The US transport security authority NHTSA demands from Tesla Information about its new robotaxi service. The occasion are online videos that should show how one of the driverless vehicles uses the wrong track and another drives too quickly.
“We are aware of the incidents mentioned and are in contact with the manufacturer to collect additional information,” said the authority late Monday evening (CEZ). Tesla then explained to the NHTSA that his answers to questions about the safety of the robotaxi use in Texas were confidential business information and should not be published.
Robotaxi-Tesla as a ghost driver
The news agency Bloomberg
Had first reported on the traffic violations of the robotaxis. She referred to video recordings of customers who are available to the agency. In a video by Rob Maurer, an investor who used to moderate a Tesla podcast, the Model Y, in which, according to Bloomberg, he drives himself, drives to a crossroads in Austin on a left turn. The Tesla hesitates with turning, gives way to the right and drives onto a free trace that is intended for traffic in the opposite direction.
Later, a horn can be heard in the video when the Tesla over a double -drawn yellow line that drivers are not allowed to cross on the right lane, Bloomberg continues.
According to Bloomberg, two other articles on X contain recordings of driverless model Ys from Tesla, which obviously drove too quickly. A vehicle with Sawyer Merritt, another Tesla investor, reached a speed of 35 miles per hour, shortly after he had passed a sign with a speed limit of 30 miles, as the video he published, writes Bloomberg.
The electric car maker had launched a limited, paid test service in Austin in Austin in the US state of Texas with around a dozen self-driving cars. The NHTSA has been investigating collisions of Tesla vehicles since October, which used the driving assistance software “Full Self-Driving” (FSD) in poor visibility. This investigation comprises 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD and was initiated after four registered collisions, including a fatal accident in 2023.
Doubts about Musk’s concept
Experts and rivals have long been doubting how reliably Teslas can drive autonomously. Because Tesla boss Elon Musk (53) So far only cameras have been setting and does without more expensive laser radars that score the surroundings. With this technique, the currently by far leads by far-leading robotaxi provider Waymo on the way. With more than 1,500 cars, Waymo now makes more than 250,000 trips with passengers without a person at the wheel. However, Tesla would have a significant cost advantage if Musk’s bet on cameras should open.