Tesla and Musk Lobby for Unified Federal Autonomy Rules Ahead of Robotaxi Debut

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With Tesla’s Robotaxi network poised for its initial launch as soon as June 12th, Elon and Tesla’s lobbying team are stepping up to speak to administrators about autonomy regulation. According to a report from Bloomberg (paywall), the team is working on a behind-the-scenes push in Washington to establish a federal framework for autonomous vehicles.

This push involves direct lobbying of members of the US Congress to build a clear legislative path for autonomy, and the timing is no coincidence. Tesla needs clear regulations to operate under, rather than the fractured state-by-state or city-by-city regulations that exist sporadically throughout the US.

Pushing for a National Standard

The report, citing insiders familiar with the matter, details that Elon has been personally involved in calls with legislators and has been weighing in on revisions to the bill introduced on May 15th, which aimed to establish a basic regulatory framework for autonomous vehicles. Tesla’s goal is to move this bill forward before Congress’s July 4th recess.

When the US Transportation Secretary visited Tesla earlier in May, Elon had some wise words to say on this topic, touching on the core issue: for a service to operate nationwide, navigating a patchwork of regulations is a legal and operational nightmare.

It’d be wonderful for the United States to have a national set of rules for autonomous driving as opposed to 50 independent sets of rules on a state-by-state basis. - Elon Musk

Federal Rules

While the initial Robotaxi pilot launch in Austin is more than feasible under Texas’s relatively permissive regulations, the long-term vision is severely hamstrung by federal rules. Current regulations only permit special exemptions for a test fleet of up to 2,500 vehicles that lack traditional controls, such as a steering wheel and pedals.

While this isn’t a direct roadblock for Tesla’s initial deployment of Model Ys in the Robotaxi network, this vehicle cap is a roadblock for the mass production and deployment of Tesla’s purpose-built Cybercab. The Cybercab, with its easy-to-clean interior, relatively low cost, and lower-maintenance design, is ideal to scale the service with a vehicle designed from the ground up to be autonomous, where it’ll be cheaper to operate and maintain. Remember that the Cybercab is expected to be capable of 5.5 miles per kWh, whereas the Model Y is capable of about 4. Tesla needs a federal law that allows for the widespread sale and operation of the Cybercab, as it’ll likely be crucial to make the network profitable.

The legislative push also comes as Tesla is coming under increasing scrutiny from regulators. The NHTSA is already probing Tesla’s Robotaxi plans and seeking answers about FSD’s performance in adverse weather conditions.  Establishing a clear, Congressionally approved federal framework will not only create a more predictable and stable regulatory environment for Tesla to operate in, but it’ll actually make these vehicles safer by having one set of rules.

Difficult Road

This isn’t the first crack at creating national autonomous vehicle laws from Congress. Various bills have been attempted over the years, with one even passing the House in 2017 before getting stalled and dropped in the Senate. The primary obstacle has often been debates over legal liability and pressures from legal groups who have raised concerns about handling incidents with autonomous vehicles.

The new bill represents the latest effort to clear the maze of red tape, and Tesla’s direct involvement, along with the upcoming pilot launch of the Robotaxi network, provides some momentum to push this forward.

Tesla is on the verge of launching Robotaxi, which has massive implications for how we approach urban mobility as a society. However, just as in many other cases, the technology is advancing far faster than the glacial pace of bureaucracy, which means that lobbying is crucial to expedite the process of getting regulations in place as soon as possible.

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Tesla Expected to Offer FSD Transfers in Europe

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It has been a long wait for FSD for European customers, many of whom paid for the feature years ago on now legacy hardware. While the FSD transfer program has come and gone multiple times, there’s something to be said about having it available in North America, where it can be used, and in Europe or other countries, where it still just remains the same as Enhanced Autopilot (differences between Autopilot, EAP, and FSD).

FSD Transfer is a nice goodwill gesture from Tesla that in theory doesn’t cost them anything. Instead, it keeps customers, especially those who have been waiting for years, loyal and happy. It also incentivizes them to upgrade to a newer Tesla with HW4, where FSD will hopefully be achieved.

In a reply to a post on X, Elon agreed with the suggestion that offering FSD transfers in Europe would be a fair solution for those who have already purchased FSD but can’t use its capabilities.

Sounds fair

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 13, 2025

A Fair Solution

FSD Transfer directly addresses a growing concern for many long-term European Tesla owners. Thousands of customers purchased the full package, often many years ago, with the expectation that FSD would eventually be capable and approved for use. However, the reality is that FSD, even as an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS), continues to be pushed back in Europe.

As the regulatory process continues at a snail's pace, many of these early supporters are now reaching or have already passed the point where they’re ready to upgrade to a new Tesla.

Without the transfer program, it's a difficult choice: either throw away your original investment in FSD and pay for the package a second time (FSD price history), or subscribe to it in the future.

Offering FSD transfers is a good way for Tesla to meet them halfway. It's a difficult situation, and one that’s being hindered by processes beyond the control of both the customer and Tesla. However, a transfer helps both parties. Tesla sells another vehicle, and the customer gets to keep FSD.

When Will it Be Available?

Based on how FSD transfers have worked in the past following Elon’s announcements, this feature is likely to become available for a limited time period in the coming days or weeks. If it happens, we should expect an announcement from Tesla Europe on X and emails being sent out to Tesla customers.

Once the program is in place, all you need to do is complete your vehicle purchase and then inform your Tesla sales advisor that you’d like to transfer FSD. You don’t even have to sell or trade in your old Tesla; FSD will simply be removed from it as a feature.

Hopefully, Tesla enables FSD Transfers for everyone, regardless of region. It should be an ongoing offer until at least FSD is approved in the given country or region.

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Tesla Increases Robotaxi Fare Fee, Up from $4.20

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The introductory price for Tesla’s Robotaxi Network has finally been updated. In a post on X, Elon Musk confirmed that the new fare would be rolling out to complement the new Robotaxi geofence expansion.

This change marks the first adjustment to Tesla’s fares since the initial $4.20 launch price 23 days ago. While the price increase may seem significant in terms of percentages, when compared to other options in the ride-hailing area, it is still drastically cheaper.

But the price is now a princely $6.90, as foretold in the prophecy 😂

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 14, 2025

Context Matters

Robotaxi currently operates on a simple, flat-rate model. The new $6.90 fare gets you a ride to anywhere within the recently expanded geofence.

So far, this is the opposite approach compared to other services, such as Waymo or traditional ride-sharing options like Uber and Lyft. All these services use dynamic pricing based on distance, time of day, and demand. A comparable trip on any one of these services could cost anywhere from $30 to $65, and potentially even higher during peak hours.

That doesn’t even include the tip fees for human drivers either - another win for Robotaxi (can you tip a Robotaxi?).

Even with the adjustment, the flat $6.90 fare remains less than half the price of a typical competing ride, making Robotaxi the most affordable point-to-point transportation option in Austin, aside from mass transit, for now.

A “Maturing” Service

The price change, moving from one meme-worthy number to another, is a sign that Robotaxi is finally graduating from its initial pilot phase. Following the first major expansion of the service area, this adjustment is a logical next step towards finding a more sustainable flat price.

While the new fare is a 65% increase over the old fare, the key takeaway is that it is still far cheaper than other options, and still just as meme-worthy. Tesla is aiming to have its early access riders complete as many rides as possible during these early months, and this pricing is still very reflective of that.

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