The U.S. government has launched a federal investigation into Tesla Inc.’s partially automated driving system, branded as Full Self-Driving (FSD), following several crashes, one of which was fatal.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced on Oct. 18 that it will examine whether the FSD system can effectively detect and respond to conditions of poor visibility, such as fog. According to the agency, four accidents have occurred under these circumstances with the FSD system active.
One of the incidents involved a Tesla hitting and killing a pedestrian, while another resulted in injuries. Tesla did not respond to a request for comment on the matter.
This investigation could pose a significant hurdle for Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has been promoting the company as a leader in autonomous driving technology. Just last week, Tesla showcased its vision for autonomous vehicles at an event in a Los Angeles-area movie studio. For years, the company has charged customers thousands of dollars for FSD, which still requires drivers to remain fully attentive.
Following the news, Tesla’s stock dropped by as much as 1% in pre-market trading. This follows a previous dip after Tesla unveiled its robotaxi prototypes, which lacked specifics on how the company plans to meet Musk’s self-driving goals.
This defect probe adds to another inquiry NHTSA started in April, which questions whether Tesla has done enough to prevent drivers from misusing its Autopilot system, a separate driver-assistance feature. The agency is evaluating if a software update from last year is sufficient to keep drivers focused while using the system.
NHTSA has expressed concern about a “critical safety gap” between what drivers believe Autopilot is capable of and its actual performance, leading to misuse and preventable accidents.
In April, NHTSA reported that 211 crashes involved Teslas on Autopilot, even when drivers had enough time to avoid or reduce the severity of collisions. In 111 cases, drivers veered off the road after unintentionally disengaging the system.
Elon Musk has stated that Tesla’s success hinges on its ability to develop autonomous vehicle technology. The company currently charges $8,000 for its FSD feature.
