Federal Regulators Ask Tesla for Robotaxi Details Ahead of Planned Launch

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has asked carmaker Tesla to provide details on its driverless vehicle tech, which the company plans to deploy as a robotaxi operation in Austin, Texas next month.

As Dan Zukowski explains in Smart Cities Dive, Tesla uses cameras and artificial intelligence in its self-driving technology, unlike other companies that also equip their vehicles with lidar and radar. “NHTSA requested information on how Tesla plans to ensure the safety of its vehicles when encountering sun glare, fog, airborne dust, rain, or snow; how its vehicles will respond to collisions and interact with first responders; and how its driving automation system is monitored by in-vehicle or remote personnel.”

The agency also requested details on the locations and times of deployment and how the robotaxis will differ from the company’s current “Full Self-Driving” features, which Tesla’s website notes “require active driver supervision and do not make the vehicle autonomous.”