Car safety experts at NHTSA, which regulates Tesla, axed by DOGE
arstechnica.com

... Tesla has a lot riding on the swift success of its so-called Full Self-Driving software.

Job cuts at the US traffic safety regulator instigated by Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency disproportionately hit staff assessing self-driving risks, hampering oversight of technology on which the world's richest man has staked the future of Tesla.

Of roughly 30 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration workers dismissed in February as part of Musk's campaign to shrink the federal workforce, many were in the "office of vehicle automation safety," people familiar with the situation told the Financial Times.

The cuts are part of mass firings by Doge that have affected at least 20,000 federal employees and raised widespread concern over potential conflicts of interest for Musk given many of the targeted agencies regulate or have contracts with his businesses.

The NHTSA, which has been a thorn in Tesla's side for years, has eight active investigations into the company after receiving -- and publishing -- more than 10,000 complaints from members of the public. ...