The U.S. government’s Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” system after receiving reports of accidents in poor visibility conditions, including one in which a pedestrian died. The investigation includes around 2.4 million Tesla models from model years 2016 to 2024, the authority announced on Friday. The Model S and X as well as the Model 3 are affected. Model Y and the Tesla Cybertruck are also affected.
If the authority comes to the conclusion that the cars equipped with the “Autopilot” software pose a safety risk, the manufacturer could face a mass recall. The authority first checks whether the system reacts appropriately to poor visibility conditions. She asks a series of questions.
Tesla boss Elon Musk (52) explained just last year: “The value of the company is based primarily on autonomous driving.” But Tesla itself emphasizes on its website that the “autopilot functionality” and “full self-driving” are intended for attentive drivers and “do not make the vehicle autonomous.” Tesla has been practicing this verbal balancing act for years.
Tesla boss Elon Musk wants to transform his company from a car manufacturer into a robotics company. Among other things, his vision is to operate a fleet of self-driving Tesla taxis. Unlike other car manufacturers, Tesla relies solely on cameras for FSD and does not use other sensors such as radar or laser technology. Added to that artificial intelligence
. However, the technology is questioned after accidents.
Last week, Tesla held an event at a Hollywood studio, to imagine a fully autonomous robotaxi without a steering wheel or pedals. Musk, who has previously promised autonomous vehicles, said the company plans to roll out fully autonomous Models Y and 3 without human drivers next year. Critics like Dan O’Dowd simply described the Hollywood studio presentation as a joke.