Tesla Faces Regulatory Scrutiny Over Full Self-Driving Software: NHTSA Escalates Investigation
The NHTSA has dismissed a petition seeking a recall of 2.26 million Tesla vehicles due to concerns about one-pedal driving. The petition claimed that Tesla's regenerative braking system caused confusion among drivers, leading to unintended acceleration. However, the NHTSA found no evidence of a defect or safety risk, stating that very few incidents were relevant and that vehicles responded as intended. One-pedal driving is a common feature in electric vehicles, not specific to Tesla.
Simultaneously, the NHTSA has escalated an investigation into Tesla's Full Self-Driving software to an engineering analysis, the final stage before a potential mandatory recall. The investigation now includes approximately 3.2 million vehicles and highlights issues with Tesla's camera-only approach. The software may fail to detect hazardous situations and alert the driver appropriately when camera functionality is compromised, leading to delayed warnings or no warnings at all. Factors like sun glare, dust, and fog have been identified as common causes of failure for Tesla's FSD system.
The NHTSA has linked nine accidents, including one fatality, to the software problem and is examining six other potentially related incidents. This is not the only ongoing investigation into Tesla's FSD technology, as another probe covers 2.88 million vehicles and more than 50 reports of traffic safety violations. Findings suggest that FSD has caused vehicles to behave in ways that violate traffic safety laws. The regulatory challenges facing Tesla have intensified, despite the dismissal of the initial recall petition.