US (Global) _After the US regulator discovered that Autopilot, Tesla’s driving assistance technology, had certain flaws, the automaker is recalling more than two million vehicles. It comes after a two-year study of crashes that happened while the technology was in operation. Nearly all Tesla vehicles sold in the US after the Autopilot technology debuted in 2015 are covered by the recall.
Elon Musk’s company, Tesla, promised to deliver a software update “over the air” to address the problem. Even though the update is automated and doesn’t need a trip to a dealership or garage, the US regulator nevertheless refers to it as a recall.
Inquiring about the impact on Tesla drivers in the UK, the BBC contacted the UK Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. Despite its name, autopilot is only intended to assist with steering, braking, and acceleration; driver intervention is still necessary.
The software in Tesla vehicles is designed to ensure that drivers are paying attention and that the function is only activated under the proper circumstances, such as while traveling on a highway.
However, after a two-year review into 956 Tesla crashes, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) stated that the feature’s controls’ prominence and scope might not be enough to stop drivers from abusing them.
The NHTSA stated that automated technology has enormous potential to increase safety, but only when it is used properly. It also stated that it will keep an eye on the program after it has been upgraded. An inquiry for comment from Tesla was not answered.
The recall notice states that although the firm disagreed with the agency’s findings, it agreed to address the issues by adding new measures, such as extra checks before turning on the self-driving functions.
A former Tesla employee told the BBC a week ago that he thought the technology was unsafe, which prompted the recall. Speaking to the BBC following his receipt of the Blueprint Prize, which honours whistleblowers, Lukasz Krupski said, “I don’t think the hardware is ready and the software is ready” He asserted that since we are all effectively experiments on public roadways, it impacts us all.
In response to the recall announcement, Mr. Krupski told the BBC that it was “a step in the right direction,” emphasizing that the issue was not unique to the US. He added that the hardware in every Tesla in the US, China, and other countries is the same.
In reaction to a Washington Post piece, Tesla defended the security of Autopilot on Tuesday in a post on X (previously Twitter). It stated that safety measures are noticeably higher when Autopilot is on than when it is not, citing data that revealed fewer crashes occurred while the system was in use.
But even though this is the second Tesla vehicle recall this year, Susannah Streeter of investing firm Hargreaves Lansdown stated that she believed it shouldn’t significantly impede the automaker’s momentum.
She said that recalls in the auto sector are not uncommon, and the company has the funds to invest in repairs. Tesla claims staying on the cutting edge of autonomous driving is essential to its future growth, and it has made a big deal out of the technology in its vehicles.
Critics claim that Tesla has increased dangers by misleading consumers about the capabilities of its software. In addition to several lawsuits in the US concerning crashes utilizing the software, the automaker is the target of further federal investigations. However, a jury determined that Tesla’s autopilot system was not at fault in one of the first instances to go to trial.
