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US safety agency pressures Texas-based Tesla over full self-driving claims, crash concerns

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has raised concerns about Tesla's public messaging on its "Full Self-Driving" system. Photo via tesla.com

The U.S. government's highway safety agency says Tesla is telling drivers in public statements that its vehicles can drive themselves, conflicting with owners manuals and briefings with the agency saying the electric vehicles need human supervision.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is asking the company to “revisit its communications” to make sure messages are consistent with user instructions.

The request came in a May email to the company from Gregory Magno, a division chief with the agency's Office of Defects Investigation. It was attached to a letter seeking information on a probe into crashes involving Tesla's “Full Self-Driving” system in low-visibility conditions. The letter was posted Friday on the agency's website.

The agency began the investigation in October after getting reports of four crashes involving “Full Self-Driving" when Teslas encountered sun glare, fog and airborne dust. An Arizona pedestrian was killed in one of the crashes.

Critics, including Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, have long accused Tesla of using deceptive names for its partially automated driving systems, including “Full Self-Driving” and “Autopilot,” both of which have been viewed by owners as fully autonomous.

The letter and email raise further questions about whether Full Self-Driving will be ready for use without human drivers on public roads, as Tesla CEO Elon Musk has predicted. Much of Tesla's stock valuation hinges on the company deploying a fleet of autonomous robotaxis.

Musk, who has promised autonomous vehicles before, said the company plans to have autonomous Models Y and 3 running without human drivers next year. Robotaxis without steering wheels would be available in 2026 starting in California and Texas, he said.

A message was sent Friday seeking comment from Tesla.

In the email, Magno writes that Tesla briefed the agency in April on an offer of a free trial of “Full Self-Driving” and emphasized that the owner's manual, user interface and a YouTube video tell humans that they have to remain vigilant and in full control of their vehicles.

But Magno cited seven posts or reposts by Tesla's account on X, the social media platform owned by Musk, that Magno said indicated that Full Self-Driving is capable of driving itself.

“Tesla's X account has reposted or endorsed postings that exhibit disengaged driver behavior,” Magno wrote. “We believe that Tesla's postings conflict with its stated messaging that the driver is to maintain continued control over the dynamic driving task."

The postings may encourage drivers to see Full Self-Driving, which now has the word “supervised” next to it in Tesla materials, to view the system as a “chauffeur or robotaxi rather than a partial automation/driver assist system that requires persistent attention and intermittent intervention by the driver,” Magno wrote.

On April 11, for instance, Tesla reposted a story about a man who used Full Self-Driving to travel 13 miles (21 kilometers) from his home to an emergency room during a heart attack just after the free trial began on April 1. A version of Full Self-Driving helped the owner "get to the hospital when he needed immediate medical attention,” the post said.

In addition, Tesla says on its website that use of Full Self-Driving and Autopilot without human supervision depends on “achieving reliability" and regulatory approval, Magno wrote. But the statement is accompanied by a video of a man driving on local roads with his hands on his knees, with a statement that, “The person in the driver's seat is only there for legal reasons. He is not doing anything. The car is driving itself,” the email said.

In the letter seeking information on driving in low-visibility conditions, Magno wrote that the investigation will focus on the system's ability to perform in low-visibility conditions caused by “relatively common traffic occurrences.”

Drivers, he wrote, may not be told by the car that they should decide where Full Self-Driving can safely operate or fully understand the capabilities of the system.

“This investigation will consider the adequacy of feedback or information the system provides to drivers to enable them to make a decision in real time when the capability of the system has been exceeded,” Magno wrote.

The letter asks Tesla to describe all visual or audio warnings that drivers get that the system “is unable to detect and respond to any reduced visibility condition.”

The agency gave Tesla until Dec. 18 to respond to the letter, but the company can ask for an extension.

That means the investigation is unlikely to be finished by the time President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January, and Trump has said he would put Musk in charge of a government efficiency commission to audit agencies and eliminate fraud. Musk spent at least $119 million in a campaign to get Trump elected, and Trump has spoken against government regulations.

Auto safety advocates fear that if Musk gains some control over NHTSA, the Full Self-Driving and other investigations into Tesla could be derailed.

