Tesla, Musk, and the Battle Over Crash Reporting

The Trump transition team is recommending the removal of a federal crash-reporting requirement, a move favoring Tesla and opposed by safety regulators. Tesla, led by Elon Musk, views the mandate as burdensome and potentially misleading to consumers. The NHTSA, however, sees it as critical for vehicle safety assessments.

In a move that could reshape the landscape of automotive safety, the Trump transition team has suggested eliminating a car-crash reporting requirement that is strongly opposed by Tesla, according to documents obtained by Reuters.

Though Elon Musk and Tesla have not commented, the proposed changes stand to benefit the automaker significantly, as Tesla has been subject to numerous federal safety investigations. The NHTSA, however, maintains that the crash-reporting requirement is vital to monitoring the safety of automated-driving technologies.

Critics, including a major automaker trade group, label the current mandate as burdensome. The data has been pivotal in safety recalls and investigations, but its elimination could hinder future regulation of autonomous vehicles.

(With inputs from agencies.)