Tesla said vehicle logs show the man was driving at over 155km per hour and that the Autopilot function was not engaged at the time, and that the damage caused to the auto is consistent with being driven into a tree at high speeds. A spokeswoman for Tesla Motors says it isn’t clear if the driver was using the “autopilot”, Tesla’s driving assistance technology.
Advertisement
Tesla has cautioned that the system, introduced past year, is not fully autonomous and drivers should be at the wheel and ready to take control.
AMSTERDAM • A Dutchman died on Wednesday after his Tesla collided with a tree, according to local authorities, and it took firefighters hours to remove his body from the vehicle due to fears they could be electrocuted.
“We are working with the authorities to establish the facts of the incident and offer our full cooperation”, Tesla said in a statement.
Newspaper De Telegraaf reported the car’s battery was so badly damaged that it caught fire.
However, Tesla has also been criticized for using its end users for what are known as in the tech world as “beta tests” of its new software.
“This vehicle is so damaged that we are uncertain how to proceed without putting emergency responders at risk”, a spokesperson for the fire department told Dutch public broadcaster NOS, stressing that this case was unusual, and that the firefighters had been trained on the correct procedure for dealing with electric auto accidents (coincidentally, German firefighters have published tips here). It’s also called into question the name of the feature – Autopilot – and how it can mislead customers into thinking that Tesla and other vehicles of its kind can autonomously drive.
The scene was judged safe and the man’s body was then cut free from the wreck without further incident.
Mr Boer said: “We know a lot about electric cars, but there are always going to be cases where something unexpected happens”. “There are going to be educational moments”.
Advertisement
Because of Tesla collecting data from its customers, it’s able to tell whether or not the Autopilot feature is activated at a certain time.
