This recall represents the largest one in Tesla’s history, encompassing nearly all of the company’s models in the US. The purpose of this recall is to ensure that drivers pay closer attention to controlling their vehicles when utilizing the Autopilot self-driving system.
In its recall report, Tesla stated that the Autopilot’s control software system may not be adequately effective in preventing drivers from misusing the feature, consequently increasing the risk of collisions.
The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has spent over two years investigating whether the electric car models produced by Elon Musk’s automaker ensure drivers’ attentiveness.
During a hearing in the US House of Representatives, NHTSA representative Ann Carlson voiced the following statement: “One of the things we discovered is that drivers don’t always pay attention when the Autopilot system is activated”.
According to Ann Carlson, NHTSA launched a safety investigation in August 2021 after receiving continuous reports of fatal accidents related to the use of the Autopilot feature.
Tesla’s Autopilot system is designed to allow cars to autonomously steer, accelerate, and brake within their lanes. The enhanced Autopilot feature can facilitate lane changes on highways but does not transform Tesla models into fully autonomous vehicles.
One of the Autopilot package’s components is Autosteer, a function that assists in maintaining the preset speed, controlling the distance, and keeping the vehicle within its designated lane.
Tesla has stated that it will deploy software updates via the network, which will involve “integrating additional controls and implementing supplementary alerts for the affected features, ultimately encouraging drivers to consistently focus on and control their vehicles whenever Autosteer is activated”.
The vehicles affected by this recall in the US include the Model S from 2012 to 2023, the Model X from 2016 to 2023, the Model 3 from 2017 to 2023, and the Model Y from 2020 to 2023. In total, this encompasses 2,031,220 vehicles.
In Canada, the Ministry of Transport has announced that Tesla will recall 193,000 vehicles to address Autopilot issues. It remains unclear whether China has also requested a recall of Tesla vehicles.
Trang Nguyen (forum.autodaily.vn)