US traffic safety agency says Tesla responded to letter concerning its robotaxis
AUSTIN (KXAN) --- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it received a response from Tesla regarding a letter it sent the company in May.
The NHTSA asked the company to explain how it plans to operate its robotaxis service safely. Its letter included questions about how Tesla would handle crash reporting, compliance with traffic safety laws and respond to emergencies.
NHTSA also asked how the robotaxis would safely operate in low-visibility, like sun glare, fog, rain or snow. Those conditions are tied to previous accidents involving the company’s driver-assistance software.
NHTSA said the public file, where people can see what Tesla said, will be updated after the response has been reviewed and processed for publication.
When are robotaxis launching?
In just a few days, Austin streets will have Tesla's new autonomous vehicle ride hailing service.
But how long has this been in the making? Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced his plans back in 2019, when he said he'd have more than one million robotaxis on the road the following year, which did not happen.
Last month, Tesla CEO Elon Musk discussed plans with CNBC to launch the service in Austin.
"We want to deliberately take it slow,” Musk said. “I mean, we could start with 1,000 [robotaxis] 10,000 on day one, but I don’t think that would be prudent. So we will start with probably 10 for a week, then increase it to 20, 30, 40.”
What are some roadblocks?
Along with NHTSA's letter, Tesla recently received a letter from a group of Texas democratic lawmakers. They asked the company to pump the brakes on its plans in Austin.
The letter said the Texas Legislature approved a revision to the state’s 2017 autonomous vehicle operations framework. It mentioned how this new law goes into effect this September.
"Under the new framework, commercial autonomous vehicle operators transporting passengers or property must receive prior authorization from the Department of Motor Vehicles before operating on public streets without a human driver,” the letter read.
In order to get that authorization, an operator must demonstrate each vehicle is:
- Capable of operating in compliance with state traffic laws;
- Equipped with a recording device;
- Compliant with federal law, including federal motor vehicle safety standards;
- Capable of achieving a minimal risk condition if the automated driving system is rendered inoperable; and,
- Registered, titled, and insured under Texas law.
The letter said that if Tesla still proceeds with its plans to launch this month, they request the company responds to this letter with detailed information demonstrating that Tesla will be “compliant with the new law upon the launch of driverless operations in Austin.”