{"id":"b20ab7cd-3b58-4853-bdbf-4e641218a289","slug":"nhtsa-sgo-13781-15809","kind":"collision","headline":"ADS crash report in Austin, TX involving a TESLA Model Y (NHTSA SGO 13781-15809)","summary":"Summary: The ADS was stopped at an intersection on a four-lane street in Lane #1, at a red left arrow light in the left-turn-only lane. An SUV behind the ADS activated their right turn signal and initiated a lane change into Lane #2, a straight-through lane, and collided with the left side of a passenger vehicle that was proceeding straight in Lane #2, before colliding with the right side of the ADS. There were no passengers.","occurredAt":"2026-06-01T12:00:00.000Z","reviewStatus":"reviewed","modelId":null,"deploymentId":null,"companyId":"bde7c8a1-5d35-449d-93b0-2ac8e4601c16","dataCenterId":null,"aliases":[],"collisionRisk":"none","reviewNote":null,"severity":"minor","rootCauseCategory":null,"rootCauseDetail":null,"affectedUnitsCount":null,"affectedUnitsBasis":null,"remediationStatus":null,"regulatoryAction":null,"regulatoryBody":null,"propertyDamageEstimateUsd":null,"damageEstimateBasis":null,"bodilyInjurySeverity":"unknown","fatalityCount":null,"lossCostClass":null,"sourceQualityTier":null,"oshaRecordable":null,"oshaCaseNumber":null,"rootCauseDisclosed":null,"publicDisclosureDate":null,"insuranceClaimPublic":null,"formFactor":null,"latitude":null,"longitude":null,"autonomyClass":null,"legalOutcomeClass":"unknown","createdAt":"2026-08-23T05:00:43.723Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-23T15:14:15.796Z","model":null,"deployment":null,"company":{"id":"bde7c8a1-5d35-449d-93b0-2ac8e4601c16","name":"Tesla","slug":"tesla","description":"Electric-vehicle and AI company (NASDAQ: TSLA), founded 2003 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, with a physical-AI program spanning three robotics fronts: a [robotaxi ride-hailing service](/models/tesla-robotaxi), the [Optimus](/models/tesla-optimus) humanoid robot, and the forthcoming purpose-built [Cybercab](/models/tesla-cybercab).\n\nRobotaxi: Tesla launched robotaxi service in Austin in July 2025 and operates in two markets as of mid-2026: Austin (unsupervised L4 driverless; small active fleet of ~14, of ~42 vehicles registered with the Texas DMV, late May 2026) and the San Francisco Bay Area (supervised L2 under a CPUC TCP permit; ~1,655 vehicles registered with CPUC but only ~9 active as of late May 2026, down from a ~168 peak in January 2026). The active US unsupervised fleet is ~20 (14 Austin / 3 Dallas / 3 Houston) and has declined since a late-2025 / early-2026 peak; registered counts far exceed the active operating fleet. The vehicles are 2026 Model Y cars running Tesla's [Full Self-Driving / Autonomous Driving System](/brains/tesla-fsd-bot). At its Q4 2025 earnings call (January 2026), Tesla announced plans to expand to seven additional US cities (Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, Miami, Orlando, Tampa, Las Vegas) in H1 2026; Dallas and Houston launched in April 2026, while the other five (Phoenix, Miami, Orlando, Tampa, Las Vegas) slipped to 'preparations underway'. The Austin operation carries a [federally-mandated crash-reporting record](/incidents/tesla-robotaxi-austin-nhtsa-crash-record-2025-2026) (17 NHTSA-reported incidents July 2025 to March 2026, including two teleoperator-caused crashes; zero major crashes and no citations per Austin PD), and NHTSA has separately inquired into videos of erratic driving.\n\nOptimus: Tesla's humanoid robot, with Gen 3 mass production commencing at the Fremont factory on January 21, 2026. Notably, at the January 2026 earnings call [Musk](/people/elon-musk) admitted that as of then zero Optimus robots were doing 'useful work' in Tesla's factories. Units at Fremont and Giga Texas are in a supervised learning and data-collection phase, not yet performing productive autonomous manufacturing work. Tesla committed $20B+ in 2026 capex toward Optimus, plans to convert its Fremont Model S/X lines to Optimus manufacturing (toward a stated 1-million-unit/year capacity by end-2026), and is constructing a dedicated Giga Texas facility, all production-capacity ambitions, with first productive internal deployment projected for late 2026 to 2027.