The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of the United States reported on Tuesday that it opened an investigation into some 2.6 million Tesla vehicles after receiving reports of some accidents related to its autonomous driving function. “Smart Summon.”
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) said it had received a complaint alleging an accident when the feature was being used and had reviewed at least three media reports of similar accidents involving it.
The Tesla vehicles involved in the accident did not detect poles or parked vehicles when they were using the Actually Smart Summon feature, the regulator said.
“The ODI is aware of multiple reports of collisions, both with Smart Summon and Actually Smart Summon, in which the user had very little reaction time to avoid a collision, either with available line of sight or by releasing the button. the phone application, which stops the movement of the vehicle,” he added.
Smart Summon was actually launched in September and allows users to remotely move their vehicle toward them or another location using a smartphone app.
The feature’s predecessor, now called Dumb Summon, allowed users to move their car forward or backward in or out of a parking spot.
The future of Tesla Smart Summon is uncertain
NHTSA said it will evaluate Smart Summon’s top speed, its use on public roads and line-of-sight requirements. The investigation will also cover remote control via the phone app, connectivity delays and system operation under unforeseen conditions.
Tesla, whose shares were down 1.6% in pre-market trading, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
It is the traffic safety regulator’s second major investigation into Tesla in around four months related to its self-driving features.
In October, the regulator opened an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with full self-driving (FSD) software after four recorded collisions, including a fatal accident in 2023.
The increased scrutiny of the advanced driver-assistance system comes as Chief Executive Elon Musk looks to pivot toward self-driving technology and robotaxis.
With information from Reuters.
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