By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Donald Trump’s nominee to serve as the second highest ranking official at the U.S. Transportation Department vowed the government will take a fair and objective approach to overseeing auto safety probes into Tesla.
Asked if he would commit to ensuring auto safety regulators hold Tesla accountable, nominee Steve Bradbury said yes.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in October opened an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with Full Self-Driving (FSD) software after four reported collisions, including a fatal 2023 crash, among other open safety probes.
U.S. Senator Gary Peters, a Democrat from Michigan, cited the FSD investigation and noted that the technology does not make vehicles self-driving and that human drivers must remain attentive.
“There’s a history of Tesla misleading consumers regarding what that technology is actually capable of doing and unfortunately that has led to deaths as a result of it,” Peters said at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing.
Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Peters noted that Tesla CEO Elon Musk is a close adviser to Trump, and has previously criticized NHTSA’s regulatory efforts. Musk is currently overseeing the Trump administration push to significantly shrink the federal government.
Last month, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said a key Tesla safety probe would continue.
In January, NHTSA opened a separate probe into 2.6 million Tesla vehicles over reports of crashes involving a feature that allows users to move their cars remotely.
Tesla in December 2023 recalled more than two million U.S. vehicles to install new safeguards in its Autopilot advanced driver-assistance system. The agency is still investigating whether that recall is adequate to address concerns that drivers are not paying attention.
Last week, Trump nominated an Apple lawyer to head NHTSA. Jonathan Morrison, who served as chief counsel of NHTSA during the first Trump administration, had previously worked for the California New Car Dealers
The scrutiny of the advanced driver-assistance system comes as Musk looks to pivot toward self-driving technology and robotaxis.
(Reporting by David ShepardsonEditing by Bill Berkrot)
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