Elon Musk is gearing up to advocate for national regulations on autonomous vehicles if he secures the position he has been promised within a newly established government efficiency commission.
During a recent earnings call, the Tesla CEO addressed inquiries regarding his assertion that the company plans to launch unsupervised Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology next year, although only in two states. Elon hinted at this upcoming FSD rollout when he introduced the driverless Robotaxi, which he stated would be priced below $30,000 by 2026.
Upcoming FSD Developments
Before that rollout, however, owners of the Model 3 and Model Y—especially those with HW4—might have the chance to experience real unsupervised self-driving in Texas and California. Tesla's reasoning for targeting these two states for an unsupervised FSD launch in 2025 is quite distinct.
Texas was chosen by Tesla due to its more flexible regulatory stance, while California, despite its complex regulations, already has a framework for autonomous vehicle permits through companies like Waymo. As Tesla's Lars Moravy points out:
"All of our vehicles currently produced and capable of autonomy comply with all regulations; even the Cybertruck conforms to these rules. Our challenge is not the vehicle itself but the state-level regulations controlling autonomous vehicle deployment. Some states, like Texas, are relatively straightforward. Others, such as California, might require more time. Some haven't established any regulations yet, so we will navigate this on a state-by-state basis."
Plans for Expansion
After launching unsupervised FSD in these initial states, Tesla intends to seek approval in additional states by the close of 2025. According to Tesla, states began exploring these regulations back in 2017, but progress has since "stalled." This means Tesla will have to engage with each individual state to promote the adoption of autonomous vehicles.
Musk believes that the introduction of unsupervised FSD could happen much quicker if regulations are enacted at the federal level. This is what he plans to focus on if he is appointed to lead the government efficiency role after the elections.
"There ought to be a national approval system for autonomous vehicles. That's how the FMVSS operates. The Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) is federal. It’s crucial to have a national approval. The government efficiency department should help facilitate this. And this is for everyone, not just Tesla. In the U.S., some matters, like insurance, are regulated state by state, which is incredibly cumbersome across 50 states. I believe we need a natural approval process for autonomous technologies."
What Musk means by the department of government efficiency is the federal commission that a new presidential administration might establish.
Elon has already shown interest in advising this efficiency commission, even if in an unofficial capacity. Transitioning regulations for autonomous vehicles to the federal level could be a key initiative he aims to promote there.
