SAN FRANCISCO: The US auto safety regulator said on Thursday it was closely watching Tesla Inc’s release of a software version intended to allow its cars to drive themselves, saying it stood ready to protect the public against safety risks.
Tesla on Tuesday night released a beta, or test version, of what it calls a “Full Self Driving” software upgrade to an undisclosed number of “expert, careful” drivers.
The release prompted online posts by excited recipients who shared video snippets of their car driving apparently autonomously on city streets at night.
During a Tesla earnings call on Wednesday, chief executive Elon Musk said the latest upgrade was planned to be widely released by the end of this year, with the system becoming more robust as it collected more data.
“NHTSA has been briefed on Tesla’s new feature, which represents an expansion of its existing driver assistance system. The agency will monitor the new technology closely and will not hesitate to take action to protect (the) public against unreasonable risks to safety,” the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a statement.
NHTSA in July said its special crash investigation team had “looked into 19 crashes involving Tesla vehicles where it was believed some form of advanced driver assistance system was engaged at the time of the incident.”
Musk for years has promised self-driving for the company’s vehicles but missed several self-imposed deadlines.
Researchers, regulators and insurance groups say true self-driving is still years away and more complex than companies anticipated several years ago. They have criticised Tesla’s promotion of its existing semi-automated Autopilot system as dangerously misleading.
A consortium of self-driving technology companies, Partners for Automated Vehicle Education (PAVE), which includes Ford Motor Co, General Motors Co and Google’s self-driving unit Waymo, criticised Tesla’s approach.
“Public road testing is a serious responsibility and using untrained consumers to validate beta-level software on public roads is dangerous and inconsistent with existing guidance and industry norms,” PAVE said in a Thursday statement.
Autopilot and similar advanced driver assistance systems can provide steering, braking and acceleration support under limited circumstances, generally on highways.
Tesla's website describes the new software release as "Autosteer on City Streets," saying the system requires active driver supervision and does not make the car autonomous. here
Tesla owners can buy “Full Self Driving” for US$8,000 in hopes of eventually receiving the upgrade. Musk said early Thursday the price would rise by US$2,000 on Monday, but later in the day tweeted US price hikes would be pushed to Thursday next week. Similar price increases will apply in other countries as the test version was released there, he added.
On Twitter, Tesla owners receiving the test version posted videos of their experience, claiming the car "literally sees everything," setting indicators on its own and navigating turns even without clear lane markings.
They also posted a picture of the software update release notes, which said the system “may do the wrong thing at the worst time,” urging drivers to keep their hands on the wheel and pay extra attention.
Reuters could not reach Tesla for comment on NHTSA’s statement and to confirm the authenticity of the release note.
In other related developments, India’s richest state Maharashtra has invited Tesla to set up shop, weeks after Musk suggested entering the country next year.
In a tweet here on Thursday, state tourism and environment minister Aaditya Thackeray said he and industries minister Subhash Desai held a video call with Tesla executives earlier in the day to invite them to the state.
Tesla’s entry into Asia’s third largest economy could come at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is increasingly focusing to promote the use of electric vehicles.
Over in Berlin, Tesla's executive overseeing construction of the electric carmaker's "gigafactory" has left his position, a source familiar with the matter said on Thursday.
Tesla declined to comment on whether Evan Horetsky, head of engineering, procurement and construction at the German plant, was still with the US company. Horetsky could not be reached for comment.
German broadcaster RBB was first to report the departure. RBB said there would be no delays in the factory’s planning application process as a result of Horetsky leaving.
The Berlin plant will be the fourth Tesla Gigafactory - producing cars and batteries - and the first in Europe.
