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Tesla crash leads NTSB to begin probe of autonomous driving technology

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The echoes of the Autopilot crash that killed Joshua Brown on May 7 are still reverberating. Not only is the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration conducting an investigation, now the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is getting into the act. NHTSA chief Mark Rosekind and Transportation Secretary Anthony Fox have expressed approval of autonomous driving technology. With more than 80% of the 34,000 highway deaths in the US every year attributed to human error, they recognize the power of new safety system to reduce the carnage on America’s roadways.

The NTSB on the other hand has warned that such systems can lead to danger because they lull drivers into complacency behind the wheel. Missy Cummings, an engineering professor and human factors expert at Duke University, says humans tend to show “automation bias,” a trust that automated systems can handle all situations when they work 80% of the time.

According to Automotive News, NTSB will send a team of five investigators to Florida to probe the of Joshua Brown after his Tesla Model S while driving on Autopilot crashed into a tractor trailer. “It’s worth taking a look and seeing what we can learn from that event, so that as that automation is more widely introduced we can do it in the safest way possible,” says Christopher O’Neil, who heads the NTSB.

“It’s very significant,” says Clarence Ditlow, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, an advocacy group in Washington, DC. “The NTSB only investigates crashes with broader implications.” He says the action by the NTSB is significant. “They’re not looking at just this crash. They’re looking at the broader aspects. Are these driverless vehicles safe? Are there enough regulations in place to ensure their safety” Ditlow adds, “And one thing in this crash I’m certain they’re going to look at is using the American public as test drivers for beta systems in vehicles. That is simply unheard of in auto safety,” he said.

That is the crux of the situation. Tesla obviously has the right to conduct a beta test of its Autopilot system if only other Tesla drivers were involved. The question is whether it has the same right to do so on public roads with other drivers who are not part of the beta test and who are unaware than an experiment is taking place around them as they drive?

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For its part, Tesla steadfastly maintains that “Autopilot is by far the most advanced driver-assistance system on the road, but it does not turn a Tesla into an autonomous vehicle and does not allow the driver to abdicate responsibility. Since the release of Autopilot, we’ve continuously educated customers on the use of the feature, reminding them that they’re responsible for remaining alert and present when using Autopilot and must be prepared to take control at all times.”

That’s all well and good, but are such pronouncements from the company enough to overcome that “automation bias” Professor Cummings refers to?  Clearly, Ditlow thinks not. What the NTSB decides to do, if anything, after it completes its investigation could have a dramatic impact on self driving technology both in the US and around the world. Regulators in other countries will place a lot of weight on what the Board decides.

From Tesla’s perspective, they will want to know if the death of one person is reason enough to delay implementation of technology that could save 100,000 or more lives each year worldwide. The company is racing ahead with improvements to its Autopilot system. Just the other week a Tesla Model S was spotted testing near the company’s Silicon Valley-based headquarters with a LIDAR mounted to its roof.

NTSB has a lot of clout when it comes to promulgating safety regulations. It will be hard pressed to fairly balance all of the competing interests involved in the aftermath of the Joshua Brown fatality.

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Tesla Semi gets new adoptee in latest sighting

Tesla is continuing to increase the number of companies that have access to the Semi.

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Credit: Tesla

The Tesla Semi looks to have its newest adoptee as US Foods, the second-largest foodservice distributor in the United States, was seen with its badging on the all-electric Class 8 truck.

US Foods trails only Sysco Corporation in terms of foodservice distributors by volume in the United States. The company joined several other massive food industry entities, such as PepsiCo, and its subsidiary, Frito-Lay, have both utilized the Tesla Semi in their fleets.

Tesla Semi futuristic sci-fi acceleration sound will never get old

The Semi in question was spotted by X user Zanegler, a prominent tracker of the Tesla Semi and its factory, which sits near the company’s Gigafactory Nevada plant in Reno:

US Foods also has a distribution center in Reno, which could have something to do with its decision to start using the Semi in regional logistics.

With an influx of EV semitrucks hitting the market from many different manufacturers, it is evident that companies are taking the idea of making their fleets more environmentally friendly very seriously.

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Tesla is still very close to unloading the Semi in a more volumized fashion, as the company’s Vice President of Vehicle Engineering, Lars Moravy, said in January:

“We just closed out the Semi factory roofing walls last week in Reno…but we’re prepping for mechanical installation of all the equipment in the coming months… The first builds of the high-volume Semi design come late this year in 2025 and begin ramping early in 2026.”

