The Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) has initiated an investigation against Tesla. Accordingly, the autopilot function “may not be permitted”. Only last week there were reports of sudden braking by the driver assistance system.
The KBA has initiated an investigation into an electronic lane change function in the Tesla autopilot. This function, which the US automaker offers as an accessory in some of its models, “may not be permitted in Europe,” said a KBA spokesman for “Bild am Sonntag”.
According to the Tesla description, the lane change assistant of the so-called autopilot should “bring the vehicle to the optimal lane to prepare it for junctions and exits and to overtake slower vehicles” when driving on the motorway, according to the Tesla description.
The KBA is therefore in contact with both Tesla and the Dutch vehicle registration authority RDW as part of its examination. The RDW is responsible for the full vehicle approval for Tesla valid in the EU.
Tesla autopilot has been under criticism for a long time
The test procedures because of the autopilot installed in Tesla vehicles are increasing. Last week it became known that the US traffic regulator is targeting the electric car manufacturer Tesla for reports of sudden braking. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced last Thursday that 354 complaints had been received in the past nine months because a driver assistance program marketed by Tesla as “Autopilot” suddenly and unexpectedly activated the brakes. The investigation therefore includes around 416,000 Tesla Model 3 and Y from 2021 and 2022. The company itself did not initially comment.
Tesla’s “Autopilot” driver assistance system has long been a source of suspicion. Critics find the name an exaggeration that invites careless use. The U.S. Department of Transportation is also investigating other issues related to the program, such as rear-end collisions of Tesla cars with emergency vehicles parked on the side of the road. Most recently, NHTSA had increased the pressure on the company anyway. In the past few weeks, Tesla has had to agree in several cases to rectify defects in numerous vehicles.
Tesla boss Elon Musk is also in a permanent clinch with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. After a legal dispute over allegedly misleading tweets, the authority and the entrepreneur agreed in 2018 on a settlement intended to curb Musk’s Twitter activities. But the conflict continues and threatens to escalate again. In a court filing on Thursday, the Tesla boss accused the SEC of wanting to curtail his right to free speech. The reason for this is said to be that he is a determined critic of the government.
Source: Stern
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