Tesla robotaxi rollout in Austin tests Musk's vision of self-driving future
Tesla did not respond to requests for comment.
Tesla advertisements for 'teleoperation' positions say the company needs the ability to 'access and control' autonomous vehicles and humanoid robots remotely, adding that such employees can 'remotely perform complex and intricate tasks'.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration enquired last month about many of the unanswered questions surrounding the Austin rollout.
The agency, which is investigating Tesla's FSD driver-assistance feature after a fatal crash in 2023, sent a detailed request seeking information about safety features, Tesla's timetable for expansion, where exactly it will be operating the vehicles and how it is preparing for accidents and emergency scenarios. The responses are due next week.
A person familiar with NHTSA's operations said the agency sent the letter because it already has concerns about Tesla's FSD technology, which it sells to customers for $99 (R1,752) a month, and it fears Tesla's Austin rollout may not be safe.
The Texas attorney-general is considering a Reuters request for communications between Tesla and city officials in Austin over the past two years, which Tesla has opposed over trade secrets concerns. Austin's department of transportation and public works declined to discuss Tesla's operations.
A person familiar with Austin's autonomous-vehicle policies said the city has been meeting regularly with Tesla since December and that the company has shared some deployment plans with the city.
Safety experts say there has been a dearth of information about Tesla's technology. Phil Koopman, a Carnegie Mellon University engineering professor and autonomous-vehicle safety expert, said Musk's statements 'leave room for ambiguity' about its plans in Austin and the sophistication of its robotaxi technology. 'When you start to pin it down, it's like jello,' he said.
He questioned whether Tesla would be ready for a rapid nationwide rollout soon.
'Having 10 cars on the road and not having a crash,' Koopman said, 'is sort of table stakes for this game.'
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