Tesla stock surged by almost 10% on Friday after President Trump announced a plan to accelerate the development of self-driving vehicles in the US. The changes, spearheaded by Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, aim to loosen federal safety standards for these vehicles. These new regulations allow certain self-driving cars that don’t meet current safety requirements – like needing rearview mirrors – to operate on public roads. Companies building these autonomous vehicles will no longer have to report minor crashes immediately but can file monthly updates and only report serious incidents. This relaxed approach, designed to expedite the adoption of autonomous technology, has sparked both optimism and concern.