On Friday, the Nationwide Freeway Visitors Security Administration (NHTSA) revealed it was opening a new probe to evaluate whether or not the recall repair Tesla carried out for over 2 million automobiles again in December truly did sufficient to handle security issues surrounding its Autopilot driver help system.
The company additionally discovered that Tesla’s Autopilot can discourage drivers from taking handbook management of the automobile in comparison with different automated driving programs as a result of doing so deactivates Autosteer lane-centering help.
NHTSA’s new investigation focuses on the software update Tesla rolled out to repair these points in December, which prompts drivers with elevated warnings and alerts to pay higher consideration when utilizing Autopilot and Autosteer. A few of these cures require Tesla house owners to choose in, in response to the company, and permit them to reverse the protection updates in the event that they select.
Various new collisions which have occurred for the reason that software program replace was utilized have additionally pushed the brand new investigation, alongside exams NHTSA has performed on amended automobiles.
Updates to Autopilot that Tesla has rolled out following the preliminary repair are additionally being evaluated to find out why they weren’t included within the preliminary recall replace. Each Autopilot-equipped Tesla automobile produced between 2012 and 2024 — together with the Cybertruck, which is already being recalled over defective accelerator pedals — is topic to the brand new probe.
This isn’t the primary time that this software program replace has been scrutinized. Robotics skilled and former NHTSA senior security advisor Missy Cummings said the recall treatment was “very obscure” shortly after it was introduced and would probably “not be as sturdy as NHTSA want to see.” Exams from safety experts at Consumer Report additionally discovered the replace “doesn’t go far sufficient to stop misuse or tackle the basis causes of driver inattention.”