Tesla Robotaxi Incidents in Austin Under Scrutiny After Viral Videos

Tesla Robotaxi Incidents in Austin Spark Regulatory Review

Tesla's recent deployment of its robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, has quickly come under the microscope following the emergence of videos showing the vehicles operating in a concerning manner. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is now seeking further information from Tesla regarding these incidents.

Details of the Robotaxi Launch

The robotaxi service, which utilizes a fleet of 10 to 20 Model Y vehicles outfitted with Tesla's cutting-edge driverless technology and a human safety operator, commenced operations recently. This launch initially led to an 8% surge in Tesla's stock value. However, the promising start has been overshadowed by questions about the technology's reliability.

Viral Videos Raise Concerns

Several videos circulating online capture instances of Tesla robotaxis exhibiting erratic behavior. These include instances of vehicles traveling against the designated flow of traffic and executing abrupt braking maneuvers in the midst of active roadways. These incidents have prompted a formal inquiry by the NHTSA, which is actively gathering data and assessing the potential safety implications.

NHTSA's Role and Ongoing Investigations

The NHTSA emphasizes that it does not pre-approve specific vehicle technologies. Instead, it is the responsibility of automakers to certify that their vehicles meet established safety standards. The agency is committed to investigating potential safety defects and taking action to protect public safety. Notably, the NHTSA has an ongoing investigation into Tesla's FSD-Supervised technology following prior incidents.

Context and Competition

While Tesla is making strides in autonomous driving, competitors such as Waymo, and Chinese companies like Baidu's Apollo Go, WeRide and Pony.ai, are also actively developing and deploying commercial robotaxi services. This rapidly evolving landscape underscores the complexities and challenges associated with bringing fully autonomous vehicles to market.