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Tesla’s Unmanned Model Y Delivery Draws Scrutiny Over Software and Legal Hurdles

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is negotiating with Tesla over apparent traffic-law breaches in its Austin robotaxi service.

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A screenshot of a video of a Tesla Model Y delivering itself to a customer in Austin, Texas

Overview

  • On June 28, Tesla released footage of a Model Y driving itself roughly 15 miles from its Austin factory to a customer’s apartment with no onboard or remote human operators.
  • Analysis suggests the vehicle was running downgraded supervised Full Self-Driving software rather than the robotaxi code used in the Austin pilot.
  • The car ended its journey parked in a no-parking fire lane, fueling criticism from safety watchdogs and highlighting traffic-law compliance issues.
  • The NHTSA has opened formal talks with Tesla regarding traffic violations observed during its geofenced robotaxi tests in Austin.
  • Musk’s claim of the first fully autonomous highway drive is challenged by proof that Waymo has conducted driverless highway tests for employees since 2024.