Articles by David Shepardson

Tesla Tells U.S. Lawmakers Autopilot Requires ‘Constant Monitoring’

Tesla Inc. defended the safety benefits of its advanced driver assistance system Autopilot and its Full Self-Driving (FSD) capability but acknowledged they require “constant monitoring and attention of the driver.” Democratic Senators Richard Blumenthal and Ed Markey wrote Tesla Chief …

California Allows Cruise, Waymo Autonomous Vehicle Passenger Service

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) on Monday issued permits to self-driving units of General Motors and Alphabet Inc. to allow for passenger service in autonomous vehicles with safety drivers present. CPUC said the GM unit Cruise and Alphabet’s Waymo …

How Autonomous Car Companies Are Outrunning U.S. Regulators And Lawmakers

Self-driving vehicle companies from Tesla Inc. to General Motors Co.’s Cruise are racing to start making money with their technology, outrunning efforts by regulators and Congress to write rules of the road for robot-driven vehicles. Cruise said that SoftBank Group …

Boeing, Reform Issues Await New U.S. Aviation Safety Chief

The next head of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will face challenges overseeing Boeing Co. and a series of reforms mandated by Congress in the wake of two fatal 737 MAX crashes. The job opened late Wednesday when the …

U.S. Investigates 416,000 Tesla Vehicles Over Unexpected Braking

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said Thursday it is opening a formal investigation into 416,000 Tesla vehicles over reports of unexpected brake activation tied to its driver assistance system Autopilot. The preliminary evaluation covers 2021-2022 Tesla Model 3 …

NASA Concerned About SpaceX Satellite Deployment Plan

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) raised concerns about SpaceX’s plan to deploy about 30,000 satellites for its Starlink, as have some major companies. Elon Musk’s SpaceX previously received authorization for about 12,000 satellites to offer broadband internet and …

FAA Proposes Rules to Protect Certification Workers From Manufacturer Interference

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Monday it was issuing draft guidance seeking to protect aviation employees who perform government certification duties from interference by airplane manufacturers and others. Congress in December 2020 approved legislation boosting FAA oversight of aircraft …

FAA Expects Addressing Safety Issues to Cause Only ‘Minimal Disruptions’ to Air Travel

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is confident that aviation safety concerns about 5G C-Band deployment will be addressed “safely with minimal disruptions,” the head of the FAA will tell U.S. lawmakers on Thursday, according to testimony seen by Reuters. FAA …

How Autonomous Car Companies Are Outrunning U.S. Regulators and Lawmakers

Self-driving vehicle companies from Tesla Inc. to General Motors Co.’s Cruise are racing to start making money with their technology, outrunning efforts by regulators and Congress to write rules of the road for robot-driven vehicles. On Tuesday, Cruise said that …

Tesla to Recall Vehicles That May Disobey Stop Signs

Tesla Inc. will recall 53,822 U.S. vehicles with the company’s Full Self-Driving (Beta) software that may allow some models to conduct “rolling stops” and not come to a complete stop at some intersections posing a safety risk. The National Highway …