The U.S. Department of Transportation is pushing regulatory changes to remove the requirement for brake pedals in vehicles designed to operate only with automated driving systems. If finalised, the proposal could lower commercialisation hurdles for companies developing fully autonomous vehicles without steering wheels or pedals, such as Tesla and Zoox. The plan focuses on exempting self-driving-only vehicles from parts requirements written for human-driven cars. The department will collect public comments for 30 days before deciding.

Talk of a possible merger between SpaceX and Tesla is drawing renewed attention after SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell mentioned the possibility, lifting interest in a broader ecosystem spanning space, AI and mobility. Tesla is expanding its Full Self-Driving program in four European countries and won conditional approval in Denmark, while some on Wall Street cite insurance data to argue it is nearing Level 4. BYD and Xiaomi are also stepping up EV charging and technology moves.