US launches formal probe into Tesla’s Autopilot technology

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The US government has launched an investigation into crashes involving Tesla’s Autopilot driverless car technology, after being repeatedly urged to do so by an independent regulator that accused the electric car maker of releasing unproven technology on to public roads.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, part of the US department of transportation, revealed on Monday that it had started a probe into 11 crashes of Tesla’s cars where first responder vehicles were present.

The crashes, which led to 17 injuries and one death, all involved vehicles that had either the cars’ Autopilot or Traffic Aware Cruise Control modes switched on, and occurred at scenes that had visible driver warning markers such as cones and arrows, the agency said.

The move signals an intensification of the investigations into Tesla’s Autopilot software, which until now have been led by the independent National Transportation Safety Board. Unlike that group, the NHTSA has the power to force vehicle recalls if it finds fault, as well as make regulations for the entire sector.

The probe announced on Monday covers virtually all Tesla vehicles sold in the US in recent years, some 765,000 cars. The carmaker’s shares fell more than 4 per cent after the news. China’s vehicle safety regulator said in June that Tesla was undergoing a voluntary recall of nearly 300,000 cars over an issue with its Autopilot software, though Tesla was later able to fix the problem.

The investigation follows fierce criticism of the federal regulators by the NTSB over what it claims has been a “hands-off approach to oversight [that] poses a potential risk to motorists and other road users”.

Elon Musk, Tesla’s chief executive officer, has come under fire in the industry for claiming the software, an advanced driver-assistance system designed to handle things like a vehicle maintaining its speed or staying within a lane, is capable of taking full control of a vehicle.

Earlier this year, NTSB chair Robert Sumwalt said Tesla had released a “beta version” of its software for testing on public roads with limited oversight.

In a filing dated August 13, the NHTSA said it had identified 11 crashes dating back to 2018 in which various Tesla models had “encountered first responder scenes and subsequently struck one or more vehicles involved with those scenes”.

Musk has been criticised for his aggressive marketing of Tesla’s software and the decision to name it Autopilot, even though it is only a so-called Level 2 driver assistance system, far short of the full Level 5, where a car can drive itself.

“NHTSA reminds the public that no commercially available motor vehicles today are capable of driving themselves,” the agency said on Monday. “Every available vehicle requires a human driver to be in control at all times, and all state laws hold human drivers responsible for operation of their vehicles.”

The federal probe will look into both the state of Tesla’s AI technology, as well as the systems that the company uses to monitor drivers to make sure they are paying attention and can take full control of a vehicle when needed. Tesla introduced extra warnings for drivers after the first known fatality to occur when its Autopilot system was in use, in 2016.

“In keeping with the agency’s core safety mission and to better understand the causes of certain Tesla crashes, NHTSA is opening a preliminary evaluation into Tesla Autopilot systems and the technologies and methods used to monitor, assist, and enforce the driver’s engagement with driving while Autopilot is in use,” the NHTSA said.

“Certain advanced driving assistance features can promote safety by helping drivers avoid crashes and mitigate the severity of crashes that occur, but as with all technologies and equipment on motor vehicles, drivers must use them correctly and responsibly.”

The probe covers most Tesla vehicles produced since 2014, including Models Y, X, S and 3. Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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