\n\nCybercab: a purpose-built, steering-wheel-free dedicated robotaxi vehicle, with production expected to begin around April 2026, not yet the deployed service vehicle as of early 2026.\n\nTesla's physical-AI program operates under intense regulatory and public scrutiny, and is notable for the gap between its publicly stated targets and demonstrated results.","status":"public","founded":2003,"hq":"Austin, Texas, USA","hqLat":30.2711286,"hqLng":-97.7436995,"hqGeocodedAt":"2026-08-05T14:51:18.270Z","hqAddress":null,"hqPrecision":null,"website":"tesla.com","fundingTotal":null,"type":"both","roles":["robot_maker","robot_operator"],"reviewStatus":"reviewed","lifecycleState":"active","supersededByCompanyId":null,"sources":[{"url":"https://www.tesla.com/we-robot","label":"Tesla — Optimus","title":"Tesla — Optimus","mediaType":"article","sourceName":"Tesla","publishedAt":"2026-01-01"},{"url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optimus_(robot)","label":"Optimus (robot) — Wikipedia","title":"Optimus (robot) — Wikipedia","mediaType":"article","sourceName":"Wikipedia","publishedAt":"2026-01-01"},{"id":"1d8de986-2997-4108-846b-fa0e891bbaca","url":"https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/21/waymo-halts-freeway-rides-after-robotaxis-struggle-in-construction-zones/","label":"Waymo halts freeway rides after robotaxis struggle in construction zones","title":"Waymo halts freeway rides after robotaxis struggle in construction zones","mediaType":"article","sourceName":"Transportation & Auto News | TechCrunch","publishedAt":"2026-05-21T22:15:00.000Z"},{"url":"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tesla-robotaxi-austin-14-crashes-nhtsa/","label":"Tesla robotaxi Austin launch, expansion plans, NHTSA erratic-driving inquiry","title":"Tesla robotaxi Austin launch, expansion plans, NHTSA erratic-driving inquiry","mediaType":"article","sourceName":"CBS News","publishedAt":"2026-02-17"},{"url":"https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/15/tesla-reveals-two-robotaxi-crashes-involving-teleoperators/","label":"Tesla's two teleoperator-caused robotaxi crashes; 17 NHTSA incidents unredacted","title":"Tesla's two teleoperator-caused robotaxi crashes; 17 NHTSA incidents unredacted","mediaType":"article","sourceName":"TechCrunch","publishedAt":"2026-05-15"},{"url":"https://electrek.co/2026/04/22/tesla-optimus-production-fremont-model-sx-line/","label":"Musk admits zero Optimus doing useful work; Fremont Model S/X line conversion to Optimus","title":"Musk admits zero Optimus doing useful work; Fremont Model S/X line conversion to Optimus","mediaType":"article","sourceName":"Electrek","publishedAt":"2026-04-22"},{"url":"https://electrek.co/2026/05/26/tesla-robotaxi-fleet-shrinking-not-growing/","label":"Tesla robotaxi active fleet shrinking (34 total/20 unsupervised, May 2026); safety bottleneck","title":"Tesla robotaxi active fleet shrinking (34 total/20 unsupervised, May 2026); safety bottleneck","mediaType":"article","sourceName":"Electrek","publishedAt":"2026-05-26"},{"url":"https://electrek.co/2026/04/18/tesla-robotaxi-launches-dallas-houston-small-geofences/","label":"Tesla robotaxi Dallas/Houston launch; fleet ~80 Austin; transparency/redaction record","title":"Tesla robotaxi Dallas/Houston launch; fleet ~80 Austin; transparency/redaction record","mediaType":"article","sourceName":"Electrek","publishedAt":"2026-04-18"},{"id":"9f27242c-8a18-4866-8859-e23d7692abd6","url":"https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/28/waymo-dominates-texas-autonomous-vehicle-registrations-as-tesla-trails-behind/","label":"Waymo dominates autonomous vehicle registrations as Tesla trails behind","title":"Waymo dominates