Tesla Probe Ushers In Get-Tough Era at Auto-Safety Watchdog (1)

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s investigation into a possible defect involving Tesla Inc.’s Autopilot signals a more activist approach by the Biden administration to regulating technology that’s crucial to the auto industry’s future.

NHTSA, which announced the Tesla examinationMonday, opened 26 probes into various auto-safety issues so far this year -- more than in all of 2020 or 2019, according to its website. The agency is on pace to launch about 66% more investigations than the 25 it began last year.

Since President Joe Biden was inaugurated in January, NHTSA also has stepped up its pace ...