The reasoning behind Elon Musk’s decision to heavily back former (and future) President Donald Trump as well as be the “first buddy” is becoming more clear now. The Trump Administration is set to take over about 80 federal vehicle issue probes that were opened under President Joe Biden. One of those probes just happens to be the massive National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigation into Tesla’s Full Self-Driving software. I have all the confidence in the world this will go well.
Under Biden, NHTSA has been examining if FSD can safely operate in fog, dust, glare and other reduced visibility conditions, according to Bloomberg. The probe was brought about following four serious Tesla crashes where FSD was engaged and dealing with these types of conditions. One of them was even involved a pedestrian being killed.
Here’s a bit more history between Elon, Tesla and NHTSA, as explained by Bloomberg:
While Musk suggested days after the investigation started that Tesla and his other companies have been subject to “lawfare” by federal regulators, defect probes are par for the course in the US. NHTSA has initiated 155 of them during Biden’s presidency, only modestly more than the 135 opened during Trump’s first term.
Tesla vehicles have been the subject of 12 defect investigations opened under Biden. NHTSA has initiated 23 queries into Ford vehicles under Biden, and opened more probes of Stellantis (18) and Honda (14) cars and trucks.
It’s going to be very interesting to see just how much power Musk will wield in Trump’s administration at NHTSA and the Department of Transportation and he’ll be able to make these types of investigations into his many companies disappear. I’m not a betting man, but if I was I’d say the smart money is that these investigations will be dropped. He might get distracted by his dumbass “Department of Governmental Efficiency” though, so who really knows. I suppose it’s also possible Musk could dismantle these agencies through the “shockwaves” he says he’s going to send through Washington, D.C.
Musk has recently been upping the anti when it comes to his messaging about Tesla and autonomy. Here’s what he’s been saying and how NHTSA has reacted, according to Bloomberg:
Musk has leaned into the technology like never before in an effort to differentiate Tesla’s vehicles as sales have slipped. He’s cautioned against owning his company’s stock unless you’re a devotee (“If somebody doesn’t believe Tesla is going to solve autonomy, I think they should not be an investor in the company,” he said in April.) Tesla recognized $326 million in revenue last quarter linked to FSD, and some analysts expect software releases to eventually become the predominant generator of the company’s profits.
NHTSA has taken notice of Musk’s aggressive messaging. In a filing posted to its website last week — two days after Kamala Harris conceded the presidential race to Trump — the agency attached an email that one of its officials sent to Tesla representatives in May. The official flagged seven of Tesla’s social media posts about FSD that had given the agency pause.
The posts showcased drivers who weren’t keeping their hands on the wheel while using FSD, and conveyed messages that conflicted with how Tesla messages to customers in owner’s manuals and elsewhere. NHTSA noted that an X user commented on one of the posts that they could see people getting home safely in a Tesla after drinking at a sporting event — an alarming conclusion to draw about a system that still holds the driver fully responsible for steering, stopping and going.
“While Tesla has the discretion to communicate with the public as it sees fit, we note that these posts show lost opportunities to temper enthusiasm for a new product with cautions on its proper use,” Gregory Magno, a division chief within NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation, wrote in the email.
[…]
“We request that Tesla revisit its communications to assure that its messaging is consistent with the statements made in its user instructions and appropriate to the level of capability deployed to the public roads,” he wrote.
We’re going to have to wait and see as to whether the Trump Administration allows Tesla to deploy robotaxis on U.S. roads. There is still a long way to go before we get to that point, and hopefully it stays that way.