USDOT Secretary visits Tesla Giga Texas, hints at national autonomous vehicle standards

Max Headroom 2025.05.22 3 min read

United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) Secretary Sean Duffy recently visited Tesla’s Gigafactory Texas complex, where he toured the factory’s production lines and spoke with CEO Elon Musk. In a video posted following his Giga Texas visit, Duffy noted that he believes there should be a national standard for autonomous vehicles in the United States.

Duffy’s Giga Texas Visit

As could be seen in videos of his Giga Texas visit, the Transportation Secretary seemed to appreciate the work Tesla has been doing to put the United States in the forefront of innovation. “Tesla is one of the many companies helping our country reach new heights. USDOT will be right there all the way to make sure Americans stay safe,” Duffy wrote in a post on X.

America is at the forefront of innovation.@Tesla is one of the many companies helping our country reach new heights. @USDOT will be right there all the way to make sure Americans stay safe. pic.twitter.com/HsmZ85KZCO

— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) May 21, 2025

He also praised Tesla for its autonomous vehicle program, highlighting that “We need American companies to keep innovating so we can outcompete the rest of the world.”

National Standard

While speaking with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the Transportation Secretary stated that other autonomous ride-hailing companies have been lobbying for a national standard for self-driving cars. Musk shared the sentiment, stating that “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 rules basis.”

Stopped by @Tesla Gigafactory in Austin with @ElonMusk to see firsthand the future of autonomous vehicles.

We need American companies to keep innovating so we can outcompete the rest of the world pic.twitter.com/ygAqjZhhZG

— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) May 20, 2025

Duffy agreed with the CEO’s point, stating that, “You can’t have 50 different rules for 50 different states. You need one standard.” He also noted that the Transportation Department has asked autonomous vehicle companies to submit data. By doing so, the USDOT could develop a standard for the entire United States, allowing self-driving cars to operate in a manner that is natural and safe.

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