Trump Is Probably Going To Kill The Crash Reporting Rule That Made Tesla Look Bad

Donald Trump’s modulation squad is taking intent astatine a Biden-era norm requiring automakers and tech companies to study crashes that effect afloat aliases partially autonomous vehicles, according to Reuters. Scrapping nan clang reporting norm would greatly usage Tesla, which to date, has reported nan astir number of crashes.

In 2021, nan National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a opinionated wide order (SGO) requiring automakers and tech companies to study crashes involving autonomous vehicles arsenic bully arsenic Level 2 driver-assist systems recovered successful millions of vehicles connected nan roadworthy today. Companies are now required to archive collisions erstwhile an automated driving strategy was successful usage incorrect 30 seconds of effect and study those incidents to nan government. 

The thought was to create overmuch transparency astir nan deployment of a caller exertion that purports to amended accusation but has too been tied to a number of deadly incidents. Regulators based connected that overmuch accusation was needed to find whether these caller systems were making roads safer aliases simply making driving overmuch convenient.

Tesla, successful particular, came nether scrutiny. The company’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving features, which are considered Level 2 systems that require drivers to net attention, are immoderate covered nether nan rule. Since it was implemented, Tesla has reported complete 1,500 crashes to nan nationalist government, Reuters says. An study of nan clang accusation shows Tesla accounted for 40 retired of 45 fatal crashes reported to NHTSA done October of this year.

Tesla’s numbers were overmuch higher than different companies, astir apt owed to nan truth that it sells overmuch vehicles equipped pinch Level 2 systems than its rivals and collects overmuch data. But it too resulted successful a immense headache for nan company. NHTSA has launched respective investigations into Tesla’s driver-assist technology, astir of which centered connected crashes reported nether nan SGO.

Several sources adjacent to Tesla told Reuters that nan institution “despises” nan opinionated wide bid and concluded that it would petition a alteration successful guidance successful bid to get free of it. Tesla CEO Elon Musk was 1 of Trump’s astir vocal defenders, spending astatine slightest $277 cardinal of his ain money to backmost his campaign. Musk has since been appointed to caput nan Department of Government Efficiency pinch nan extremity of cutting authorities spending.

Trump is too considering getting free of different policies opposed by Tesla, including generous subsidies for EV companies. Musk believes Tesla is amended positioned to upwind a subsidy-free business than different automakers owed to its modular and maturity. Musk is too lobbying Trump to easiness restrictions connected afloat autonomous vehicles successful beforehand of Tesla’s plans to nutrient its ain robotaxi successful 2026.