Kia ora Catherine

This email acknowledges your below request for information made under the Official Information Act 1982.

Your request has been forwarded to the appropriate section of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi for response. They will contact you if they require clarification of your request, more time to respond, or if your request has been transferred to another organisation to respond to. Unless more time is required, NZ Transport Agency will send a response to you within 20 working days of receiving your request – in this instance on or before 18 May 2026.

If you would like to discuss your request with NZ Transport Agency, please contact us by email at [NZTA request email].

Ngâ mihi

Ministerial Services
Te Waka Kôtuia | Engagement & Partnerships
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi
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-----Original Message-----
From: Catherine Hughes <[FOI #34520 email]>
Sent: Sunday, 19 April 2026 6:10 pm
To: Official Correspondence <[email address]>
Subject: Official Information request - Tesla FSD v14 Deployment and HW3 Compatibility Assessments

[You don't often get email from [FOI #34520 email]. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific... ]

To whom it may concern,

Under the Official Information Act 1982, I request the following information regarding the regulatory oversight and safety assessments of Tesla’s "Full Self-Driving" (FSD) Supervised software within New Zealand:

1. Communications regarding FSD v14 update: All correspondence (including emails, meeting minutes, and briefing notes) between NZTA/Waka Kotahi and Tesla Motors New Zealand (or their representatives) since October 1, 2025, specifically mentioning "FSD v14", "Version 14", or upcoming software architecture changes related to automated driving.

2. Hardware 3 (HW3) & FSD v12 Assessment: Any internal reports, safety evaluations, or regulatory assessments held by the Vehicle Standards or Regulatory Standards teams concerning the deployment of FSD v12 (or subsequent sub-versions) on Hardware 3 (HW3) vehicles in New Zealand. This includes any documentation discussing the hardware’s capability to meet New Zealand's safety requirements for "supervised" automated systems.

3. Approval and Compliance Documentation: Any documents outlining NZTA’s position or "approval" status (whether formal or informal) regarding the transition of FSD features from Hardware 4 (HW4) to Hardware 3 (HW3) suites in the New Zealand fleet.

4. External Advice: Any reports or advice received from the Ministry of Transport or external technical consultants regarding the safety implications of Tesla's recent FSD software updates (v12 and v14) on New Zealand roads.

5. Release timeframe for the upcoming V14 update and scheduled rollout for New Zealand users.

Guidance on Public Interest and "Commercial Sensitivity":
I am aware that some technical specifications may be subject to Section 9(2)(b)(ii) of the OIA. However, please note:
* I am not seeking trade secrets or proprietary source code.
* I am seeking NZTA's regulatory response and safety outlook on these technologies.
* As these systems operate on public roads, there is an overriding public interest (Section 9(1)).

If any part of this is rejected, I request you release the remaining parts through 1-5 of what I have request. I request the information in a searchable electronic format.

Yours faithfully,
Catherine H

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #34520 email]

Is [NZTA request email] the wrong address for Official Information requests to New Zealand Transport Agency? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This message, together with any attachments, may contain information that is classified and/or subject to legal privilege. Any classification markings must be adhered to. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not peruse, disclose, disseminate, copy or use the message in any way. If you have received this message in error, please notify us immediately by return email and then destroy the original message. This communication may be accessed or retained by NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi for information assurance purposes.

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Kia ora Catherine  

 

Please find attached the response to your request of 19 April 2026 for
information under the Official Information Act 1982.

 

Ngâ mihi

 

Ministerial Services
Te Waka Kôtuia | Engagement & Partnerships
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi

[1]Connect with us on Social Media

 

[2][IMG]

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Catherine Hughes <[FOI #34520 email]>
Sent: Sunday, 19 April 2026 6:10 pm
To: Official Correspondence <[email address]>
Subject: Official Information request - Tesla FSD v14 Deployment and HW3
Compatibility Assessments

 

[You don't often get email from
[3][FOI #34520 email]. Learn why this is
important at [4]https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific... ]

 

To whom it may concern,

 

Under the Official Information Act 1982, I request the following
information regarding the regulatory oversight and safety assessments of
Tesla’s "Full Self-Driving" (FSD) Supervised software within New Zealand:

 

1. Communications regarding FSD v14 update: All correspondence (including
emails, meeting minutes, and briefing notes) between NZTA/Waka Kotahi and
Tesla Motors New Zealand (or their representatives) since October 1, 2025,
specifically mentioning "FSD v14", "Version 14", or upcoming software
architecture changes related to automated driving.

 

2. Hardware 3 (HW3) & FSD v12 Assessment: Any internal reports, safety
evaluations, or regulatory assessments held by the Vehicle Standards or
Regulatory Standards teams concerning the deployment of FSD v12 (or
subsequent sub-versions) on Hardware 3 (HW3) vehicles in New Zealand. This
includes any documentation discussing the hardware’s capability to meet
New Zealand's safety requirements for "supervised" automated systems.

 

3. Approval and Compliance Documentation: Any documents outlining NZTA’s
position or "approval" status (whether formal or informal) regarding the
transition of FSD features from Hardware 4 (HW4) to Hardware 3 (HW3)
suites in the New Zealand fleet.

 

4. External Advice: Any reports or advice received from the Ministry of
Transport or external technical consultants regarding the safety
implications of Tesla's recent FSD software updates (v12 and v14) on New
Zealand roads.

 

5. Release timeframe for the upcoming V14 update and scheduled rollout for
New Zealand users.

 

Guidance on Public Interest and "Commercial Sensitivity":

I am aware that some technical specifications may be subject to Section
9(2)(b)(ii) of the OIA. However, please note:

* I am not seeking trade secrets or proprietary source code.

* I am seeking NZTA's regulatory response and safety outlook on these
technologies.

* As these systems operate on public roads, there is an overriding public
interest (Section 9(1)).

 

If any part of this is rejected, I request you release the remaining parts
through 1-5 of what I have request. I request the information in a
searchable electronic format.

 

Yours faithfully,

Catherine H

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

 

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[5][FOI #34520 email]

 

Is [6][NZTA request email] the wrong address for Official
Information requests to New Zealand Transport Agency? If so, please
contact us using this form:

[7]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

 

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[8]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

 

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

This message, together with any attachments, may contain information that
is classified and/or subject to legal privilege. Any classification
markings must be adhered to. If you are not the intended recipient, you
must not peruse, disclose, disseminate, copy or use the message in any
way. If you have received this message in error, please notify us
immediately by return email and then destroy the original message. This
communication may be accessed or retained by NZ Transport Agency Waka
Kotahi for information assurance purposes.

References

Visible links
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2. https://nzta.govt.nz/
3. mailto:[FOI #34520 email]
4. https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific...
5. mailto:[FOI #34520 email]
6. mailto:[NZTA request email]
7. https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...
8. https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

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