The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is increasing its scrutiny of Tesla's Robotaxi initiative. The agency has sent a detailed questionnaire to Tesla as part of an ongoing investigation into the company's Full Self-Driving (FSD) software. The focus is on how the FSD system performs under challenging conditions such as fog, rain, or intense sunlight. Additionally, NHTSA is inquiring about Tesla's plans to safely test the Robotaxi on public roads.
This investigation began in October 2024, following four incidents involving the FSD system in low-visibility environments. Currently, Tesla's FSD requires drivers to remain alert and keep their hands on the wheel. However, CEO Elon Musk has indicated that the upcoming Robotaxi version will enable fully autonomous driving without human supervision.
Regulators are keen to verify if the new system aligns with the existing road version. They are also questioning the number of vehicles involved, the areas of operation, and Tesla's safety validation methods. As of April, Tesla reported over 1,500 completed Robotaxi trips in Austin and the Bay Area, covering 15,000 miles. The service will compete with companies like Waymo, Amazon's Zoox (AMZN, Financial), Baidu (BIDU), WeRide (WRD), and Pony.ai (PONY).