Musk even floated the idea of him helping to develop national safety standards for self-driving vehicles.

“Of course the fox wants to build the henhouse,” said Michael Brooks, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, a nonprofit watchdog group.

He added that he can't think of anyone who would agree that a business mogul should have direct involvement in regulations that affect the mogul’s companies.

“That’s a huge problem for democracy, really,” Brooks said.

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Investigators will look into the ability of “Full Self-Driving” to “detect and respond appropriately to reduced roadway visibility conditions, and if so, the contributing circumstances for these crashes." Photo courtesy of Tesla

US to probe Texas-based Tesla's self-driving system after pedestrian killed in low visibility conditions

eyes on the road

The U.S. government's road safety agency is investigating Tesla's “Full Self-Driving” system after getting reports of crashes in low-visibility conditions, including one that killed a pedestrian.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in documents that it opened the probe last week after the company reported four crashes when Teslas encountered sun glare, fog and airborne dust.

In addition to the pedestrian's death, another crash involved an injury, the agency said.

Investigators will look into the ability of “Full Self-Driving” to “detect and respond appropriately to reduced roadway visibility conditions, and if so, the contributing circumstances for these crashes.”

The investigation covers roughly 2.4 million Teslas from the 2016 through 2024 model years.

A message was left Friday seeking comment from Tesla, which has repeatedly said the system cannot drive itself and human drivers must be ready to intervene at all times.

Last week Tesla held an event at a Hollywood studio to unveil a fully autonomous robotaxi without a steering wheel or pedals. Musk, who has promised autonomous vehicles before, said the company plans to have autonomous Models Y and 3 running without human drivers next year. Robotaxis without steering wheels would be available in 2026 starting in California and Texas, he said.

The investigation's impact on Tesla's self-driving ambitions isn't clear. NHTSA would have to approve any robotaxi without pedals or a steering wheel, and it's unlikely that would happen while the investigation is in progress. But if the company tries to deploy autonomous vehicles in its existing models, that likely would fall to state regulations. There are no federal regulations specifically focused on autonomous vehicles, although they must meet broader safety rules.

NHTSA also said it would look into whether any other similar crashes involving “Full Self-Driving” have happened in low visibility conditions, and it will seek information from the company on whether any updates affected the system’s performance in those conditions.

“In particular, this review will assess the timing, purpose and capabilities of any such updates, as well as Tesla’s assessment of their safety impact,” the documents said.

Tesla reported the four crashes to NHTSA under an order from the agency covering all automakers. An agency database says the pedestrian was killed in Rimrock, Arizona, in November of 2023 after being hit by a 2021 Tesla Model Y. Rimrock is about 100 miles (161 kilometers) north of Phoenix.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety said in a statement that the crash happened just after 5 p.m. Nov. 27 on Interstate 17. Two vehicles collided on the freeway, blocking the left lane. A Toyota 4Runner stopped, and two people got out to help with traffic control. A red Tesla Model Y then hit the 4Runner and one of the people who exited from it. A 71-year-old woman from Mesa, Arizona, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The collision happened because the sun was in the Tesla driver's eyes, so the Tesla driver was not charged, said Raul Garcia, public information officer for the department. Sun glare also was a contributing factor in the first collision, he added.

Tesla has twice recalled “Full Self-Driving” under pressure from NHTSA, which in July sought information from law enforcement and the company after a Tesla using the system struck and killed a motorcyclist near Seattle.

The recalls were issued because the system was programmed to run stop signs at slow speeds and because the system disobeyed other traffic laws. Both problems were to be fixed with online software updates.

Critics have said that Tesla’s system, which uses only cameras to spot hazards, doesn’t have proper sensors to be fully self driving. Nearly all other companies working on autonomous vehicles use radar and laser sensors in addition to cameras to see better in the dark or poor visibility conditions.

Musk has said that humans drive with only eyesight, so cars should be able to drive with just cameras. He has called lidar (light detection and ranging), which uses lasers to detect objects, a “fool's errand.”

The “Full Self-Driving” recalls arrived after a three-year investigation into Tesla's less-sophisticated Autopilot system crashing into emergency and other vehicles parked on highways, many with warning lights flashing.

