2017 promises to be a significant year for the autonomous car market, with Google given the green light to test its self-driving technology with a fleet of Chrysler Pacificas in several U.S. states next year. Currently, four U.S. states have permitted manufacturers to test the technology on public roads. Now the Norwegian government wants to pass a law that will allow self-driving cars to appear on Norway's roads according to Reuters.

This could be crucial, because Norway is one of the largest markets for Tesla's electric cars, and we know the manufacturer is making a big push for autonomous technology, with new models expected to be bundled with cameras and a radar to enable them to be fully-self driving. The government is aiming to get the bill passed by parliament in the spring of 2017. "The objective of the bill is to facilitate the testing of self-driving vehicles on Norwegian roads ... within the framework of traffic safety while protecting the integrity of personal information," it said in a statement.

It also added that the scheme will be rolled out gradually if approved, and only "technologically mature" systems will be tested to mitigate any safety concerns. But with public skepticism and recent disputes with Uber unleashing self-driving cars onto the streets of San Francisco without a permit, it looks like it's going to take a long time before people embrace fully autonomous cars for the foreseeable future.