NHTSA Has Turned Musk's Robotaxi Vision Into Reality By Overhauling Crash Reports | Carscoops

      Tesla and its competitors benefit as exemption limits and domestic AV testing regulations are relaxed

      16 hours ago

      by Stephen Rivers

      The NHTSA has unveiled a new framework aimed at reducing bureaucratic hurdles and accelerating innovation.

      This framework will influence the introduction of autonomous vehicles and the technology that supports them.

      It's likely to significantly impact Tesla's ambitions for Level 5 technology later this year.

      The journey towards fully autonomous vehicles has seemingly become a bit shorter, at least theoretically. Following months of speculation and pressure from the industry, the NHTSA has officially modified several important regulations regarding self-driving technology. The updated policies alter crash reporting processes, lessen regulatory scrutiny, and establish a route for increased innovation. That’s the optimistic outlook, anyway. If anyone stands to gain, it’s likely to be Elon Musk.

      Characterized as a new Automated Vehicle (AV) Framework, this initiative has three primary objectives: prioritize safety, foster innovation, and enable commercial deployment. These are the stated principles. However, how these goals will be achieved is what will be particularly intriguing.

      “This Administration recognizes that we are in a competition with China to lead in innovation, and the stakes are extremely high,” remarked U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean P. Duffy. “As part of the DOT’s innovation agenda, our new framework will reduce bureaucratic barriers and bring us closer to a unified national standard that encourages innovation while focusing on safety.”

      Reducing Crash Reporting Transparency

      A few months ago, many speculated that the NHTSA might completely eliminate the requirement for reporting crashes involving AVs. While that is not the case, the requirements for crash reporting are undergoing changes. Previously, crashes involving Level 2 (and higher) driving technologies had to be reported. Now, Level 2 vehicles, such as those manufactured by Tesla, Ford, GM, and Stellantis, are exempt from the reporting obligations.

      In fact, even Level 3 vehicles, like those offered by Mercedes, are exempt from these reporting requirements. Only crashes involving vehicles with Level 4 technology and beyond must be reported.

      Ultimately, this results in reduced transparency regarding crash data for Level 2 and Level 3 systems. Although this will allow the government to monitor Level 4 and above crashes more effectively, it leaves the public—aside from automakers—largely uninformed about the safety of Level 2 and 3 systems. While this is a significant shift, it's not the only noteworthy change.

      Expansion of AV Exemptions to U.S.-Manufactured Vehicles

      Additionally, the government will extend the AV Exemption Program to encompass domestically manufactured vehicles. Previously, this program permitted vehicles that were not federalized for U.S. roads to be present in the country and tested on public streets. Under the new rules, U.S.-built cars can also apply to participate in this program and test on public roads, even if they do not comply with certain standards.

      Furthermore, the new principles support increased commercial deployment, although the government has not provided much detail on what that entails at this point. It is anticipated that this will eliminate limitations on the number of commercial AVs permitted per manufacturer. Under the previous regulations, Tesla would have needed a special exemption to deploy more than 2,500 AVs across the country. Now, it appears that the path is clear for significantly more robotaxis to be operating.

      “By simplifying the SGO for Crash Reporting and broadening an existing exemption program for domestic vehicles, we are allowing AV manufacturers to develop more rapidly and spend less time on excessive procedures, while still enhancing safety,” stated NHTSA Chief Counsel Peter Simshauser. “These are initial steps toward making the United States a more accommodating environment for the next generation of automotive technology.”

      Whether this vision ultimately results in safer roads or simply leads to more unanswered questions regarding who is in control of the vehicle (or the algorithm) remains to be seen.