Musk's vow to make lots of Robotaxis conflicts with US auto safety rules

Regulatory hurdles were one of multiple issues Musk sidestepped during his much-anticipated unveiling of robotaxi, billed as a pillar of the Tesla CEO's push into robotics and artificial intelligence

Automakers must secure permission from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration before putting cars on the road that lack a steering wheel or other controls required by US auto safety rules. If Tesla were to overcome that hurdle — which is by no means guaranteed — it could only put a few thousand robotaxis on the road in a given year, effectively rendering its slick self-driving taxi little more than a niche product. 

Elon Musk promised to pump out robotaxis in high numbers when Tesla Inc. unveiled prototypes of its Cybercab last week.

There’s a big problem with that: US rules won’t allow it.

 

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“Unless Congress increases this limit, as several failed bills would have done, exemptions aren’t a viable route for a mass manufacturer,” said Bryant Walker Smith, a University of South Carolina law professor and autonomous vehicle expert.