The National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations (NHTSA) said last week that it has launched an investigation into 2.6 million Tesla vehicles in the United States due to reports of crashes related to a feature that allows users to move their cars remotely. .
This new investigation comes after the US auto safety agency opened an investigation in October into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with Full Self-Driving (FSD) software following four reported crashes, including one fatal in 2023.
NHTSA said it is preparing a preliminary assessment of Tesla’s “Actually Smart Summon” feature due to reports of four crashes involving Tesla vehicles. The vehicles did not detect poles or parked cars when operating with “Actually Smart Summon,” according to the NHTSA, which added that there were reports in which users “had too little reaction time to avoid a crash, either with line of sight available or by releasing the button on the phone app, which stops the vehicle from moving.
“Actually Smart Summon” launched in September and allows users to remotely move their vehicle toward them or another location using a smartphone app. The previous feature allowed users to move the car forward or backward into or out of a parking space.
NHTSA is opening a preliminary evaluation of the feature and will then need to decide whether to upgrade the investigation to an engineering analysis before it can seek to require a recall.
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NHTSA said it will evaluate “Actually Smart Summon’s” top speed, its use on public roads and visibility requirements. The research will also address remote control via the phone app, the impact of connectivity delays, and system performance under unanticipated conditions.
The investigation covers vehicles Model S and with the optional Full Self-Driving driver assistance system.
One complaint noted that a Model 3 in Houston in 2023 struck a parked car with a passenger inside, while another Model Y in September in Henderson, Nevada, swerved left and struck a parked vehicle. Tesla, whose stock value fell 4% on the day, did not respond to a request for comment.
In December 2023, Tesla recalled more than two million vehicles in the US to install new safety measures in its Autopilot driver assistance system. NHTSA continues to investigate whether that recall is adequate to address concerns that drivers are not paying attention.
The increased oversight over the advanced driver assistance system comes as Musk looks to move toward autonomous driving technology and robotaxis.
Source: Ambito
I’m a recent graduate of the University of Missouri with a degree in journalism. I started working as a news reporter for 24 Hours World about two years ago, and I’ve been writing articles ever since. My main focus is automotive news, but I’ve also written about politics, lifestyle, and entertainment.
