Trump’s choice of transfer says it will allow Tesla investigations to continue

Sean Duffy, Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Transportation, said he would allow it Safety investigations into Tesla’s advanced drive technology Going forward, perhaps setting himself up for a clash with A major supporter of the president-elect.

Duffy, a former Republican congressman, lobbyist and Fox News personality, made the comments during his confirmation hearing Wednesday before the Senate Commerce Committee. Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) asked whether he could maintain objectivity in the investigation into Tesla, which is headed by donor and Trump supporter Elon Musk.

“Yes, I am committed to this committee and to you that I will allow the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to conduct its investigation,” he said. “I think I also mentioned to you that a lot of players are in these spaces, I haven’t met any of them.”

Duffy’s comments come after months of reports about Musk’s comments. Unprecedented impact About Trump’s transition, the Tesla CEO sat in on meetings with potential candidates, vetted new hires, and volunteered to work He co-led a committee to oversee massive spending cuts. Trump is also reportedly considering policy decisions that would favor Musk’s business, e.g Eliminate the crash reporting rule For partial and full self-driving vehicles.

During the Biden administration, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched several investigations into the safety of Tesla’s automated driving technology. One of the largest investigations resulted in December 2023 More than 2 million Tesla vehicles recalled To install better safeguards for the company’s automated driver assistance feature. NHTSA has launched another investigation into the adequacy of the recall.

Duffy hasn’t said anything else about taking on a role that could put him at odds with Musk. But he commented on the need for national legislation to better regulate the safe deployment of autonomous vehicles. He said:

This is not just a cool technology that has the potential to make our roads safer, but it is a matter of national security. We cannot lag behind China or other countries when it comes to autonomous vehicle technology. Right now, we have a patchwork of laws from state to state. I believe there should be a federal law that all these innovators can abide by, regardless of whether they are in Texas, California, or elsewhere. And again, I will always make sure that safety is key. But beyond safety, we want to give broad scope to these companies and innovators to create products that will bring us this new technology that, again, could revolutionize the way we obtain items, how we travel, whether you take an Uber ride or… it could Be cool and exciting.

As Secretary of Transportation, Duffy had a bully pulpit to advocate for a national self-driving car law. Trump is reported to support passing such a law once he takes office.

But Congress has adopted numerous proposals over the past decade, and many have never materialized. It is unclear whether the major differences will be resolved by the time the next opportunity arises.

The federal government has largely taken a back seat in regulating autonomous vehicles, leaving states to develop their own rules for safe deployment, which Duffy said isn’t ideal. There has been legislation that would dramatically increase the number of self-driving vehicles on the road She stalled in Congress for more than seven yearswith lawmakers at odds over a range of issues, including safety, liability and the correct number of exemptions from federal vehicle safety standards.

Meanwhile, the NHTSA recently released a new one Voluntary framework for autonomous vehicles It aims to facilitate the introduction of fully self-driving cars.