Sunday, 17 December 2023

Tesla Recall 2 Million Vehicles

Tesla is recalling more than two million cars after the US regulator found its driver assistance system, Autopilot, was partly defective. It follows a two-year investigation into crashes which occurred when the tech was in use. The recall applies to almost every Tesla sold in the US since the Autopilot feature was launched in 2015. Tesla, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, said it would send a software update "over the air" to fix the issue. The update happens automatically and does not require a visit to a dealership or garage, but is still referred to by the US regulator as a recall. The UK Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency said it was not aware of any safety issues involving Teslas in the UK, noting that cars sold in the UK are not equipped with all of the same features as cars in the US. Autopilot is meant to help with steering, acceleration and braking - but, despite the name, the car still requires driver input. Tesla's software is supposed to make sure that drivers are paying attention and that the feature is only in use in appropriate conditions, such as driving on highways. The recall comes a week after a former Tesla employee told the BBC he believed the technology was not safe.