

News
Tesla fans’ focus on NHTSA advisor Cummings a distraction ‘from real safety issues’: NTSB Chair
The National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy says that recent attacks against Missy Cummings, a recently appointed Senior Advisor for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), were used by Tesla fans to distract people from “the real safety issues at hand,” hinting toward her criticism of Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving suite.
Earlier this month, Cummings, a Professor and Director of the Human’s and Autonomy Laboratory at Duke University, was appointed by the Biden Administration to act as the new Senior Advisor of the NHTSA. Tesla enthusiasts and fans questioned the appointment, citing Cummings past criticisms of Tesla Autopilot and Full Self-Driving. Tesla CEO Elon Musk said Cummings has had a past of being “extremely biased against Tesla.” Cummings, at one time, said the “only killer robot out there is @elonmusk’s Tesla” in a Tweet from April 2018. Cummings also owned nearly 26,000 shares of Veoneer stock, a LiDAR company. Cummings was a member of the Board of Veoneer but resigned on October 25.
Tesla has never believed in LiDAR, with Musk once calling it “a fool’s errand.”
Tesla receives harsh rebuke from NTSB head over Full Self-Driving terminology
The Tweets and focus on Cummings from Tesla fans caused Cummings to delete her Twitter account. A petition also circulated through the community, accumulating over 28,000 signatures. The petition called for Cummings appointment to be reconsidered due to “conflict of interest and bias,” based on her past Tweets and stock ownership in Veoneer.
Homendy commented on the criticism of Cummings, stating Tesla fans were using it as a distraction from the company’s safety issues, which have catalyzed a probe from the NHTSA.
Homendy said (via CNN Business):
“It’s a calculated attempt to distract from the real safety issues at hand that everybody should be focused on. It’s noise. Put it aside.”
She added that fans of other automakers do not respond to criticism this way. “You would never get that in other [transportation] modes. That would just not happen,” Homendy added. “We’ve issued recommendations to other auto manufacturers and don’t get that response. NHTSA issues regulations across the auto industry, and they also do not get that response. I refuse to go down the path of even reading, acknowledging, or responding to any criticism because I feel like it’s really the safety issues at hand we need to be talking about.”
Tesla fans undoubtedly had a right to be concerned regarding Cummings’ appointment based on private interests and past comments made about Tesla, but some comments made to her were over the line. Members of the Full Self-Driving Beta pool were not enthusiastic regarding Cummings appointment but were also not supportive of name-calling and mud-slinging in her direction.
Tesla’s most recent Safety Report shows that its vehicles were involved in an accident once every 4.41 million miles drive while drivers utilized Autopilot technology. “By comparison, NHTSA’s most recent data shows that in the United States there is an automobile crash every 484,000 miles,” the company writes.
I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk sends stern warning to Tesla vandals, doubters
Elon Musk sent another warning to vandals that have attacked Tesla for political reasons.

Elon Musk has sent a stern warning to Tesla vandals, doubters, and attackers, who have subjected the company and its owners to political violence through arson and other modes of retaliation.
Over the past few months, Tesla showrooms and vehicles have been hit with numerous attacks from those who have opposed Musk and his political involvement with the Trump Administration. Although Musk has stepped back from his role within government significantly since the start of May, the company is still looked at as a political target.
While the White House has put a clear-cut line on the acts, calling them domestic terrorism and holding those responsible for the damage they have done, there are still numerous and daily instances of keying cars or worse.
Yesterday, Musk continued to send stern warnings to those who oppose Tesla and choose to handle their distaste for the company with violence and vandalism. In a Bloomberg interview at the Qatar Economic Forum, Musk was asked if he took what has happened to Tesla “over the past few months personally.”
Musk replied simply but sternly: “Yes.”
“Did you take what happened to Tesla over the past few months personally?”
“Yes.” –@elonmusk pic.twitter.com/mNbgkpgZEo
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) May 20, 2025
He went on to say that not only will those who vandalized the company and its products owned by consumers be held to the fullest extent of the law, but also those who fund it.
Musk also said during a CNBC interview yesterday that very few people buy a company’s products because of the CEO’s political beliefs, and many people do not even know where those CEOs stand on various social issues.
Although Musk has gone out of his way to be transparent about his beliefs, he has a valid point. He obviously felt that, because of his influence, he held a duty to uphold American values and protect what he felt was an attack on free speech and human rights.
Disagreeing with Musk and his political stances is totally reasonable, but damaging products that consumers bought from his companies is not impacting him directly. Instead, it is making consumers’ lives more difficult.
News
Tesla Model 3 gets perfect 5-star Euro NCAP safety rating
Tesla prides itself on producing some of the safest vehicles on the road today.

