The influential US consumer magazine Consumer Reports has reported dangerous deficiencies in Tesla’s “autopilot” of the. On a test track, engineers on the Model Y succeeded in using the program despite the empty driver’s seat. Without the system having issued any warnings or notices
Such a scenario would represent an “extreme danger” on public roads, according to the paper. The Consumer Reports investigation continues to put Tesla under pressure after an accident with an empty driver’s seat, according to police reports, which recently killed two men. Tesla points out to customers that the so-called autopilot is only an assistance system and that people in the driver’s seat must keep their hands on the steering wheel at all times. Actually, the software is supposed to notice it and emit warning tones if this is not the case.
But in the Consumer Reports test, the system allegedly failed not only to ensure that the driver can take the wheel at all times – according to the report, it was not even able to determine whether the driver’s seat was occupied at all.
And so the Tesla was outwitted:
Expert Jake Fisher from Consumer Reports accelerated on a cordoned-off area. the car to a good 20 km / h, activated the autopilot and then reduced the set speed to zero. Then he hung a chain on the side of the steering wheel to simulate having his hand on it and switched to the passenger seat. The buckle of the seat belt was in the end (unbuckling would deactivate the autopilot immediately). From the passenger seat, he increased the speed using the dial on the steering wheel, and the Tesla began to move.
“Tesla is falling behind other automakers like General Motors (GM) and Ford, which use technology that ensures the driver can see the road,” says Fisher.
A statement from Tesla was initially not available. The e-car manufacturer of star entrepreneur Elon Musk is under pressure to justify itself because of the term “autopilot”. Critics find that the name is an exaggeration that could lead to negligent use. This discussion should continue to gather momentum. Because Tesla even calls the next evolutionary stage of the program, which is currently in the test phase, “full self-driving”, although according to current criteria it remains an assistance system.