That investigation was closed last April after the agency pressured Tesla into recalling its vehicles to bolster a weak system that made sure drivers are paying attention. A few weeks after the recall, NHTSA began investigating whether the recall was working.

NHTSA began its Autopilot crash investigation in 2021, after receiving 11 reports that Teslas that were using Autopilot struck parked emergency vehicles. In documents explaining why the investigation was ended, NHTSA said it ultimately found 467 crashes involving Autopilot resulting in 54 injuries and 14 deaths. Autopilot is a fancy version of cruise control, while “Full Self-Driving” has been billed by Musk as capable of driving without human intervention.

The investigation that was opened Thursday enters new territory for NHTSA, which previously had viewed Tesla's systems as assisting drivers rather than driving themselves. With the new probe, the agency is focusing on the capabilities of “Full Self-Driving" rather than simply making sure drivers are paying attention.

Michael Brooks, executive director of the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety, said the previous investigation of Autopilot didn't look at why the Teslas weren't seeing and stopping for emergency vehicles.

“Before they were kind of putting the onus on the driver rather than the car,” he said. “Here they're saying these systems are not capable of appropriately detecting safety hazards whether the drivers are paying attention or not.”

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Woodside Energy names new CEO with sustainability focus

new leader

Woodside Energy has officially named Elizabeth Westcott as its new managing director and CEO.

Westcott has served as the company's acting CEO since Meg O'Neill stepped down in December 2025. Woodside is headquartered in Australia with its global operations based in Houston.

Before joining Woodside as executive vice president of Australian Operations in 2023, Westcott served as COO at EnergyAustralia. She has also held leadership roles at ExxonMobil and Adriatic LNG.

At Woodside, she has overseen the $12.5 Scarborough Energy Project, which the company says is expected to be one of the lowest-carbon-intensity sources of LNG, as well as other major projects and initiatives.

“My focus as CEO is on sustainable value creation for Woodside shareholders, operational excellence and disciplined execution of our growth projects," Westcott said in a news release. “I look forward to working closely with the Board and Woodside’s strong leadership team to continue building a leading global energy company that delivers long-term value for shareholders, underpinned by a consistent focus on sustainability and high performance.”

Woodside Chair Richard Goyder added that Westcott was the top choice for the role.

“Liz’s proven track record of outstanding strategic leadership and disciplined delivery distinguished her as the Board’s top candidate for this role," Goyder said. “Liz’s extensive industry experience and strategic vision will be invaluable in leading Woodside at this significant moment in its history.”

Earlier this month, Westcott spoke on how sustainability is a priority for Woodside.

"Put simply, sustainable business is good business ... Because strong sustainability performance is not only the right thing to do. It also drives long-term value by helping to de-risk our business, secure future opportunities and support a compelling value proposition for investors," she said in her 2026 sustainability briefing.

Westcott called attention to the company's Beaumont New Ammonia project. The company acquired the Texas-based clean ammonia project in 204 for $2.35 billion. Production of lower‑carbon ammonia was initially expected sometime this year, but Westcott shared that delivery has been pushed back due to construction delays.

Read Westcott's full suitability briefing here.

30+ CERAWeek events featuring Houston energy leaders

where to be

CERAWeek returns to Houston March 23-27, bringing more than 1,000 speakers, executives and energy innovators to Houston.

Under this year's theme, "Convergence and Competition: Energy, Technology and Geopolitics,” panels will tackle topics ranging from policy and global relations to the growing role of AI in the energy sector. Most of the innovation-themed events are organized under the Agora track and will feature many Houston-area startups, universities, companies and scientists. Panels will feature leaders from Fortune 500 companies and top U.S. government officials, scientists and founders pushing towards a more carbon-neutral future.

Here are some of the many events featuring Houston leaders on the Agora track you can't miss if you want to learn more about Houston energy innovation.

Monday, March 23rd


Scaling Innovation: Building the ecosystem for the next energy breakthroughs

Featuring: Georgina Campbell Flatter, CEO of Greentown Labs

This event is at 10:30 a.m. Find more info here

Vaulted Deep | The Subsurface as Waste and Carbon Infrastructure

Featuring: Julia Reichelstein, co-founder and CEO of Vaulted Deep

This event is at 11:30 a.m. Find more info here

Collaboration Spotlight | Collision Course: How Houston's Ion District turns proximity into innovation

Featuring: Adrian Tromel, chief innovation officer at Rice University; Rawand Rasheed, co-founder and CEO of Helix Earth Technologies; Marc Davidson, senior technical advisor at Veriten

This event is at 1:30 p.m. Find more info here.

