NHTSA opens investigation into 2.4 million Tesla and its autonomous driving (FSD).
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the equivalent of Transport Canada, announced Friday (Oct. 18) that it has opened an investigation into Tesla's autonomous driving software following reports of four collisions, including one fatality.
These incidents occurred when the driver assistance technology was activated and in low visibility conditions.
Four Low Visibility Collisions
NHTSA's Office of Defect Investigation has identified four reports in which a Tesla vehicle was involved in a crash after entering an area of reduced visibility while the Full Self-Driving (FSD) system was engaged.
The investigation aims to assess the FSD software's ability to detect and respond appropriately in low visibility conditions, among other potentially problematic issues.
At the time of writing, Tesla had no comment.
Tesla, which closed its PR department several years ago, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters Group. Before the markets opened, the company's shares were slightly lower.
An Obstacle to Elon Musk and His Autonomous Driving Ambitions
The new valuation could pose a further challenge to the ambitions of Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk, who is trying to reposition the company by focusing on autonomous driving technology and robot cabs. This comes against a backdrop of increasing competition and declining demand for the brand's traditional vehicles.
Last week, Musk unveiled a concept for a two-seat robotic taxi, the "Cybercab," with no steering wheel or pedals. The vehicle would use cameras and artificial intelligence to navigate the streets.
Legal Challenges and Major Recalls
In its current form, Tesla's driver-assist technology requires constant driver attention, which keeps costs down. But it has come under legal scrutiny, not least after two fatal accidents involving technology.
Last December, Tesla recalled more than two million vehicles in the U.S. to install new safety measures in its advanced Autopilot driver-assist system.
The action followed concerns raised by a safety regulator.
In April, the NHTSA said it was investigating whether the recall and new measures were sufficient.
The bottom line
This NHTSA investigation could be another blow to Tesla, which is already under pressure from growing competition in the autonomous vehicle space as well as legal questions surrounding its driver assistance technologies.