Tesla is asking regulators to allow unusual seats in its cars, hinting at what its upcoming Robotaxi will be like. The company is seeking approval for changes to the cars that would be possible if they were fully self-driving.
In June of this year, Tesla submitted an application to the NTC to participate in an industry consultation, as reported by @techAU in an article published on Х. He noted that the document contains a number of interesting statements from the manufacturer regarding the future of autonomous vehicles. It discusses changes needed to Australian laws to allow fully autonomous Robotaxis without a steering wheel or pedals, and with unusual seats.
In the document, Tesla wrote:
“At this time, we do not believe that vehicle control or seating design are an appropriate determinator for related user obligations and we are concerned that overly conservative requirements will provide a burden on innovation in vehicle design permitted by the integration of higher automation.”
Currently, the driver and front passenger seats in cars are located facing the road. However, with the advent of fully autonomous vehicles, this may change, as there will no longer be a need for a human driver to constantly supervise the driving process. Thus, Tesla indicates that the front seats, for example, could have a rotation function, turning the driver to face the back row of seats. According to the manufacturer, in cars with Level 4 autonomous driving, this will not be a concern.
“Provided appropriate safety measures are implemented, vehicle designs that facilitate fully reclining or rotating seats, or designs without forward-oriented seats are imaginable or vehicle designs where only a center seating position (e.g., for Heavy Duty Vehicles) are foreseeable. Further, even in the context of dual-mode vehicles, fallback or direct control capability can be provided by remote operators.”
Back in 2021, Tesla filed a patent application for swiveling front seats. In it, the company said the vehicle shown in the diagram (the article’s cover photo) “may be a passenger car, truck, sport utility vehicle, or van.” This is consistent with the manufacturer’s vision for autonomous vehicles.
On October 10, Tesla will introduce its Robotaxi—a car that will not need a human driver. There are not many details about it at the moment, but the company likely designed it to have no traditional controls like pedals, a steering wheel, nor mirrors. The filing in Australia sheds further light on what Robotaxi will be like. It also indicates that Tesla has already begun working with regulators around the world to get Robotaxi on the road.
