Tesla China staff have additionally undergone training in response to the August 2 crash to re-emphasize that employees must always keep two hands on the wheel when demonstrating the autopilot function, according to a Tesla employee who was not authorised to speak to the media.
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“What’s important for these emerging EV companies.is the potential change in customer experience, if they can transform the way the auto fits into our lives”, says James Chao, Asia-Pacific managing director at consultant IHS. The driver’s Tesla sideswiped a Volkswagen that was parked halfway in the lane of a busy Beijing highway.
One additional lane where Tesla took the lead was autonomous driving technology.
Turns out the same Chinese phrase used for “autopilot” in the airline world (zi dong jia shi) is the same phrase used in wording on Tesla’s Chinese website, a phrase that best means, “self-driving”.
According to a company spokesperson, the Autopilot function is an assist feature that requires the driver’s hand to be on the on the steering wheel at all times, ready to steer it manually if needed.
When confirming the incident, the EV firm said that despite a warning from the instrument panel when the driver activated the system, he did not have his hands on the wheel.
Luo Zhen, 33, of Beijing, told Chinese authorities he hit the parked Volkswagen and did more than $7,000 damage to the Model S. Zhen said he thought Autopilot meant “self-driving” and accused Tesla of marketing the Model S as a self-driving vehicle when it isn’t. Additionally, the system will feature a new front-facing triple camera system for which we are told Tesla started installing new housing in the Model S production this week.
Anand, the analyst for Kelley Blue Book, said accidents involving Tesla vehicles are more likely to receive attention than other manufacturers’ models because of the company’s marketing campaigns that have highlighted its Autopilot feature.
The latest mishap comes in the wake of a fatal crash in Florida in May, when a Tesla running on Autopilot crashed into a big rig, killing the driver. The third lens will also help Autopilot spot cyclists, pedestrians and drivers cutting in.
Tesla cited statistics that indicate Tesla cars are involved in far fewer crashes per miles driven than the average motor vehicle.
© 2016 Los Angeles Times under contract with NewsEdge.
A major update to Tesla’s autonomous driving feature, Autopilot, is nearly ready to be revealed.
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Volvo’s autonomous driving technology looks like it can keep up with the pack and even spearhead in some aspects.
