Hyperdrive

Tesla Probe Ushers In Get-Tough Era at Auto-Safety Watchdog

NHTSA opens defect investigation covering 765,000 cars
Agency has opened more probes this year than in 2020 or 2019

A Tesla sedan in autopilot mode after crashing into a parked police cruiser in Laguna Beach, California in 2018. Source: Laguna Beach Police Department via AP Photo

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By Keith Laing, Alan Levin, and Keith Naughton

August 17, 2021 at 6:00 AM UTC

Updated on

August 17, 2021 at 4:02 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s investigation into a possible defect involving Tesla Inc.’s Autopilot signals a more activist approach by the Biden administration to regulating technology that’s crucial to the auto industry’s future.

NHTSA, which announced the Tesla examination Monday, opened 26 probes into various auto-safety issues so far this year -- more than in all of 2020 or 2019, according to its website. The agency is on pace to launch about 66% more investigations than the 25 it began last year.