Tesla CEO Elon Musk says the company will launch self-driving taxis in Austin in June and other U.S. cities by the end of the year.
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.”
Read the full story: Federal safety agency asks Tesla for details of its planned robotaxis
Tesla 'completely' redacts robotaxi crash reports
Reports submitted to the NHTSA also reveal differences in the types of crashes Tesla cars are involved in as opposed to its competitors.
Tesla Announced Human-Assisted Robotaxi Launch in San Francisco — But State Regulators Say Otherwise
The electric carmaker appears to be both-sides-ing its impending launch, telling regulators it will have human drivers on board while touting the project as ‘robotaxis’ to investors.
NHTSA Opens Investigation Into Tesla’s Autonomous System
The agency will probe the “Full Self-Driving” system in the wake of crashes that include a pedestrian death.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Data reveals that NYC’s bet on congestion pricing has paid off
After almost two years of the program, reports show positive impacts on traffic and air quality and no disruptions to parking.
Denver is solving homelessness. Why aren't the rest of us?
Since 2023, Denver's street homeless population has decreased by 64%, proving that effective tools exist to support those in need of housing.
‘No state has sacrificed more:’ Arizona joins Nevada, sues feds over Colorado River plan
The Arizona Department of Water Resources' motion claims that the state's cities, tribes and farmers can't survive without sufficient water from the Colorado River.
Permits for single-family homes have nosedived, along with investor confidence
Permits to build new single-family homes also hit a 3.5 year low in September.
LA begins work on $4 billion light rail through San Fernando Valley
The project will be the areas first light rail service since the termination of the Pacific Electric Railway in the 1950s.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
County of Mendocino
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Montrose County
Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA)
The Pocatello Development Authority