Tesla’s ambitious leap into fully autonomous ride-hailing has drawn federal scrutiny following the public debut of its “robotaxi” fleet in Austin, reports AP News.
Musk’s ‘robotaxis’ draw regulatory scrutiny
Videos circulating online show Tesla vehicles exhibiting erratic driving behavior—abrupt braking in traffic, drifting into opposing lanes, and proceeding straight from turn-only lanes.
In response, federal safety regulators are seeking further information about these incidents. While Tesla has not officially commented on the specific events, the test deployment, which began June 22, involves a small number of geofenced autonomous vehicles remotely monitored for safety.
Initially, the launch sparked investor optimism, with Tesla shares climbing, though some gains were tempered by safety concerns. Industry supporters called the rollout a major milestone, while critics warned that Tesla’s Full Self-Driving technology still shows unpredictable behavior and should not be used to transport the public without stricter oversight.
Despite this, Tesla continues testing its robotaxi fleet on public roads in Austin, with no indication that trials will pause.
This situation adds to growing regulatory pressure on Tesla, which is already under investigation for previous issues related to its driver-assist technologies. CEO Elon Musk has long touted a vision of steering wheel–free vehicles, but the recent incidents suggest that reality may still be further down the road.
Did you subscribe to our Daily newsletter?
It’s Free! Click here to Subscribe!
Source: AP News
