Robotaxi companies refuse to say how often their AVs need remote help

Senator Ed Markey sent letters to seven AV companies asking 14 questions about remote assistance operations.

All seven companies declined to disclose how often remote staff guide their vehicles, citing confidentiality or omitting the question.

Waymo said system improvements reduced help requests and noted many remote staff are in the Philippines, while Tesla said remote workers can assume limited direct control at very low speeds.

Markey urged the NHTSA to investigate and said he is working on legislation to regulate remote operators.