arizona, where there is no special license requirement to test the program.

The company shut down the project in California a week after it started because of opposition from regulatory authorities.

On Wednesday, the California Department of Motor Vehicles revoked permission of 16 cars from the company's test fleet, which the agency said had no proper authorization.

In Arizona, however, stand-alone vehicles are subject to the same rules as any other automobile, according to the Department of Transportation.

On Thursday morning, Uber put the cars in trucks owned by Otto - a company acquired in August.

"Our cars left for Arizona this morning in trucks," the Uber spokeswoman said in a statement. "We are going to expand our pilot project of autonomous vehicles over the next few weeks," he added.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said the state receives Uber's autonomous cars with open arms. "While California puts a brake on innovation and change with more regulation and bureaucracy, Arizona makes room for new technologies and business," he said in a statement.

(By Heather Somerville and Alexandria Sage)