NHTSA Probes Tesla’s Robotaxi Plans Amid Safety Concerns

Federal safety investigators have reached out to Tesla with a comprehensive list of inquiries regarding its upcoming robotaxi service, part of an ongoing investigation into how the company’s “Full Self-Driving (Supervised)” software performs in low-visibility conditions. This inquiry is being conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) through its Office of Defects Investigation, which aims to better understand how Tesla plans to evaluate its vehicles and driving automation technologies for public road use.
Tesla has announced plans to launch a paid ride-hailing robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, utilizing its own fleet of vehicles starting in June. However, federal regulators became particularly interested following a post made by Tesla on April 23 on X (formerly Twitter). The post highlighted that the FSD Supervised ride-hailing service had begun for select employees in Austin and the San Francisco Bay Area, claiming over 1,500 trips and 15,000 miles driven. This initiative is intended to help develop and validate Tesla’s FSD network, mobile app, vehicle allocation, mission control, and remote assistance operations.
NHTSA opened its investigation into Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software last October due to four reported crashes occurring in low-visibility situations. The FSD software functions as an advanced driver-assistance system, requiring drivers to keep their hands on the wheel while it manages certain driving tasks, including braking and steering, in specific environments.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has indicated that the robotaxis will operate using a forthcoming “unsupervised” version of the Full Self-Driving software. In the recent correspondence from NHTSA, the agency posed a series of pointed questions to ascertain whether the automated driving system in Tesla’s planned robotaxis is identical or closely related to FSD Supervised. Key queries include details on the fleet size and vehicle models designated for the robotaxi service, the methods Tesla will use to assess the safety of its robotaxi system, and how it plans to address safety concerns during reduced visibility conditions, such as sun glare, fog, airborne dust, rain, or snow.