Tesla granted more time in US investigation into its self-driving tech
U.S.regulators have granted a five-week extension for Tesla to respond to allegations that its vehicles have broken traffic laws while operating in what the electric automaker calls “full self-driving” mode.An investigation of Tesla’s full-self driving feature was opened in October after the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration said it had collected dozens of reports of the cars running red lights or driving on the wrong side of the road, sometimes crashing into other vehicles and causing injuries.
The investigation covered 2.9 million vehicles, essentially all Teslas equipped with full self-driving technology, or FSD.Critics say the name is a misnomer that has lulled drivers into handing full control over to their cars.
The federal agency responsible for auto safety said in a letter to Tesla on Dec.3, 2025 that it was investigating 62 complaints, up from 58 reported incidents in October.Tesla, headed by billionaire CEO Elon Musk, has argued to regulators and in court cases that it has repeatedly told drivers the system cannot drive the cars by itself and whoever is behind the wheel must be ready to intervene at all times.
Regulators say that many Tesla drivers involved accidents said the cars gave them no warning before behaving erratically.In a letter to the electric vehicle maker, the NHTSA said Thursday that the company now has until Feb.
23 to answer the government’s request for information.The original deadline was Jan.
19, 2025.Tesla lost its crown as the world’s bestselling electric vehicle maker last year for a combination of reasons, including a backlash to Elon Musk’s right-wing politics, expiring U.S.tax breaks for buyers and stiff competition at home and abroad that has pushed sales down for a second straight year.Popular ReadsValue meal face-off: Major chain drops deal starting at $4Jan 15, 10:17 AMGoldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley see double-digit profit jumps amid surging stock marketJan 15, 12:21 PMAt top UN court, Myanma...