Tesla’s Robotaxi Launch Raises Concerns with NHTSA
Tesla’s recent Robotaxi launch has raised concerns with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), as the agency has requested that Tesla withhold its response to the numerous questions it had about the program. Prior to the launch, NHTSA had sent Tesla a series of questions that the automaker was required to answer by June 19th.
The agency’s main concern is the fact that Tesla is using its ‘Supervised Full Self-Driving’ system in the Robotaxi service while it is currently under investigation for its involvement in several serious crashes. Tesla has responded to NHTSA, but it has requested that the agency keep all its answers confidential. This lack of transparency is a recurring issue with Tesla, as the automaker has consistently avoided sharing data about its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving programs, particularly crash data.
Tesla has been criticized for not reporting all crashes related to its autonomous driving systems, as required by law. Publications have tried to obtain this data through the courts, but Tesla has fought the effort, claiming that it would suffer financial harm if the data were released. This lack of transparency has eroded trust in Tesla’s autonomous driving efforts.
The Robotaxi service launched with a Tesla employee in the front passenger seat with a finger constantly on the door unlatch button, likely reprogrammed as a kill switch for the self-driving system. This raises questions about the system’s level of autonomy, as a level 4 autonomous driving system is required to operate a commercial autonomous driving service like Robotaxi in Texas.
On its first day of commercial operations, Robotaxi was spotted making several significant mistakes, including driving in the wrong lane with incoming traffic and dropping passengers in the middle of an intersection. NHTSA has confirmed that it is aware of these incidents and is currently gathering information about the situation. The agency’s investigation into Tesla’s FSD-Supervised/Beta system remains open.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has emphasized the importance of transparency for building trust, but the company’s lack of transparency regarding its autonomous driving efforts is concerning. Tesla has not released any data about its Full Self-Driving system beyond cumulative mileage, making it difficult to assess the system’s performance. This lack of transparency is disappointing and undermines trust in Tesla’s autonomous driving technology.
In conclusion, Tesla’s Robotaxi launch has raised concerns with NHTSA due to the company’s lack of transparency regarding its autonomous driving systems. The agency is currently investigating the incidents that occurred during the Robotaxi’s first day of commercial operations, and the future of Tesla’s autonomous driving efforts remains uncertain.
