Rebecca Elliott and Gareth Vipers of The Wall Street Journal are reporting that a software fix will add more alerts and controls encouraging drivers to remain attentive while using autopilot features. They write:
Tesla is recalling more than two million vehicles over government contentions that its Autopilot system can be misused by drivers, in the midst of a yearslong probe by the top U.S. auto-safety regulator into crashes involving the driver-assistance technology.
The safety recall, which covers nearly all Tesla vehicles sold in the U.S., could dent the carmaker’s reputation. It is unlikely to be expensive to implement and won’t meaningfully limit drivers’ access to Tesla’s advanced driver-assistance features.
The free software remedy Tesla plans to deploy remotely will add more alerts and controls encouraging drivers to remain attentive while using Autopilot to steer within a lane, according to the recall report.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been scrutinizing Tesla’s system after years of high-profile crashes and questions about whether the company was promising more than it could deliver. […]
As Tesla’s profitability has come under pressure this year, Chief Executive Elon Musk has talked up the promise of Tesla’s Autopilot technology, describing a vision of the future in which the company’s software generates strong profit margins. He has frequently indicated Tesla is on the verge of developing fully autonomous cars.
Read more here.
