If you really do want to be polite, then it's better to avoid expressions like "clue you in."
Phrases like that exist to indicate that one is emotionally dissatisfied but at a level where it's bubbling underneath the surface rather than something you'd like to display fully. It gives just enough plausible deniability of the fact for it not to become the center of discussion, while still unambiguously letting the person you're communicating with know that you're pissed.
A lot of people here are assuming just by turning in "some answers" that it would satisfy the NHTSA. I see it as a much more involved an grinding process. They have the power, not George, so a lot of refrains about how he's just chickening out don't resonate with me.
If this list surprises you then you probably shouldn't be in the self driving car business.
That doesn't mean his product is shit or dangerous. It just means that the incredible amount of time and effort required to respond - and still without any guarantees that's the end of the inquiry - may be a huge time sink and a distraction from the primary objective of product development.
I've worked in many fields with entities from local, county, state, and federal RFPs/RFIs/SOQs/etc and even if you're the best in the business and have proof it's not always easy to patch it together in a format desired in a timeline that's desired and call it done.
And I personally feel that's a good thing. Even if Hotz' software is a-ok I'd still expect him to have it properly documented and vetted before one of his customers hits my vehicle.
The roads are not a playground.
I've done a fair bit of work on vehicles and I'm happy to say that my work passed inspection, and that I would consider it to be irresponsible to see such control over the workmanship and quality as un-necessary interference by busybodies, the primary objective of product development does not obviate the need for a reasonable overhead to prove that you did your homework.
Also, I never meant to say or imply that his product is shit or dangerous, merely that it is not up to snuff for deployment let alone sales at the present stage and that the gap between that and where it should be is too large to overcome for Hotz. In other words: it is not a product - yet.
RFP's and RFI's are not the same thing, they are often thousands of pages of trying to meet hundreds of pages of random requirements.
What you are talking about sounds mostly like dealing with the contracting side of it, which is a very different world.
Have you also dealt with the "Response to regulatory agency concerns" part of it?
Because I have, and while yeah, with say, the SEC, it can be a trip, i wouldn't throw the NHTSA into that category.
Satisfy is not the question. Yes, they will request more info if they are not satisfied. But he will not be fined, it will not "shut down the company".