The Trump administration prioritizes the promotion of autonomous driving regulations, and Tesla may become the biggest winner

According to informed sources, the transition team of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump plans to prioritize a federal framework for fully autonomous vehicles as a key initiative for the Department of Transportation. This move will directly benefit Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has staked Tesla's future on autonomous driving technology and artificial intelligence, and has become an important figure in Trump's inner circle.

The Trump team is reportedly considering developing a regulatory framework for autonomous vehicles to overcome existing federal regulations that pose obstacles for companies like Tesla that wish to deploy cars without steering wheels or pedals. The team is looking for suitable candidates to lead the Department of Transportation and develop the policy framework for regulating autonomous vehicles.

While the Department of Transportation can issue regulations through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to facilitate the operation of autonomous vehicles, a bill in Congress would pave the way for the widespread adoption of autonomous vehicles. Two informed sources indicated that a bipartisan legislative measure under discussion would establish federal regulations regarding autonomous vehicles.

Candidates for the position of Transportation Secretary being considered by the Trump team include former Uber executive Emil Michael, who has already spoken with Trump's team and potential staff. Additionally, Republican Congressman Sam Graves from Missouri and Republican Congressman Garret Graves from Louisiana are also under consideration.

Although these discussions are still in the early stages and policy details have yet to be determined, this trend suggests that the Trump administration's regulatory stance on autonomous vehicles may undergo significant changes.

Previously, Musk announced in October plans to mass-produce driverless Tesla robotaxis starting in 2026, but existing U.S. regulations pose significant obstacles to this plan.

During Tesla's third-quarter earnings call, he supported federal autonomous driving regulations and stated that he would leverage any role the government could play to push for the process that allows autonomous vehicles to be used nationwide. This statement triggered a sell-off in the stocks of competitors Uber and Lyft Inc.

Subsequently, Trump appointed Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy to lead a new government efficiency initiative aimed at "dismantling government bureaucracy" and cutting spending and what are considered overly burdensome regulations, although past efforts to establish federal legislation regulating autonomous vehicles have repeatedly failed.

Currently, the NHTSA allows manufacturers to deploy 2,500 autonomous vehicles annually under exemptions, but legislative efforts to increase this number to 100,000 have repeatedly failed.

A few years ago, during Trump's first term, a bill aimed at achieving this goal passed smoothly in the House of Representatives but was stalled in the Senate. The Biden administration attempted to merge this bill with other legislation in its first year in office, but it failed due to some manufacturers attempting to include language in the bill that would prevent consumers from suing or initiating class-action lawsuits