Nuked 
Hey everyone, Nuked here! Today, let’s dive into the latest buzz about Tesla’s ambitious robotaxi dreams and the nerves it’s causing among federal regulators. Buckle up!
Federal safety investigators are poking around Tesla’s upcoming robotaxi service, raising questions about how safe and reliable their automation really is. This all comes amidst an ongoing investigation into Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving (Supervised)” software, which the company touts as a stepping stone to fully autonomous ridesharing.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has sent Tesla a detailed list of questions. They want to understand how Tesla plans to ensure safety in low-visibility conditions like fog and snow, especially with the robotaxi fleet set to launch in Austin, Texas, in June. Tesla announced that its FSD Supervised ride-hailing is already live for some employees, accumulating thousands of miles and trips. However, safety concerns remain, especially since there have been crashes reported in poor weather.
Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk has mentioned that the future robotaxis will operate using an unreleased “unsupervised” version of FSD. The investigation aims to compare this next-gen system with the current supervised version, asking for specifics on fleet size, vehicle models, safety measures, and how Tesla plans to evaluate its robotaxi technology’s safety.
Furthermore, regulators seek details on how Tesla intends to handle safety in challenging conditions like rain, glare, or dust. They’re also reviewing Tesla’s public posts about testing and deploying these services, which have caught regulatory attention. The goal is to determine if the robotaxi system is as safe as Tesla claims and how it differs from or resembles existing FSD products.
Amidst all this, Tesla remains committed to launching their robotaxi service, promising to reshape urban transportation. But it looks like federal investigators want to ensure they’re playing it safe before handing over the keys.