autonomous vehicle registrations as Tesla trails behind","mediaType":"article","sourceName":"Transportation & Auto News | TechCrunch","publishedAt":"2026-05-29T00:14:35.000Z"},{"url":"https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/regulatory-services/licensing/transportation-licensing-and-analysis-branch/autonomous-vehicle-programs/autonomous-vehicle-program-permits-issued","title":"CPUC — passenger-transportation / AV program permits. Tesla holds a TCP (charter-party) permit for the CA Bay Area ride-hailing service; ~1,655 vehicles registered per CPUC TCP filings (reported late May 2026).","sourceName":"California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)"},{"url":"https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-05-28/tesla-reveals-its-texas-robotaxi-fleet-is-dwarfed-by-waymo-s","title":"Tesla's Texas robotaxi fleet is 42 vehicles (official TX DMV registration), dwarfed by Waymo's (May 28 2026)","sourceName":"Bloomberg"}],"keyFacts":[{"label":"Company","value":"Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA); founded 2003; CEO Elon Musk"},{"label":"Robotics Division","value":"Tesla Optimus humanoid robot program (announced 2021 AI Day); led by Milan Kovac (VP Engineering)"},{"label":"Optimus Claims","value":"Claimed: 5'8\" height, 125 lbs, 2 mph walking speed, 150 lbs lifting capacity, $20K target price. Verifiable: public demos 2022-2024 showing slow walking, basic object manipulation; no independent verification of production readiness"},{"label":"Autonomy Transfer","value":"FSD (Full Self-Driving) neural network and Dojo supercomputer training intended for robotics transfer; Ashok Elluswamy leads software stack"},{"label":"Patents","value":"3 USPTO robotics patents (humanoid design, linear actuator, tendon-driven hand) under Tesla assignee; broader automotive autonomy patent portfolio"},{"label":"Manufacturing","value":"Optimus manufacturing intended for Tesla Gigafactory Austin; 2024 claims of production line for training data collection"},{"label":"VVC Note","value":"Tesla Optimus claims are heavily marketing-inflated vs verifiable capability; timeline promises (2022 production, 2023 useful tasks) have not materialized; honest-absence on production scale"},{"label":"Optimus production timeline","value":"Slow ramp starting late July/Aug 2026 at Fremont; Gen 3 reveal pushed to mid-2026 (per Musk Jul 1, 2026)"},{"label":"Hero image candidate","value":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/Latest_Tesla_Optimus_Humanoid_Robot.jpg (source: Wikimedia Commons, license: CC BY 2.0)"},{"label":"First public Megacharger","value":"Bloomington, CA — 6 stalls at 1.2 MW each (opened July 2026)"},{"label":"Robotaxi charging — Chandler AZ","value":"56 V4 Supercharger stalls on S Roosevelt Ave, Chandler AZ — private, Robotaxi-only (permitted, April 2026)"},{"label":"Robotaxi charging — Mesa AZ","value":"V4 Supercharger site at 5349 E Main St, Mesa AZ — private, Robotaxi-only (permitted, April 2026)"},{"label":"SF robo-charging cancelled","value":"Dropped plans for 150+ vehicle robo-charging site at 825 Sansome St, San Francisco (cancelled Feb 2026, Teamsters pushback)"},{"label":"We, Robot VVC (Oct 2024)","value":"Optimus demo claimed autonomous interaction — verified teleoperated. Bloomberg + Morgan Stanley confirmed human remote control. Tesla issued no correction. Marquee demo-vs-reality gap."