First Tesla Semi high-volume production builds expected this 2025

With the latest addition of US Foods, Tesla increases its list of companies that are planning or are already using the Semi to help with local logistics and transportation. Among them are:

  • PepsiCo
  • Walmart
  • Sysco
  • Costco
  • Martin Brower
  • Saia Inc.
  • UPS
  • Anheuser-Busch
  • DHL

Many other companies have plans to use the Semi in their fleets. Currently, Tesla appears to be hand-picking those who have access to the vehicle as the pilot program continues.

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Tesla Cybertruck takes a bump from epic failing Dodge Charger

The Cybertruck seemed unharmed by the charging Charger.

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Credit: Hammer_of_something/Reddit

There comes a time in a driver’s life when one is faced with one’s limitations. For the driver of a Dodge Charger, this time came when he lost control and crashed into a Tesla Cybertruck–an absolute epic fail. 

A video of the rather unfortunate incident was shared on the r/TeslaLounge subreddit.

Charging Charger Fails

As could be seen in the video, which was posted on the subreddit by Model Y owner u/Hammer_of_something, a group of teens in a Dodge Charger decided to do some burnouts at a Tesla Supercharger. Unfortunately, the driver of the Charger failed in his burnout or donut attempt, resulting in the mopar sedan going over a curb and bumping a charging Cybertruck.

Ironically, the Dodge Charger seemed to have been parked at a Supercharger stall before its driver decided to perform the failed stunt. This suggests that the vehicle was likely ICE-ing a charging stall before it had its epic fail moment. Amusingly enough, the subreddit member noted that the Cybertruck did not seem like it took any damage at all despite its bump. The Charger, however, seemed like it ran into some trouble after crashing into the truck.

Alleged Aftermath

As per the the r/TeslaLounge subreddit member, the Cybertruck owner came rushing out to his vehicle after the Dodge Charger crashed into it. The Model Y owner then sent over the full video of the incident, which clearly showed the Charger attempting a burnout, failing, and bumping into the Cybertruck. The Cybertruck owner likely appreciated the video, in part because it showed the driver of the Dodge Charger absolutely freaking out after the incident.

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The Cybertruck is not an impregnable vehicle, but it can take bumps pretty well thanks to its thick stainless steel body. Based on this video, it appears that the Cybertruck can even take bumps from a charging Charger, all while chilling and charging at a Supercharger. As for the teens in the Dodge, they likely had to provide a long explanation to authorities after the incident, since the cops were called to the location.

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Tesla confronts Service complaints with new AI-backed strategy

Tesla will use a new AI Agent to help expedite Service claims and improve communication with customers.

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tesla service
Credit: Tesla

Tesla is implementing a new AI-based strategy to improve service for owners. Service has routinely been among the biggest complaints of owners, although it has improved drastically over the past few years.

Some of the complaints that Tesla has received regarding its Service platform have evidently been used to develop new strategies to not only streamline the entire experience but also to make things easier for the company, which deals with many claims each week.

As a result of complaints in the past, Tesla has used various strategies to make things better for customers. However, the latest improvement comes as a result of AI, something Tesla leans on in many facets of its business.

Tesla adds ingenious solution to app to streamline Service appointments

Tesla’s AI and IT Infrastructure, Cybersecurity, and Vehicle Service head Raj Jegannathan said on X this week that the company is rolling out a new AI Agent specifically designed to handle service comms with customers.

He said the new Service AI Agent will detect delays in communications between the company and the customers, monitor the sentiment of these conversations, and auto-escalate certain claims directly to leaders.

It will also allow customers to type the word ‘Escalate’ in the message center portion of the phone app after two weeks of delays. This will help customers reach higher-ups more easily and likely will eliminate the complaints that many have had over the past few years.

The company is rolling out the AI Agent in ten pilot locations to start. Its first day being active was May 8.

Jegannathan said:

“Tesla Service’s new AI Agent detects comms delays, monitors sentiment, & auto-escalates to leaders. Starts tomorrow at 10 pilot locations. In 2 weeks, type “Escalate” in ‘message center’ to reach managers. Guardrails in place to prevent abuse. We’ll keep improving!”

Service has had a lot of interesting strategies used to improve things, but it has definitely been a weak point of the Tesla ownership experience. In a perfect world, vehicles wouldn’t need repair for anything, but that is not realistic.

Instead, Tesla has worked to expedite the entire Service experience through various strategies, including F1-style service, and a goal to fix two-thirds of repair claims within the same day.

Parts availability sometimes takes this goal out of reasonableness, but these constant attempts at improving the repair experience show Tesla is doing what it can to make things better for owners.

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