The influential magazine said Tesla should drop the Autopilot name and disconnect the automatic steering system until it’s updated to make sure a driver’s hands stay on the wheel at all times. After the Brown crash, critics accused Tesla of giving drivers access to a system that wasn’t ready, while supporters contended the company was improving automotive safety.
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By marketing their feature as Autopilot, Tesla gives consumers a false sense of security, We’re deeply concerned that consumers are being sold a pile of promises about unproven technology. Tesla said the driver was given audible and visual warnings but failed to put his hands back on the wheel in time.
Federal safety regulators are investigating the crash and Tesla’s Autopilot feature, which uses cameras, radar and sensors to automatically steer the auto and adjust speeds.
As an investigation into the first fatal crash involving an Autopilot-equipped Tesla Model S continues, the electric-car company had some good news to share on Thursday.
“We have discontinued the Resale Value Guarantee program as of July 1 so that we can keep interest rates as low as possible and offer a compelling Lease and Loan program to customers”, the spokesperson said in a statement. The magazine, which influences buyer decisions with its annual vehicle ratings and over 8 million followers, also asked Tesla to change its autopilot driving-assist system name to test safety systems fully, before public deployment.
A U.S. Senate committee wants a briefing within two weeks from Tesla Motors Inc. about its Autopilot, an automated driving feature which was activated in a May fatal crash in Florida. What do you think about Consumer Reports’ concerns about Tesla’s Autopilot features? The move forces automakers and safety agencies to reassess the basic relationship between increasingly sophisticated cars and human drivers.
Consumer Reports has owned three Teslas (2013 Model S 85, 2014 Model S P85D, and 2016 Model X 90D) and we’ve seen first-hand how such beta software is transmitted wirelessly into the cars. The fact that such a post is even necessary may be an indication that the Autopilot system does have some legitimate issues.
Model S vehicles have driven 130 million miles on Autopilot with one confirmed fatality. Tesla is not impressed by the suggestion and reiterates that it won’t disable the feature.
Tesla is far from being the only automaker that embeds self-driving technology, but the company stands out as the most verbal apologist of the system.
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It likened the Autopilot function to the systems that pilots use “when conditions are clear”. She said the United States government should insist on proper, third-party testing of the car’s software before citizens are allowed to rely on it. Tesla also needs to work on its advertising, she said.