Methane Reduction in Practice: Field learnings

Featuring: Matt Kolesar, chief environmental scientist at ExxonMobil

This event is at 2 p.m. Find more info here.

Time-to-AI: Shrinking the data-center clock

Featuring: Robert Ott, vice president of wholesale origination at NRG Energy; Andrew Johnston, business line director, data centers at SLB

This event is at 2:30 p.m. Find more info here.

Scaling CCUS: Which industries, regions and funding sources?

Featuring: Gino Thielens, vice president of renewables and energy efficiency at SLB; Ian McIntyre, senior vice president, 1PointFive

This event is at 3 p.m. Find more info here.

Democratization of AI: Redefining where work gets done

Featuring: Rob Crane, technology scouting and venturing manager at SLB

This event is at 3:30 p.m. Find more info here.

Tuesday, March 24th


Syzygy Plasmonics | Affordable, Globally Compliant SAF Using Abundant Biogas Feedstock

Featuring: Trevor Best, CEO and founder of Syzygy Plasmonics

This event is at noon. Find more info here.

Accelerating Idea to Impact: Carving new ways to innovation

Featuring: David Sholl, executive vice president for research at Rice University

This event is at 1 p.m. Find more info here.

NRG | From the Front Lines: A deep dive into grid reliability

Featuring: Matthew Pistner, senior vice president of generation at NRG Energy; Robert Patrick, vice president of development engineering and construction at NRG Energy

This event is at 1:30 p.m. Find more info here.

Energy Efficiency: The industrial advantage

Featuring: Jason Urso, CTO of Honeywell Industrial Automation

This event is at 1:30 p.m. Find more info here.

The CEO Blueprint | Strategy

Featuring: Lorenzo Simonelli, CEO and chairman of Baker Hughes

This event is at 2:55 p.m. Find more info here.

Occidental | Beyond the Technology: Turning direct air capture into CDR credits

Featuring: William Barrett, vice president of product development at 1PointFive

This event is at 3:30 p.m. Find more info here.

Wednesday, March 25th


Innovations in Sustainable Steel

Featuring: Laureen Meroueh, founder and CEO of Heartha Metals Inc.

This event is at 9 a.m. Find more info here.

Rice University | The Science of Geologic Carbon Storage

Featuring: Sahar Bakhshian, assistant professor, earth, environmental and planetary sciences at Rice University

This event is at 9:30 a.m. Find more info here.

Sparking Innovation: The impact of interdisciplinary collaboration

Featuring: Marie Contou Carrere, executive director of the Rice Sustainability Institute; Sandy Guitar, executive director of TEX-E

This event is at 10 a.m. Find more info here.

Models of Innovation, Models of Capital

Featuring: Bobby Tudor, chair of Houston Energy Transition Initiative and chairman of the board for Greentown Labs

This event is at 10:30 a.m. Find more info here.

Energy Venture Day and Pitch Competition

This event is at noon. Find more info here. Learn more about the competing teams here.

Baker Hughes | Meeting Industrial and AI-Driven Energy Demand with Flexible, Reliable and Sustainable Power Solutions

Featuring: Daniele Marcucci, industrial power generation product director at Baker Hughes; Florent Rousset, geothermal leader, new energies at Baker Hughes

This event is at noon. Find more info here.

Thursday, March 26th


Mission-driven Minds: How space exploration inspires the next generation of energy innovators

Featuring: Trina Sadberry, head of brand & engagement in the United States at Equinor; Laura Dandridge, corporate affairs advisor at Chevron; Jack Fischer, chief integration officer at Intuitive Machines; Ginger Kerrick Davis, chief strategy officer at Barrios Technology

This event is at 9 a.m. Find more info here.

Rice University | Nature-based Solutions: A focus on biochar and enhanced rock weathering

Featuring: Carrie Masiello, director of the sustainability institute at Rice University; Mark Torres, associate professor, earth, environmental and planetary sciences at Rice University

This event is at 9:30 a.m. Find more info here.

