Musk’s team is laying off staff at the agency that investigated Tesla crashes

Table of Contents

Elon Musk's cost-cutting efforts at Twitter are now affecting the very agency that oversees the safety of his Tesla vehicles in Australia. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which has launched investigations into fatal crashes involving Tesla cars, has confirmed job losses.

While the NHTSA describes the number of positions eliminated as “modest,” the move comes at a time when Musk’s been outspoken about his criticisms of the agency. He’s previously claimed the NHTSA’s been stifling advancements in self-driving technology through its investigations and recalls. This development raises questions about the NHTSA's capacity to effectively regulate and investigate safety issues linked to Tesla’s autonomous driving systems.

The agency was asked if the cuts would affect any investigations into Tesla, and it pointed to its previous statement that it will "enforce the law on all vehicle and equipment manufacturers."

The job losses at NHTSA, which were implemented by Musk's advisory committee to reduce the size of the federal government, was earlier reported by The Washington Post.

In addition to investigating Tesla's partially automated vehicles, NHTSA has made it compulsory for Tesla and other companies that use self-driving technology to report crash data on their vehicles, a requirement that Tesla has been critical of and that safety regulators are worried could be dropped.

The administration had increased its workforce, indicating that the reduced staff was adequate to accomplish its objectives.

“Even with these modest efficiencies, NHTSA is still a lot bigger today than it was four years ago,” the statement said. “We've kept the positions that are essential to our mission of saving lives, stopping injuries, and reducing the financial costs of crashes on the roads.”

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk is overseeing massive job cuts initiated by US President Donald Trump, which have impacted bank regulators, forestry workers, rocket engineers and tens of thousands of other government staff.

Approximately 6,000 employees at the US Internal Revenue Service were informed they will lose their jobs, a person well-versed in the matter stated.

On a Thursday, he took to the stage at a conservative conference held outside of Washington with a gift from Argentina's libertarian President Javier Milei: a chainsaw.

"Mate, this is the chainsaw for bureaucracy," said Musk, holding up the shiny power tool at the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland.

The red metallic chainsaw, given to Musk by Milei earlier in the day, was engraved on its side with the Argentine leader’s coarse Spanish slogan: “Viva la libertad, carajo,” which loosely translates to “Long live freedom, damn it!”

Independent readers are free-thinking global citizens. They don't fit into traditional categories, but are defined by their attitudes. In today's world, where communities are becoming more diverse, people value reliable facts and honest opinions from a trustworthy news source that doesn't have an agenda. With the right information and motivation, independent readers feel empowered to stand up for what they believe in.