My fellow New Jerseyans,

I am not a politician or a lobbyist. I am a voice for progress, for safety, for the future we owe our children, our parents, and every commuter fighting through our congested roads. We face a pivotal moment in Trenton. Senate Bill S.1677 and Assembly Bill A.3968 are advancing under the guise of a "pilot program" for autonomous vehicles. In reality, these bills impose arbitrary, insurmountable barriers that would effectively ban true driverless technology—specifically Tesla’s proven Full Self-Driving (FSD) system and upcoming Robotaxis—from our state.

This is not caution. This is a de facto ban that puts politics and protectionism ahead of people’s lives. We must demand better. We must demand that New Jersey embraces innovation instead of blocking it.

The Human Cost of Delay

New Jersey lost 578 to 582 precious lives to traffic fatalities in recent years. Nationally, over 94% of serious crashes stem from human error—distraction, fatigue, impairment, or poor decision-making. Autonomous vehicles don’t drink. They don’t text. They don’t fall asleep at the wheel. Tesla’s FSD keeps getting demonstrably better and safer with every software update, accumulating billions of miles of real-world data. Tesla Robotaxis are already operating unsupervised in Texas cities like Austin, Dallas, and Houston, delivering safer rides today. The Cybercab is nearly ready to revolutionize ride-hailing.

Imagine the lives saved: scalable autonomous technology could prevent tens of thousands of fatalities annually across the U.S. by eliminating human error—the leading cause of crashes. In New Jersey alone, consistent deployment could slash our road death toll dramatically, giving families back fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters who would otherwise be lost to preventable tragedy. Every day we delay is another day of unnecessary risk on our Garden State Parkway, Turnpike, and local roads.

For commuters, this ban would be devastating. Stuck in traffic? Robotaxis offer affordable, on-demand mobility that reduces congestion and emissions. No more searching for parking in Jersey City or Newark. Reliable rides for night shifts, airport runs, or late evenings. For seniors and people with disabilities, autonomy means independence—freedom from depending on others for basic mobility. Families could send kids to school safely without a drowsy or distracted driver. Rural areas with limited transit would gain new economic lifelines.

Economic Harm to Investors and New Jersey's Future

This isn’t just about cars—it’s about New Jersey’s economic future. Restrictive rules like mandatory human safety drivers, multimillion-dollar insurance mandates (reportedly $5 million), and 100,000-mile demonstration thresholds ignore real-world performance data. These barriers favor entrenched interests over innovation and would make commercial Robotaxi deployment impossible.

For investors: Tesla and autonomous tech represent one of the most transformative opportunities of our generation. Blocking deployment in a major state like New Jersey signals regulatory hostility, dampening confidence, slowing investment, and hurting stock value and innovation momentum. It risks billions in potential growth—jobs in tech, manufacturing, data centers, and services—that other forward-looking states are already capturing. New Jersey would fall behind as Texas and others surge ahead, missing out on economic vitality, tax revenue, and positioning as a leader in the future of transportation.

Commuters pay the price daily: higher costs from inefficient transport, lost productivity in traffic, and continued reliance on outdated systems while safer, smarter alternatives exist elsewhere. This is anti-competitive favoritism disguised as regulation. It singles out proven technology rather than setting neutral, outcome-based safety standards.

Tesla’s Relentless Progress

Tesla’s FSD is not experimental—it is refining itself through unparalleled data. Robotaxis are getting smarter and safer by the day. The Cybercab promises purpose-built, efficient autonomous ride-hailing ready to transform how we move. States embracing this see measurable safety gains. New Jersey must not choose the wrong side of history.

Tesla is calling on all of us—owners, residents, families—to contact our legislators. Demand amendments for technology-neutral rules, outcome-based safety focused on results not process, and clear pathways for fully driverless commercial operations. Visit Tesla’s advocacy platform. Send those messages. Make your voice heard in Trenton.

New Jerseyans, this is our moment. We are the state of innovators, of resilient communities, of people who build the future. Do we cling to the past, protecting the status quo at the cost of lives and opportunity? Or do we lead—saving lives by the thousands, empowering our vulnerable citizens, unlocking economic growth, and giving every commuter safer, freer journeys?

Reject this effective ban. Demand progress. Demand Tesla autonomy on our roads. Our families deserve nothing less. The future is driverless, safer, and brighter—and it must include New Jersey.

Thank you. Now, let’s make it happen—together! End the ridiculous ban so New Jersey can be a part of an awesome autonomous future!