Tesla’s Autopilot is a semi-autonomous driving feature that uses sensors, radar and cameras to steer, speed up and slow down a vehicle based on traffic and road conditions.
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Regulators will be required to determine whether the crash-which involved a Model S colliding with a tractor trailer-was the result of a malfunction, engineering issues with the Autopilot system, or human error.
No one was injured, but the vehicle, traveling at around 55 to 60 miles per hour, lost a wheel and sustained “significant damage” to the passenger side after it careened off Highway 2 just after midnight Saturday, according to MHP.
The agency said it is examining the performance of the automatic emergency braking system used by Tesla that is created to prevent collisions like the one that killed Joshua Brown of OH in a crash in Florida on May 7. The driver, Joshua Brown, was killed when a tractor trailer drove across a divided highway in front of his Model S, which was operating in autopilot.
The questions raised by NHTSA, in a nine-page letter that was dated July 8 but not made public until Tuesday, indicated the agency was investigating whether there are defects in the various crash-prevention systems related to Autopilot.
Electric automaker Tesla must answer a series of questions from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) by August 26 or face penalties of up to $21,000 per day for each day those questions remain unanswered.
Tesla introduced autopilot mode in order to bring ease and luxury while driving.
Musk told the Journal that Tesla has no plans to disable the Autopilot system in its cars and instead plans to educate its customers further on how the technology works.
But now the SEC is investigating Tesla for exactly what Fortune accused it of. Pang said that he is not sure whether the crash occurred due to his fault or his car’s fault, and also added that, despite the crash, he would still purchase another Tesla vehicle.
Tesla said the driver was using the feature on an undivided mountain road – which the company advises against – and didn’t respond to alerts to put his hands on the wheel. The company reported during the long July 4 holiday weekend that it had delivered 14,370 vehicles during the second quarter, short of its target of 17,000 vehicles.
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However Tesla is carrying out investigation with National Highway authorities and SEC to see if the auto was being driven on Tesla’s autopilot software or something else. Tesla states clearly in its owner’s manual that drivers should stay alert and keep their hands on the wheel to avoid accidents when the Autopilot feature is engaged. Shope said he has not been able to confirm whether Autopilot was engaged. A similar accident occurred earlier this month, when a Model X driven by art dealer Albert Scaglione hit a guardrail on a highway in Pennsylvania and flipped on to its roof after crossing several lanes.
