At the vehicle safety organization that regulates Tesla and has opened investigations into fatal collisions involving his company’s vehicles, Elon Musk’s cost-cutting team is laying off employees.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it had eliminated a “modest” number of jobs.
Through its investigations and recalls, Musk has charged that the NHTSA is impeding advancements in self-driving technology.
When asked if the cuts would affect any investigations into Tesla, the agency cited its statement that it will “enforce the law on all manufacturers of motor vehicles and equipment.”
The Washington Post first reported on the NHTSA employment layoffs implemented by Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency advising committee on cutting the federal government.
NHTSA has ordered that Tesla and other manufacturers utilizing self-driving technology provide crash data on vehicles, a requirement that Tesla has opposed and that watchdog fear could be removed, in addition to conducting investigations into Tesla’s partially automated vehicles.
Laptops 1000Layoffs, buyouts, and firings have all contributed to the staff cutbacks.
In its statement, the agency mentioned that the Biden administration had increased its salary, implying that the smaller workforce was adequate to fulfill its task.
“NHTSA is still significantly larger today than it was four years ago, even with these modest efficiencies,” the statement read.
“We have held onto positions essential to our mission of preventing injuries, saving lives, and lowering the financial costs associated with traffic accidents.”
