Robotaxi Safety Stirs Scrutiny and Local Pushback

Tesla has launched its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software in China after multi-year delays, marking a major step for the EV maker as it competes with fast-growing local rivals. The rollout follows regulatory and localization hurdles; key players include Tesla and Chinese automakers racing to integrate advanced driver-assistance features. The move matters because China is the world’s largest EV market and introducing FSD there could accelerate adoption of advanced autonomy, influence regulatory standards, and intensify competition over software-defined vehicle differentiation. It also raises questions about data, safety approvals, and how Tesla’s FSD will interact with China’s mapping, connectivity and regulatory ecosystem.

Tesla announced on May 21 that its supervised Full Self-Driving (FSD) system will be available for use in China. The brief 36Kr report cites Tesla’s official communication stating the rollout of a supervised FSD variant in the Chinese market, signaling Tesla’s expansion of advanced driver-assistance features into one of the world’s largest automotive and EV markets. This matters for regulators, competitors, and Chinese consumers because supervised FSD introduces higher levels of assisted driving functionality while still requiring human oversight, impacting local regulation, safety debates, and competitive dynamics among EV makers and autonomous-driving suppliers.

Tesla announced that its supervised Full Self-Driving (FSD) system is now available for use in China, joining other supported regions including the US, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, the Netherlands and Lithuania. The supervised FSD is classified as an L2 driver assistance system under UN R-171, requiring drivers to remain attentive and ready to take control, with legal responsibility resting on the driver. Europe has moved to subscription-only pricing for supervised FSD after Tesla ended lifetime purchases globally in February 2026; Lithuanian subscribers pay €99/month (discounted to €49 for prior Enhanced Autopilot owners). Tesla is recruiting real-world Autopilot test technicians across nine Chinese cities, signaling expanded local testing and rollout efforts.

Tesla’s Full Self-Driving software is creeping into Europe

Tesla has begun rolling out its supervised Full Self-Driving (FSD) to owners in Lithuania after national approval referenced the Netherlands’ RDW European type approval for FSD v14.3 on April 10. Lithuanian authorities completed their review on May 18 under the EU mutual recognition process, allowing the L2 driver-assist system—subject to UN R-171 rules—to be deployed. Tesla had run public demo rides in Vilnius and recruited FSD operations staff in the region ahead of the rollout. The system requires driver attention and monitoring, can be disabled if distraction is detected, and is offered via subscription in Europe (€99/month or €49/month for prior Enhanced Autopilot buyers). The RDW certification should accelerate further European rollouts later in 2026.

Waymo's driverless taxi fleet misrouted dozens of empty vehicles into a dead-end neighborhood in Atlanta, with residents reporting as many as 50 Waymo cars circulating there between 6–7 a.m. in a single hour. Locals say multiple dead-ends across Buckhead have recently seen similar clusters, creating nuisance traffic and safety concerns for children and pets. Residents installed a fluorescent warning sign to deter the vehicles, which then left eight cars stranded trying to turn or reverse. Waymo told Road & Track it is investigating and has begun remediation but didn’t disclose a root cause, framing the issue as isolated while noting its service handles over 500,000 weekly trips. The incident raises questions about AV routing, edge-case handling, and neighborhood impacts of autonomous fleets.

Tesla China has posted multiple job openings for smart-driving test roles across nine cities, sparking speculation that its Full Self-Driving (FSD) system may be preparing to launch domestically. Roles listed include in-vehicle test technicians, test engineers, and track test specialists in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Suzhou, Wuhan and more. When asked whether buyers of the 64,000 CNY assisted-driving package could receive FSD via OTA, Tesla customer service said vehicles are not yet compatible and that the company is actively pursuing approvals required by national regulations and will push updates once cleared. The recruitment push plus the customer-service comment suggest Tesla is advancing regulatory and operational steps toward bringing FSD to China.

Elon Musk said at the Smart Mobility Summit in Tel Aviv that he expects fully driverless cars to become more widespread across the U.S. later this year. Musk claimed Tesla vehicles are already operating without safety drivers in three Texas cities and predicted that model will expand nationwide. If accurate, broader deployment would accelerate autonomous vehicle (AV) adoption, influence regulation, and pressure competitors in EVs, AI driving software, and fleets. The claim raises questions about safety validation, state and federal regulatory readiness, and liability frameworks as companies push for hands-free commercialization.