},{"label":"Teleoperation timeline","value":"Oct 10: demo → Oct 12: MKBHD questions → Oct 13: Scoble engineer confirms → Oct 14: Bloomberg + Adam Jonas confirm tele-ops"},{"label":"Nevada AVNC Permit","value":"AVNC Permit 002 approved by Nevada Transportation Authority for paid robotaxi service in Las Vegas"},{"label":"Nevada fleet cap","value":"10 vehicles initially (requested 5,000); 5,000 unit cap gives runway if market moves faster"},{"label":"Las Vegas operating area","value":"Las Vegas Strip corridor only, 45 mph max, no Harry Reid Airport pickups"},{"label":"Nevada robotaxi target","value":"~2,500 robotaxis deployed in Nevada by Aug 2027 (company-stated aspiration)"},{"label":"First responder training","value":"Partnered with Texas law enforcement for 5-minute instructional video for autonomous vehicle emergencies"},{"label":"Mission control centers","value":"Two operational (Austin + Bay Area); open to more as fleet expands"},{"label":"Optimus Supply Chain","value":"Sanhua (linear actuators ~19% BOM, $685M order), Tuopu (rotary actuators ~13%), Nidec (precision motors), Moog (electromechanical actuators), Green Harmonic + HDS (harmonic drives). 60-70% Chinese components. NdFeB magnets ~8% BOM, ~100% China-sourced."},{"label":"Optimus BOM Breakdown","value":"Core components 45-50% of cost: actuators ~35% ($7K), harmonic/RV reducers ~10-15% ($2-3K), ball screws ~$500-1K. 14 rotary actuators + linear actuators. 60-70% Chinese components."},{"label":"Optimus Reducer Suppliers","value":"Green Harmonic (688017) — leading harmonic reducer supplier (~25% market share, targeting 60% by 2026 at 30-40% lower prices than Japanese). Fengli Intelligent (301368) — secondary, 500K-unit line Q4 2025. Beite Technology (603009) — ball screws ±5μm for dexterous hands."},{"label":"Optimus Tier 0.5","value":"Top Group (Tuopu) positioned as Tier 0.5 supplier — undertakes assembly of linear/rotary actuators. Sanhua for linear actuator assemblies (~$685M order)."}],"aliases":["Tesla Inc","Tesla Motors","Tesla Optimus","Tesla FSD","Tesla Cybercab","Tesla Robotaxi"],"collisionRisk":"low","reviewNote":null,"atsProvider":null,"atsSlug":null,"factoryLocations":null,"manufacturingCapacity":null,"orgType":null,"burnSignal":null,"litigationEvents":null,"insurancePostureDisclosed":null,"unitEconomicsDisclosed":null,"tickerSymbol":"TSLA","stockExchange":"NASDAQ","secCik":null,"revenueUsd":null,"revenueBasis":null,"revenueAsOf":null,"employeeCount":134785,"employeeCountBasis":null,"employeeCountAsOf":null,"marketCapUsd":null,"marketCapAsOf":null,"marketCapSource":null,"createdAt":"2026-05-25T17:24:17.509Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-21T22:29:37.217Z"},"derived":{"status":"active"},"sources":[{"id":"1456369a-e491-420e-99df-db33b594609f","incidentId":"b20ab7cd-3b58-4853-bdbf-4e641218a289","url":"https://www.nhtsa.gov/laws-regulations/standing-general-order-crash-reporting#report-13781-15809","label":null,"publishedAt":null,"notes":null,"title":null,"sourceName":null,"mediaType":"article","videoId":null,"channel":null,"durationSec":null,"timestampSec":null,"createdAt":"2026-08-23T05:00:43.768Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-23T05:00:43.768Z"}],"responses":[],"statusEvents":[],"jsonLd":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://registry.deploy.report/incidents/nhtsa-sgo-13781-15809","url":"https://registry.deploy.report/incidents/nhtsa-sgo-13781-15809","headline":"ADS crash report in Austin, TX involving a TESLA Model Y (NHTSA SGO 13781-15809)","description":"Summary: The ADS was stopped at an intersection on a four-lane street in Lane #1, at a red left arrow light in the left-turn-only lane. An SUV behind the ADS activated their right turn signal and initiated a lane change into Lane #2, a straight-through lane, and collided with the left side of a passenger vehicle that was proceeding straight in Lane #2, before colliding with the right side of the ADS. There were no passengers.","identifier":"b20ab7cd-3b58-4853-bdbf-4e641218a289","datePublished":"2026-06-01T12:00:00.000Z","articleSection":"collision","publisher":{"@id":"https://deploy.report/#organization"},"author":{"@id":"https://deploy.report/#organization"}},"framework_metadata":{"framework_schema_version":"0.1.0","verification_status":"verified","maturity_stage":null,"lifecycle_state":null,"architectural_position":{"cohort":null,"sub_cohorts":[]},"within_cohort_verified_vs_claimed_pair":null,"cap_flags":[],"verification_depth":{"sources_count":1,"primary_source_types":["primary-regulatory-filing"]}}}