Feds ask Musk's car company how its driverless taxis will avoid causing accidents in Texas rollout
Source: Associated Press
Feds ask Musk’s car company how its driverless taxis will avoid causing accidents in Texas rollout
By BERNARD CONDON
Updated 3:35 PM EDT, May 13, 2025
NEW YORK (AP) — Federal safety regulators have asked Elon Musk’s car company to explain how its driverless taxis will avoid causing accidents when they hit the road in Texas next month before a national “robotaxi” launch that is key to keeping its stock price aloft.
Tesla has been told to provide information on how its taxis will operate safely in Austin, Texas, when there is fog, sun glare, rain and other low-visibility conditions that have been tied to accidents involving the company’s driver-assistance software. Those accidents, including one that killed a pedestrian, triggered the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to launch an investigation in October of 2.4 million of Musk’s vehicles.
The billionaire reassured investors on an earnings call last month that the robotaxi service would launch in Austin as planned and would quickly lead to millions of robotaxis and other autonomous self-driving Teslas operating around the country by the end of the year.
“We expect a green light after Tesla’s response but the big focus is on more widespread launches in the U.S. after the Austin pilot kicks off,” said Wedbush Securities stock analyst Dan Ives. “It’s a pivotal time for Musk.”
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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/testla-robotaxi-cybercab-austin-musk-regulators-waymo-236331b75aa8fae687fbb7d3ad527842