Electric vehicle company Tesla is making headlines this week with the announcement of a large-scale recall of almost all of its cars on U.S. roads, totaling nearly two million electric vehicles, NBC News reports.
Tesla is recalling over 2 million of its vehicles after an investigation found its autopilot safety system was “not sufficient to prevent driver misuse.” https://t.co/mboTZM1QPF
— NBC News (@NBCNews) December 13, 2023
This major recall follows a series of concerns about Tesla’s Autopilot system, which has been implicated in several accidents and road safety incidents according to an investigation conducted, since August 2021, by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Tesla’s Autopilot enables cars to automatically manage their speed, braking and steering in a single lane. This Autopilot system has played a central role in Tesla’s brand identity and marketing strategies since its initial version was introduced in October 2014.
Many concerns were raised in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s investigation. Drivers’ lack of engagement with what’s happening on the road when using Autopilot is said to be the cause of several road accidents. Collisions with stationary emergency vehicles are said to have been the alarm bell for potential problems caused by Tesla’s Autopilot.
While there are many articles that do not accurately convey the nature of our safety systems, the recent Washington Post article is particularly egregious in its misstatements and lack of relevant context.
We at Tesla believe that we have a moral obligation to continue…
— Tesla (@Tesla) December 12, 2023
Despite initial disagreements with the findings of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Tesla and CEO Elon Musk have decided to recall Tesla Y, S, 3 and X models manufactured between October 5, 2012 and December 7, 2023. Tesla has also committed to making software updates to add additional alerts and protective measures to enhance driver engagement.
The recall is likely to spark debate about autonomous driving and Tesla’s oft-criticized practice of testing its features on real users in public places.
Tesla shares fell slightly following the recall announcement.
