News
Tesla Robotaxi just got a big benefit from the U.S. government
The NHTSA is looking to help streamline the application process for companies developing driverless vehicles.
Tesla Robotaxi just got a big benefit from the U.S. Government, as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is looking to ease some rules and streamline the application process that could hinder the development and licensing of autonomous vehicles.
Tesla is set to launch its Robotaxi platform in the coming days or weeks, but regulation on autonomous vehicles is incredibly slim, so automakers are left in a strange limbo as permissions to operate are usually up to local jurisdictions.
The NHTSA still has the ultimate say, but it is now adopting a new strategy that will see companies gain an exemption from federal safety standards and streamline the entire application process.
The agency is authorized to grant exemptions to permit manufacturers to produce vehicles over a two or three-year period that might not comply with certain Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). Robotaxi, for example, will eventually not have a steering wheel or pedals, through the Cybercab that Tesla unveiled last October.
The exemption program the NHTSA announced today would be possible through Part 555 of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act:
“NHTSA may grant a Part 555 exemption if at least one of four bases listed in the statute is met and NHTSA determines that the exemption is consistent with the public interest and the Safety Act. The statute also authorizes NHTSA to subject an exemption to terms the agency deems appropriate and requires that NHTSA publish notice of the application and provide an opportunity to comment.”
The rapid and non-stop innovation that is being performed is tough to keep up with from a legal standpoint. The NHTSA recognizes this and says current legislation is appropriate for traditional vehicles, but not for the self-driving cars companies are producing now:
“The current Part 555 process was designed for traditional vehicles. As currently applied, this process is not well suited for processing exemptions involving ADS-equipped vehicles in a timely manner or overseeing the unique complexities involving their operations. This has resulted in long processing times for applications for ADS-equipped vehicles. NHTSA must improve its Part 555 processing times substantially to keep pace with the rapid innovation of the ADS industry and to ensure that exemptions remain effective tools for nurturing groundbreaking safety technologies.”
Now, the NHTSA will be “enhancing application instructions” to help manufacturers understand the requirements involved in the application process. This will streamline the entire process by “reducing the need for NHTSA to request additional information from the manufacturer,” the agency says.
First Tesla driverless robotaxi spotted in the wild in Austin, TX
Next, the NHTSA is going to have a more flexible approach to evaluating exemptions for ADS-equipped vehicles:
“To build flexibility into the Part 555 process while also accounting for the unique aspects of those exemptions, NHTSA intends to develop terms that could be included in Part 555 exemption grants, when appropriate, to condition operations of exempted ADS-equipped vehicles on enhanced and continuing oversight from NHTSA. NHTSA would expect to administer this enhanced oversight through letters, which could be updated over time, mirroring real-world ADS development. This will enable NHTSA to focus its initial review during the application stage and align the Part 555 oversight approach more closely to exemptions administered under NHTSA’s Automated Vehicle Exemption Program (AVEP), which have proven effective for ADS.”
This will benefit any company making autonomous vehicles, but it will especially benefit Tesla in the short-term as it is readying for the launch of Robotaxi.
Tesla is trading up 1.89 percent at the time of publication.
Part 555 Letter June 2025 by Joey Klender on Scribd
News
Elon Musk sets expectations for Tesla’s AI6 deal with Samsung
It is no secret that Musk’s leadership style is not for everyone.
Elon Musk recently clarified a key detail about Tesla’s AI6 chip production deal with South Korean tech giant Samsung. As per Musk, Samsung’s leadership is aware that he would be personally involved in its upcoming factory’s operations.
Such a system, Musk noted, would allow Tesla and Samsung to achieve a real partnership.
Samsung’s AI6 production deal
When Elon Musk confirmed Tesla’s AI6 chip production deal with Samsung, there was one detail that stood out to longtime followers of the electric vehicle maker. As per the CEO, he would personally walk the lines of Samsung’s upcoming facility to ensure that the production of AI6 chips goes according to Tesla’s requirements.
“I will walk the line personally to accelerate the pace of progress. And the fab is conveniently located not far from my house,” Musk wrote in a post on X.
Musk’s comments caught a lot of attention, with some X users joking that Samsung has no idea what it signed up for. Musk, after all, is known to have extremely high demands for his employees during production ramps. He is also a leader who is extremely hands-on, as evidenced by his work during the Model 3’s production hell in the Fremont Factory.
Musk issues an assurance
Musk’s leadership style is intense, but it is also known to produce admirable results. That being said, it is also no secret that Musk’s leadership style is not for everyone. Fortunately for Samsung, the Tesla CEO noted that he has set expectations with the South Korean tech giant’s leadership, so they know what to expect when the ramp-up of the AI6 chip’s production actually happens.
“They do. I had a video call with the chairman and senior leadership of Samsung to go over what a real partnership would be like. Use the strengths of both companies to achieve a great outcome,” Musk wrote in a post.
