In February, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) made unexpected layoffs that hit the autonomous vehicle safety division particularly hard. Among those fired are many experts responsible for assessing the risks associated with self-driving cars, including Tesla. The layoffs were part of a large-scale initiative by the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is associated with Elon Musk, who «quite coincidentally» runs Tesla.
The NHTSA employees learned about their dismissal from an email sent on Valentine’s Day. Approximately 4% of the agency’s 800 employees were laid off, including employees who had been promised raises and newly hired employees. In total, more than 20,000 federal employees across agencies have lost their jobs, sparking outrage over potential conflicts of interest.
Particular attention was drawn to the fact that the NHTSA has been a harsh critic of Tesla for many years. Today, the agency has 8 active investigations against the company, most of which relate to its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (FSD) systems. These investigations are the result of more than 10 thousand reports and complaints from the public.
The massive layoffs have sharply reduced morale within NHTSA. Earlier, the agency initiated dozens of recalls of Tesla cars and delayed the introduction of autonomous driving and driver assistance software. Sources claim that the reason for the dismissals was allegedly «unsatisfactory performance», but employees doubt the sincerity of such explanations. According to informed sources, personnel working on vehicle automation safety have been disproportionately affected.
«There is a clear conflict of interest in allowing someone with business interests to influence the appointments and policies of the agency that regulates them», — said a former senior NHTSA official who was not among those fired by DOGE.
The agency’s remaining employees are now cautiously watching the experience of other federal regulators who have overseen Musk’s companies.
«Musk attacked the Federal Aviation Administration and the Federal Communications Commission to benefit SpaceX», said another former senior regulatory official. «Why would he want to spare the NHTSA?
Musk has repeatedly had conflicts with federal and state authorities. Last year, he called for the resignation of the head of the FAA and sharply criticized the FCC for canceling a 2022 agreement with his company to provide Starlink satellite communications to provide rural broadband access.
The NHTSA said that safety remains its top priority and that the agency will continue to enforce the law against any car manufacturer in accordance with its regulations and investigations.
«The agency’s investigations have been and will continue to be independent», they added.
At the same time, the potential weakening of safety controls, in particular — accident reporting, is worrisome. Such data was the basis for a large-scale recall of 2 million Teslas in 2023 due to problems with the autopilot. Without a clear mechanism for collecting and analyzing incidents, former NHTSA employees emphasize that there is a growing risk of concealing dangerous defects.
In the context of Musk’s ambitious plans to launch Robotaxi in Austin for the summer and production Cybercab next year, the cuts in the autonomous vehicle division look extremely controversial. To implement these plans, Tesla needs a special permit from the NHTSA to operate vehicles without steering wheels and pedals, as well as approval for the AV STEP program. Therefore, DOGE’s decision is seen by some analysts as a way to «make life easier» for Musk’s company.
Previously was reportedthat SpaceX engineers have replaced the dismissed FAA specialists — the agency that authorizes rocket launches for Musk’s space company.
Source: arstechnica