Overview

• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has requested detailed information from Tesla regarding its planned June launch of a paid robotaxi service in Austin, Texas.
• Key concerns include how Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) system handles poor visibility conditions such as fog, rain, and sun glare, as well as emergency scenarios during rides.
• NHTSA is also asking Tesla to clarify the fleet size, supervision model, and whether the service will remain Level 2 or advance to Level 3 automation under SAE standards.
• Tesla’s FSD Supervised ride-hailing service is currently being tested by employees in Austin and the Bay Area, with over 1,500 trips and 15,000 miles completed.
• The investigation builds on a 2024 probe into 2.4 million Teslas following four crashes in low-visibility conditions, including two fatal incidents in Arizona and Seattle.