Recent job cuts at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have raised concerns about the agency's ability to oversee Tesla's autonomous driving technology development. The cuts, initiated in February through the Department of Government Efficiency, heavily impacted staff responsible for assessing self-driving risks.
The timing of these dismissals is particularly notable as Tesla aims to launch a driverless ride-hailing service in Austin by June and begin production of autonomous "cybercabs" next year. These vehicles, lacking traditional controls like steering wheels and pedals, require special NHTSA exemptions to operate on U.S. roads.
The layoffs affected approximately 30 NHTSA workers, with many coming from the recently formed office of vehicle automation safety. This department, established in 2023, was especially vulnerable due to its newer employees still being on probation.
Current and former NHTSA officials express worry about the agency's reduced capacity to evaluate autonomous vehicle technology. "The dismissals will weaken NHTSA's ability to understand self-driving technologies," stated one former agency employee.
The NHTSA currently maintains eight active investigations into Tesla, stemming from over 10,000 public complaints. These investigations largely focus on Tesla's Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (FSD) capabilities.
A Tesla manager, speaking anonymously, criticized the timing of the cuts: "We should be adding people to NHTSA, not reducing staff. They need to develop a national framework for autonomous vehicles for Tesla to scale its FSD and robotaxi operations."
The agency continues to enforce safety measures, recently ordering recalls of 46,000 Cybertrucks due to exterior panel issues and 2 million Teslas for autopilot-related concerns. The NHTSA maintains its commitment to independent investigations despite the staffing changes.
As Tesla pushes forward with its autonomous driving ambitions, the reduced oversight capacity at NHTSA raises questions about the balance between innovation and safety in the rapidly evolving self-driving vehicle sector.