A Tesla Model X. Image: GiddyNet Korea.
Electric car maker Tesla is recalling more than two million vehicles to correct a flaw in its autonomous driving assistant, Autopilot.
Autopilot is not reliable enough
This recall covers almost all Tesla vehicles sold in the United States, including those produced between October 5, 2012 and December 7 of this year, according to Reuters.
It follows a two-year investigation by NHTSA into a series of accidents involving Tesla electric vehicles while using its autonomous driving system. These accidents caused several victims.
The NHTSA investigation finds that the Autopilot autonomous driving system may cause “inadequate driver engagement and usage controls,” which could lead to “misuse of the system.”
Software update required
Tesla acknowledged to the NHTSA, in its report on the defects of its autonomous driving system, that the latter could be insufficient in preventing driver misuse.
The US safety regulator, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), said Tesla plans to fix the problem through a software update.
This update is expected to include more monitoring and warnings to encourage drivers to remain responsible for their driving. Its deployment began with a few vehicles since December 12.
Source: ZDNet Korea