Will Tesla’s robotaxis have steering wheels? Elon Musk won’t say.
The Tesla CEO dodged some questions. Earnings announcement on Tuesday The company also provided details on the current status of its long-promised self-driving cars, including whether they will have traditional controls such as pedals and a steering wheel.
This is an increasingly important question that remains for Tesla’s robotaxi plans. Already postponed The move is intended to allow further work on prototypes, and in theory it could be months, if not years, before a car without a steering wheel or pedals could be driven on public roads, while a more traditional-looking vehicle could be released sooner.
In theory, it could be months, if not years, before a vehicle without a steering wheel and pedals is approved.
That’s because Tesla needs federal approval to introduce more innovative robotaxi designs, something it acknowledged in its shareholder letter.
“The timing of the introduction of robotaxis will depend on technological advances and regulatory approvals, but we are committed to this opportunity as we see significant potential value,” the company said.
But when asked what specific regulatory approvals Tesla is seeking, Musk declined to answer.
Specifically, when asked whether Tesla would seek an exemption from federal motor vehicle safety standards to deploy vehicles without traditional controls, he responded by comparing Tesla’s “generalized solution” to Waymo’s more “localized” solution, describing Waymo as “highly vulnerable.”
“Our solution is a general solution that works anywhere,” he added. “It will work on another Earth.”
Currently, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) require cars to have basic human controls, such as a steering wheel, pedals, and side mirrors. These standards dictate how vehicles must be designed before they can be sold in the United States. If a proposed new vehicle doesn’t comply with all of the existing FMVSS, manufacturers can apply for a waiver. However, the government only allows 2,500 waivers per company per year.
“It would work on another Earth.”
The exemption cap would theoretically prevent AV companies, including Tesla, from mass-deploying purpose-built self-driving cars. AV advocates have tried to pass legislation to lift the cap, allowing more driverless cars on public roads, but The bill is stalled in Congress On questions of liability and technology readiness.
so far, Only one company is granted an FMVSS exemptionNuro is using them to deploy a small number of driverless delivery robots in Texas and California. GM-owned Cruise is Applying for an FMVSS exemption They developed the Origin Shuttle, which has no steering wheel or pedals, but it was not approved, and now Origin Hold indefinitelyAmazon’s Zoox autonomous shuttle It was “self-certification.” In response, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched an investigation into what that means.
Other companies have chosen to skip this step entirely. Waymo’s driverless vehicles all have traditional controls, even though they drive on public roads without a safety driver. The company has said it will eventually introduce vehicles without steering wheels, but has not yet said if or when it will apply for an FMVSS exemption.
That means Tesla faces similar regulatory hurdles depending on whether it does away with traditional controls, something it has hinted at before, with blueprints showing the vehicle as a steering-wheel-free zone.
Critics have dismissed Tesla’s robotaxis as a pipe dream, pointing out that Waymo carries nearly 50,000 passengers per week, while Musk continues to make vague promises about vehicles he’s never seen and may never actually exist.
Musk is certainly betting on this plan, repeatedly stressing that Tesla is primarily an AI company, not a traditional car company, but he’s been candid about the very real hurdles the company will face as it works hard to make this vision a reality.
We’ll have to wait until October to get a real answer, or maybe later if there are further delays.