While Tesla is already very experienced with mass manufacturing, producing chips at scale is still a new venture for the company. It is a venture that will likely provide benefits for Tesla, however, with noted Apple analyst Ming Chi-Kuo stating that that partnership could shake up the chip industry’s power balance.
Tesla is expanding its Semi charging infrastructure once again, this time to a facility owned by PepsiCo, near Denver, Colorado.
The Tesla Semi is the company’s all-electric Class 8 truck, and it’s been used by PepsiCo. and its subsidiary Frito-Lay, for a few years now, as part of a pilot program. They are two of several companies that have had exclusive access to the Semi for regional deliveries since 2022.
These regional deliveries performed by PepsiCo. and others are taking the Tesla Semi from California to Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and Colorado. The need for a solid, reliable charging infrastructure is becoming more evident, especially as Tesla is planning to start mass production of the Semi in the coming months.
It will build these units near its Gigafactory in Reno, Nevada, at a plant that it has been building since 2024.
That infrastructure is growing, as Tesla has submitted permitting to build a new six-stall Semi charging facility in Denver:
PepsiCo is building a new Semi Charging station at one of their facilities in Denver, Colorado!!
Permits were submitted earlier this month for the addition of 6 Semichargers at the company’s Pecos St distribution center.
H/T: @AlejandroEV66 pic.twitter.com/1tCTDigRo9
— MarcoRP (@MarcoRPi1) July 27, 2025
This is the location of a PepsiCo. distribution center near Denver. The Semi is evidently ready to start delivering to this location, but more charging is needed at the site to ensure the proper infrastructure is available.
PepsiCo. is putting forth a solid effort to increase its sustainability as a company. It has utilized the Tesla Semi for several years.
It has been a reliable partner for Tesla in the early testing of the vehicle, providing valuable data for the company, as it has handpicked the entities that have had access to the truck.
Tesla Semi dominates in real-world tests during Run on Less event
The expansion comes just after PepsiCo. filed to build 18 Tesla Semi chargers at another facility near Charlotte, North Carolina.
News
Tesla sends cryptic message that Robotaxi expansion is imminent
Tesla looks to be imminently launching Robotaxi rides in California.
Tesla has sent a cryptic message that the expansion of its Robotaxi platform is imminent in an area that the company indicated is a target of the ride-hailing service.
Tesla Robotaxi is currently available in Austin, Texas, but the company has stated for some time that its intention is to expand to California, among other states.
Now, it seems that Tesla is closer than ever to launching Robotaxi in California, based on a new message it sent to users of its Robotaxi app.
We received the message over the weekend, and it required us to accept and agree to new terms. Here’s what it said:
“If your ride is taking place outside of California, it is being conducted autonomously…If your ride is taking place in California, it is being conducted with a safety driver using FSD (Supervised) pursuant to authority from the California Public Utilities Commission.”
🚨 Tesla Robotaxi is close to offering rides in California based on this new message we got in our app.
There is no geofence currently set up in the Bay Area, but we’ll monitor it moving forward. pic.twitter.com/ZrKAqDqQs9
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) July 26, 2025
The message basically states that Tesla’s Robotaxi rides in Austin will differ from the ones that take place in California in a big way.
In Texas, there is nobody in the driver’s seat. There is a Safety Monitor in the passenger’s seat who simply ensures that everything goes smoothly:
Watch the first true Tesla Robotaxi intervention by safety monitor
In California, there will be a monitor in the driver’s seat, so it will essentially be the same as taking a ride in a vehicle with Full Self-Driving (Supervised).
This will, without a doubt, be a vocal point of the skeptics of the Robotaxi program, but for now, it is proof of Tesla’s “paranoid” focus on safety.
There has not been any established geofence in California within the Robotaxi app, so the program is not yet active in the state. However, it seems the release of the Robotaxi platform in the Golden State is imminent.
Elon Musk sets expectations for Tesla’s AI6 deal with Samsung
Tesla is expanding Semi charging infrastructure once again
Tesla sends cryptic message that Robotaxi expansion is imminent
-
Elon Musk2 weeks agoWaymo responds to Tesla’s Robotaxi expansion in Austin with bold statement
-
News2 weeks agoTesla exec hints at useful and potentially killer Model Y L feature
-
Elon Musk2 weeks agoElon Musk reveals SpaceX’s target for Starship’s 10th launch
-
Elon Musk2 weeks agoTesla ups Robotaxi fare price to another comical figure with service area expansion
-
News2 weeks agoTesla’s longer Model Y did not scale back requests for this vehicle type from fans
-
News2 weeks ago“Worthy of respect:” Six-seat Model Y L acknowledged by Tesla China’s biggest rivals
-
News2 weeks agoFirst glimpse of Tesla Model Y with six seats and extended wheelbase
-
Elon Musk2 weeks agoElon Musk confirms Tesla is already rolling out a new feature for in-car Grok