Growing Direct Air Capture

Featuring: Anthony Cottone, resident and general manager at 1PointFive

This event is at 9:30 a.m. Find more info here.

Occidental | Advancement and Growth Opportunities for Enhanced Oil Recovery

Featuring: Vishal Gupta, president and general manager of EOR Ventures at Occidental

This event is at 9:30 a.m. Find more info here.

Geothermal: Charting progress on technological advancements

Featuring: Jonathan Ajo-Franklin, trustee professor, earth, environmental and planetary sciences at Rice University; Florent Rousset, geothermal leader, new energies at Baker Hughes

This event is at 10 a.m. Find more info here.

Newfound Materials | Bridging the Synthesis Gap in AI-Driven Materials Innovation

Featuring: Matt McDermott, founder and CEO of Newfound Materials

This event is at 10 a.m. Find more info here.

Hertha Metals | The Future of Steel Production: Going beyond the blast furnace

Featuring: Laureen Meroueh, founder and CEO of Heartha Metals Inc.

This event is at 11 a.m. Find more info here.

Advanced Materials with Low-Carbon Intensity

Featuring: Matteo Pasquali, director of the Rice Carbon Hub

This event is at 11:30 a.m. Find more info here.

Lessons from the Lab: Common pitfalls of hard tech startups

Featuring: Jeremy Pitts, managing director of Activate Houston

This event is at 11:30 a.m. Find more info here.

TotalEnergies | Accelerating Direct Air Capture

Featuring: Isabelle Betremieux, head of R&T CO2 capture department at TotalEnergies

This event is at 1 p.m. Find more info here.

Spotlight: "NextGen" energy leaders of the future

Featuring: Renu Khator, chancellor and president of the University of Houston

This event is at 3 p.m. Find more info here.

Solidec | On-site, On-demand Production of Essential Chemicals

Featuring: Ryan DuChanois, co-founder and CEO of Solidec

This event is at 3:30 p.m. Find more info here.

Fervo secures $421M in financing for Cape Station construction

fresh funding

Houston geothermal unicorn Fervo Energy has closed $421 million in non-recourse debt financing for the first phase of its flagship Cape Station project in Beaver County, Utah.

Fervo believes Cape Station can meet the needs of surging power demand from data centers, domestic manufacturing and an energy market aiming to use clean and reliable power. According to the company, Cape Station will begin delivering its first power to the grid this year and is expected to reach approximately 100 megwatts of operating capacity by early 2027. Fervo added that it plans to scale to 500 megawatts.

The $421 million financing package includes a $309 million construction-to-term loan, a $61 million tax credit bridge loan, and a $51 million letter of credit facility. The facilities will fund the remaining construction costs for the first phase of Cape Station, and will also support the project’s counterparty credit support requirements.

Coordinating lead arrangers include Barclays, BBVA, HSBC, MUFG, RBC and Société Générale, with additional participation from Bank of America, J.P. Morgan and Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, Limited, New York Branch.

“As demand for firm, clean, affordable power accelerates, EGS (Enhanced Geothermal Systems) is set to become a core energy asset class for infrastructure lenders,” Sean Pollock, managing director, project Finance at RBC Capital Markets, said in a news release. “Fervo is pioneering this step change with Cape Station, a vital contribution to American energy security that RBC is proud to support.”

The oversubscribed financing marks Cape Station’s shift from early-stage and bridge funding to a long-term, non-recourse capital structure, according to the news release.

“Non-recourse financing has historically been considered out of reach for first-of-a-kind projects,” David Ulrey, CFO of Fervo Energy, said in a news release. “Cape Station disrupts that narrative. With proven oil and gas technology paired with AI-enabled drilling and exploration, robust commercial offtake, operational consistency, and an unrelenting focus on health and safety, we have shown that EGS is a highly bankable asset class.”

Fervo continues to be one of the top-funded startups in the Houston area. The company has raised about $1.5 billion prior to the latest $421 million. It also closed a $462 million Series E in December.

According to Axios Pro, Fervo filed for an IPO that would value the company between $2 billion and $3 billion in January.

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