The Department of Transportation has proposed eliminating the brake-pedal requirement for vehicles designed to operate exclusively with automated driving systems. The change would primarily affect Tesla's Robotaxi development.
The regulatory proposal targets vehicles with no human driver, allowing manufacturers to design autonomous vehicles without traditional brake pedals. Current federal safety standards require brake pedals on all passenger vehicles.
Tesla has advocated for this regulatory flexibility as it develops its planned Robotaxi fleet. The company's autonomous vehicles are designed without steering wheels or pedals, relying entirely on software and sensors for operation.
The Department of Transportation stated the requirement applies only to vehicles "designed to be driven exclusively by automated driving systems," establishing a specific category for fully autonomous vehicles rather than applying broadly to all self-driving technology.
The proposal requires public comment and review before finalization. If approved, it would streamline manufacturing for purpose-built autonomous vehicles and reduce development costs by eliminating redundant mechanical controls.
The move reflects the administration's focus on reducing regulatory barriers for autonomous vehicle deployment. However, the safety implications of removing emergency mechanical controls remain subjects of ongoing industry debate.
Federal regulators have denied Polestar authorization to sell vehicles in the United States beginning with model year 2027. The decision contrasts sharply with approval granted to parent company Volvo.
The European Union has identified Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services as the largest cloud providers in the bloc, flagging both for enhanced oversight under the Digital Markets Act.
Apple is hiking prices across most of its hardware lineup by up to $1,300 to offset memory chip and storage shortages. iPhones, Apple Watches, and AirPods are unaffected.
Ford has brought back former engineers to correct mistakes made by its automated production and design systems. The automaker disclosed the challenges while announcing its top ranking in JD Power's initial quality survey for mainstream vehicles.