Tesla has unredacted and submitted 17 Robotaxi crash reports to the NHTSA, revealing that most incidents from July 2025 to March 2026 in Austin involved the company’s 2026 Model Y with FSD engaged and a safety attendant onboard. Thirteen crashes were property damage only; two reported no injuries; one caused a minor injury not requiring hospitalization and one required hospitalization. Many were rear-end collisions where other drivers hit stopped Teslas, mirroring patterns seen in Waymo data. Two incidents involved erroneous remote-operator interventions that struck barriers at low speed, and several showed FSD perception failures (chain, trailer hitch, poles, curbs). Tesla had argued the reports were commercially sensitive; their release allows broader scrutiny of Robotaxi safety.

Dozens of empty Waymo autonomous minivans converged on an Atlanta neighborhood, drawing resident confusion and local attention. Photos and reports showed about 20–30 unoccupied Waymo vehicles parked or slowly circling residential streets; Waymo did not immediately provide a full explanation. The incident highlights operational and public-relations challenges for autonomous vehicle deployments: parked driverless cars can alarm residents, raise safety and liability questions, and test local regulations and signage. For AV companies and city officials, such episodes matter because they affect community trust, require clear communication, and could prompt municipal rules on staging, parking, and remote-operator practices as robo-taxi programs scale. Follow-up statements or policy responses are likely.

Tesla disclosed narratively for the first time that its Robotaxi vehicles crashed at least twice while remote teleoperators were actively driving them in Austin, Texas. Unredacted NHTSA submissions show a July 2025 incident where a teleoperator took control to move a stopped vehicle, drove up a curb and struck a metal fence, and a January 2026 incident where a teleoperator driving at about 9 mph scraped a front-left fender on a construction barricade. Tesla had previously redacted crash narratives but now released details for 17 incidents since launching its Austin Robotaxi network. The reports underline challenges in remote-operator interventions and may explain why Tesla is scaling its service cautiously amid safety scrutiny and comparisons with other AV firms.

Tesla disclosed narratives for two crashes involving teleoperators in its Robotaxi fleet in Austin, Texas: one in July 2025 where a teleoperator took over, drove up a curb and struck a metal fence after the ADS stalled, and another in January 2026 where a teleoperator piloted the vehicle into a temporary construction barricade at about 9 mph. Both incidents occurred at low speed, with a safety monitor present and no passengers. The newly unredacted NHTSA submissions reveal 17 incident narratives overall, including collisions where Tesla vehicles were struck and cases of mirror and minor-object impacts. The disclosures help explain Tesla’s cautious, limited Robotaxi rollout amid safety and scaling concerns.

空荡荡的Waymo自动驾驶汽车涌入亚特兰大的一条死胡同 - ABC新闻 - 突发新闻、最新新闻和视频

Tesla disclosed details for 17 robotaxi incidents from July 2025–March 2026, revealing that in at least two crashes remote human operators drove vehicles into a metal fence and a construction barricade at under 10 mph. Both incidents involved in-vehicle “safety monitors” and occurred in Austin; one monitor sustained minor injuries. The filings highlight how Tesla’s teleoperators sometimes directly take control, unlike rivals such as Waymo that largely limit remote input or cap remote driving speeds. Safety experts warn about latency, visibility, and cellular coverage challenges for remote driving. Tesla’s robotaxi fleet remains small (fewer than 100 vehicles) and limited to three Texas cities, raising operational and safety scrutiny as the company scales.

Waymo has issued a voluntary recall of about 3,800 robotaxis running its fifth- and sixth-generation automated driving systems to fix software that can allow vehicles to drive into flooded roadways. The move follows camera-captured incidents in Austin, San Antonio and other locations where Waymo vehicles entered or stalled in flooded streets; one vehicle in San Antonio was swept into a creek. Waymo says it has implemented mitigations, is adding software safeguards, restricted operations in extreme weather, and temporarily suspended San Antonio service while preparing to resume rides. The recall and NHTSA scrutiny underscore safety and deployment challenges for commercial robotaxi fleets.

Tesla reveals two Robotaxi crashes involving teleoperators

Waymo因车辆驶入积水道路而召回机器人出租车