Tesla said it will recall 362,000 US vehicles after updating its full self-driving (FSD) beta software, US regulators said on Thursday that the driver assistance system did not adequately comply with traffic safety laws. And accidents can happen.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Tesla The software allows a vehicle to “exceed the speed limit or travel through intersections in an illegal or unpredictable manner that increases the risk of an accident.”
Tesla will issue an over-the-air (OTA) software update free of charge, and electric vehicle The manufacturer said it is not aware of any injuries or deaths that may be related to the recall issue. The automaker said it had 18 warranty claims.
Tesla shares closed at $210.76 (about Rs 17,420) on Thursday afternoon, down 1.6 per cent.
The recall includes 2016-2023 Model S, Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3 and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles equipped with or pending installation of the FSD beta software.
NHTSA asked Tesla to recall the vehicles, but the company said it did not agree with NHTSA’s analysis despite the recall. The move is a rare intervention by federal regulators in a real-world test program that the company sees as vital to the development of cars that can drive themselves. FSD beta is used by millions of Tesla customers.
The blow to Tesla’s self-driving effort comes about two weeks before the company’s March 1 investor day, during which chief executive Elon Musk The EV maker is expected to boost its artificial intelligence capability and plan to expand its vehicle lineup.
Tesla could not immediately be reached for comment.
NHTSA has an ongoing investigation opening 830,000 Tesla vehicles with driver assistance systems in 2021 auto-pilot over a series of accidents with parked emergency vehicles. NHTSA is reviewing whether Tesla vehicles adequately ensure drivers are paying attention. NHTSA said Thursday that “the investigation into Tesla’s Autopilot and associated vehicle systems remains open and active” despite the FSD recall.
“In some rare circumstances, the feature may potentially violate local traffic laws or customs when executing certain driving maneuvers,” Tesla said.
NHTSA said potential situations where the problem could occur include traveling during a yellow traffic light or turning through certain intersections and changing lanes from certain turn-only lanes to continue traveling straight.
“The system may respond inadequately to changes in the posted speed limit or may not adequately account for the driver’s speed of the vehicle exceeding the posted speed limit,” NHTSA said.
NHTSA said that last year, Tesla recalled about 54,000 US vehicles with FSD beta software that could allow some models to conduct a “rolling stop” and not come to a complete stop at certain intersections.
Tesla and NHTSA say the advanced driving features of the FSD don’t make the cars autonomous and require drivers to pay attention.
© Thomson Reuters 2023