Tesla under fire after two senators raise concerns over driving system
Another turbulent day at Tesla, as two US senators have expressed “significant concerns” over the electric vehicle (EV) giant’s ‘autopilot’ and ‘full self-driving systems’.
“We are deeply troubled by Tesla’s design choices that seemingly encourage unsafe driving habits,” Democratic senators Richard Blumenthal and Ed Markey wrote in a letter to the Austin-based company.
“These complaints and investigations paint a troubling picture: Tesla repeatedly releases software without fully considering its risks and implications, creating grave dangers for all on the roads.”
Doubts over the safety of Tesla’s systems have been plaguing the company for a few months, forcing it to recall several hundred thousands of vehicles due to apparent technology issues.
On 3 February Tesla called back more than 817,000 vehicles after the US agency in charge of motor safety, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) flagged a malfunction in the seat belt chime system.
More than 475,000 vehicles were recalled at the end of December following issues with the rearview camera and boot issues, while a few days earlier the NHTSA opened an investigation into a game feature installed in around 580,000 cars.
Technology malfunctioning issues are not the only ones impacting Tesla’s reputation. Just yesterday the company’s boss and serial entrepreneur Elon Musk was face with the possibility of a new lawsuit.
The US stock market watchdog the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has demanded information about Musk’s compliance with a previous settlement, which saw the soon to be trillionaire step down as chairman of the company, while maintaining his role as chief executive.