Tesla prides itself on producing some of the safest vehicles on the road today. Based on recent findings from the Euro NCAP, the 2025 Model 3 sedan continues this tradition, with the vehicle earning a 5-star overall safety rating from the agency.
Standout Safety Features
As could be seen on the Euro NCAP’s official website, the 2025 Model 3 achieved an overall score of 90% for Adult Occupants, 93% for Child Occupants, 89% for Vulnerable Road Users, and 87% for Safety Assist. This rating, as per the Euro NCAP, applies to the Model 3 Rear Wheel Drive, Long Range Rear Wheel Drive, Long Range All Wheel Drive, and Performance All Wheel Drive.
The Euro NCAP highlighted a number of the Model 3’s safety features, such as its Active Hood, which automatically lifts during collisions to mitigate injury risks to vulnerable road users, and Automatic Emergency Braking System, which now detects motorcycles through an upgraded algorithm. The Euro NCAP also mentioned the Model 3’s feature that prevents initial door opening if someone is approaching the vehicle’s blind spot.
Standout Safety Features
In a post on its official Tesla Europe & Middle East account, Tesla noted that the company is also introducing new features that make the Model 3 even safer than it is today. These include functions like head-on collision avoidance and crossing traffic AEB, as well as Child Left Alone Detection, among other safety features.
“We also introduced new features to improve Safety Assist functionality even further – like head-on collision avoidance & crossing traffic AEB – to detect & respond to potential hazards faster, helping avoid accidents in the first place.
“Lastly, we released Child Left Alone Detection – if an unattended child is detected, the vehicle will turn on HVAC & alert caregivers via phone app & the vehicle itself (flashing lights/audible alert). Because we’re using novel in-cabin radar sensing, your Tesla is able to distinguish between adult vs child – reduced annoyance to adults, yet critical safety feature for kids,” Tesla wrote in its post on X.
Below is the Euro NCAP’s safety report on the 2025 Tesla Model 3 sedan.
Euroncap 2025 Tesla Model 3 Datasheet by Simon Alvarez on Scribd
Elon Musk
USDOT Secretary visits Tesla Giga Texas, hints at national autonomous vehicle standards
The Transportation Secretary also toured the factory’s production lines and spoke with CEO Elon Musk.

United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) Secretary Sean Duffy recently visited Tesla’s Gigafactory Texas complex, where he toured the factory’s production lines and spoke with CEO Elon Musk. In a video posted following his Giga Texas visit, Duffy noted that he believes there should be a national standard for autonomous vehicles in the United States.
Duffy’s Giga Texas Visit
As could be seen in videos of his Giga Texas visit, the Transportation Secretary seemed to appreciate the work Tesla has been doing to put the United States in the forefront of innovation. “Tesla is one of the many companies helping our country reach new heights. USDOT will be right there all the way to make sure Americans stay safe,” Duffy wrote in a post on X.
He also praised Tesla for its autonomous vehicle program, highlighting that “We need American companies to keep innovating so we can outcompete the rest of the world.”
National Standard
While speaking with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the Transportation Secretary stated that other autonomous ride-hailing companies have been lobbying for a national standard for self-driving cars. Musk shared the sentiment, stating that “It’d be wonderful for the United States to have a national set of rules for autonomous driving as opposed to 50 independent sets of rules on a state-by-state rules basis.”
Duffy agreed with the CEO’s point, stating that, “You can’t have 50 different rules for 50 different states. You need one standard.” He also noted that the Transportation Department has asked autonomous vehicle companies to submit data. By doing so, the USDOT could develop a standard for the entire United States, allowing self-driving cars to operate in a manner that is natural and safe.
-
News2 weeks ago
Tesla Cybertruck Range Extender gets canceled
-
Elon Musk6 days ago
Tesla seems to have fixed one of Full Self-Driving’s most annoying features
-
Lifestyle2 weeks ago
Anti-Elon Musk group crushes Tesla Model 3 with Sherman tank–with unexpected results
-
News2 weeks ago
Starlink to launch on United Airlines planes by May 15
-
News2 weeks ago
Tesla Semi gets new adoptee in latest sighting
-
News2 weeks ago
Tesla launches its most inexpensive trim of new Model Y
-
News2 weeks ago
US’ base Tesla Model Y has an edge vs Shanghai and Berlin’s entry-level Model Ys
-
News2 weeks ago
Tesla Cybertruck owners get amazing year-long freebie