Tesla Autopilot Probe Escalates as US Agency Demands Data
- US traffic safety agency sets July 1 deadline for response
- NHTSA opened query into sufficiency of 2 million car recall
An instrument panel illustrates the road ahead using Autopilot technology just prior to the Tesla Motors Inc. 8.0 software update inside a Model S P90D vehicle.
Photographer: Christopher Goodney/BloombergTesla Inc. is facing increased federal scrutiny of Autopilot, with the top US auto-safety regulator seeking data that will help determine whether the company’s biggest-ever recall made its driver-assistance system safer.
In a letter posted on its website Tuesday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration presses Tesla on how much mileage consumers are racking up using Autopilot, and on how many times drivers are being warned to put their hands on the wheel. The agency also will review how the company decided on a policy to suspend drivers from using Autopilot for a week after accumulating “strikes” for inattention.