Federal safety investigators are scrutinizing Tesla’s plans for its eventual fleet of robotaxi’s. This is a notable announcement from the company as they prepare for their attendance at the TechCrunch Disrupt Developer Conference in Berkeley, California, scheduled for June 5. Today’s investigation focuses on Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving (Supervised)” software, with a specific scope to include the software’s performance in low-visibility conditions, highlighting severe safety risks.
Tesla has recently received a wide-ranging list of questions from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Each of these operational domain questions should be used to test the operational protocol of Tesla’s automated driving system slated for future robotaxis. This question is important because it goes to the heart of what technologies are powering the robotaxi service. Are they like the tests under the Full Self-Driving (FSD) Supervised program currently running for some employees in Austin and the San Francisco Bay Area?
The NHTSA is particularly focused on how Tesla plans to assess its vehicles and driving automation technologies for deployment on public roads. The agency is reporting looking for some clarity on safety measures. They would likely be concerned if their robotaxi operations couldn’t handle conditions like sun glare, fog, airborne dust, rain and snow.
Tesla has made strides with its FSD Supervised ride-hailing service, reporting over 1,500 completed trips and more than 15,000 miles driven. This data shines a light into the real-world use of their automated systems.
“FSD Supervised ride-hailing service is live for an early set of employees in Austin & San Francisco Bay Area. We’ve completed over 1.5k trips & 15k miles of driving. This service helps us develop & validate FSD networks, the mobile app, vehicle allocation, mission control & remote assistance operations.” – Tesla AI (https://x.com/Tesla%5FAI/status/1915080322862944336)
The TechCrunch event is poised to be the can’t-miss event for attracting innovators and investors to your community. They are always as excited to learn about new developments in automated driving technology. Attendees will be able to reserve exhibits through links found on TechCrunch’s website, creating more opportunities to connect and immerse themselves with cutting-edge advancements in the industry.
The June 5 celebration is right on our heels. To date, Tesla has not responded to discuss how it plans to answer questions from federal investigators or how these investigations could affect its future robotaxi business.
