Tesla’s Robotaxi Rollout Triggers Federal Scrutiny After Safety Concerns Surface

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is seeking additional details from Tesla after the debut of its restricted robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, this past weekend. A federal agency has launched an investigation following the emergence of several videos online that depict Tesla's self-driving cars engaging in dangerous behaviors, such as navigating in the wrong direction and making sudden stops in traffic.

Tesla initiated testing on Sunday for 10 to 20 Model Y vehicles featuring its new “FSD Unsupervised” driverless technology. The cars involved in a preliminary robotaxi initiative are operating under specific regulations: during daylight hours, in favorable weather conditions, and with a human attendant seated in the front passenger position.

A representative from NHTSA stated that the agency is “aware of the mentioned incidents and is communicating with the manufacturer to obtain further details.” Tesla remains silent regarding the federal inquiry, with executives Lars Moravy and Casey Blaine not addressing requests for clarification.

On Monday, Tesla’s stock surged by 8% in response to the announcement regarding robotaxis, yet the launch did not alleviate persistent concerns regarding the company’s self-driving technology. After years of commitments from CEO Elon Musk, including assertions of nationwide self-driving journeys and a million robotaxis by 2020, none of those targets have been met.

Tesla has launched a new pilot program that invites select users, primarily those who are recognized supporters of Musk and the company, to agree to the terms for participation in this early-access initiative. While presented as a significant advancement, the launch sparked safety concerns instead of highlighting technological readiness.

NHTSA highlighted that it does not provide pre-approval for new vehicle technologies and will respond accordingly if any safety defects are verified. The agency is actively investigating Tesla’s “FSD Beta” system following recent incidents that have come to light.

In the current landscape, Tesla is lagging behind competitors such as Alphabet’s Waymo, which has achieved over 10 million paid robotaxi rides, along with various Chinese firms that are already running fully driverless commercial fleets.

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