Company: CCIXW
Filing Date: 2025-12-05
Form Type: S-4/A
Source: 0001193125-25-309933
Chunk: 471

Company: Churchill Capital Corp IX/Cayman
Filing Date: 2025-12-05
Form: S-4/A
Chunk 471
---
 requirements from a range of authorities, including the NHTSA, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (“FMCSA”), and relevant state and local transportation agencies such as Departments of Transportation and Departments of Motor Vehicles.

As federal, state, and international legal frameworks governing autonomous vehicles continue to evolve, we may become subject to additional regulatory requirements. To date, U.S. federal regulations have generally been permissive with respect to the testing and deployment of advanced autonomous vehicle functionality, provided that such systems are demonstrated to operate in a safe and responsible manner. A potential federal framework governing autonomous vehicle operations nationwide is under ongoing discussion within the U.S. Congress and the USDOT.

At the state level, California is the only state that prohibits the testing or deployment of L4 autonomous vehicles over a gross weight of 10,001 pounds. Twenty-five states have enacted legislation expressly permitting deployment of L4 driverless trucks (meaning states that have enacted laws or regulations that specifically address vehicles equipped with automated driving systems and contemplate, under specified conditions, operation without a human driver in the vehicle). Five states expressly permit L4 testing but require a safety driver to be present in the vehicle during operation. The remaining states implicitly permit L4 testing (meaning states where applicable state motor-vehicle codes and autonomous vehicle-related policies do not prohibit driver-out operation and are interpreted as allowing regulators to approve such deployments on a case-by-case basis, for example through pilot programs or special permits).

In particular, jurisdictions such as Arizona, Florida, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Texas have established regulatory environments that provide clarity and predictability for the deployment of self‑driving technology. Some states impose specific operational requirements or limitations on certain autonomous vehicle functions or use cases. We believe such constraints may be gradually eased over time as the safety, efficiency, and economic benefits of autonomous trucking become more widely recognized. For example, while California currently restricts the testing and deployment of autonomous technology to light‑duty vehicles, in August 2024, state regulators initiated an informal public consultation process regarding proposed regulatory language to permit testing and deployment of autonomous heavy‑duty trucks.

<div align='center'>298</div>

We actively engage with state and local elected officials, regulatory agencies, and transportation authorities to promote understanding of autonomous vehicle technology and its benefits. Through this engagement, we seek to ensure that regulatory frameworks continue to support the safe testing and deployment of autonomous vehicles on public roads. Our efforts include advocating for technology‑neutral policies that support a diverse range of autonomous vehicle use cases and foster a level playing field across