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Tesla will use Over-the-Air Update to remedy 8700 cars with rear camera bug

Credit: Tesla Asia | X

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Tesla will use an Over-the-Air software update to remedy an issue with the rear camera in 8,700 EVs in China.

Tesla will fix 1,071 Model S and Model X and 7,529 Model 3 vehicles in what is being described as a “recall,” according to federal regulators in China.

According to some reports regarding the issue with the rear camera, there are some vehicles that have unstable integrated circuit communications, which can be fixed through software.

However, when the camera issue is present, drivers can have a limited field of vision when the car is in reverse, and it can increase the risk of an accident or pose a safety hazard, which was the reason for the recall initiation.

Recall Terminology

There has been a lot of conversation regarding recall terminology over the past few years, especially as Tesla’s ability to fix vehicle issues through over-the-air updates has become more popular.

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Owners feel that the term recall is not necessarily accurate due to the fact that a majority of these issues are fixed without the owner even knowing it. While they are made aware of the bug or issue with their car, the vehicle automatically downloads and applies the fix without owners having to do anything manually.

CEO Elon Musk has said that he believes it is also time for new terminology, calling it “outdated and inaccurate.”

However, agencies are sticking with the term recall because of its definition, which technically is correct when pertaining to vehicle issues that could affect safety.

Tesla fans call for recall terminology update, but the NHTSA isn’t convinced it’s needed

The NHTSA told Teslarati in a statement earlier this month that a recall is an acknowledgment of a safety defect in a vehicle. Even if it is fixed with software, it is still a recall because it is a fix to a safety issue.

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“Defects that pose an unreasonable risk to safety are serious and should be remedied as soon as possible,” the agency added. “The Vehicle Safety Act requires manufacturers to issue recalls to remedy safety defects. Whether a remedy can be completed at a local dealership or through an over-the-air software update makes no difference to the safety risk posed by a defect.”

I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.

Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

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Tesla one-ups Waymo once again with latest Robotaxi expansion in Austin

Tesla’s new Robotaxi geofence measures roughly 171 square miles of Austin’s downtown and suburbs. This is more than double the size of Waymo’s geofence, which measures 90 square miles.

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Credit: @BLKMDL3 | X

Tesla’s expansion of the Robotaxi geofence on Tuesday morning was a one-up on Waymo once again, as the automaker’s service area growth helps eclipse its rival in an intense back-and-forth.

A lot of conversation has been made about Tesla’s rivalry with Waymo in terms of the capabilities of its driverless ride-sharing service in Austin, Texas.

The two companies have sparred with one another, answering each other’s expansion, and continuing to compete, all to the benefit of consumers in the region.

Tesla expanded the geofence of Robotaxi once again this morning, and it is another growth that catapults it past Waymo’s service area in Austin — this time by a considerable margin.

Tesla’s new Robotaxi geofence measures roughly 171 square miles of Austin’s downtown and suburbs. This is more than double the size of Waymo’s geofence, which measures 90 square miles.

On July 14, Tesla officially overtook Waymo in terms of service area in Austin. But just a few days later, Waymo had responded with a bold statement, expanding from 37 square miles to 90 square miles.

Sarfraz Maredia, Global Head of Autonomous Mobility & Delivery at Uber, said the move “unlock[ed] another key milestone in Austin as our operating territory with Waymo expands from 37 to 90 square miles, which means that even more riders can experience Waymo’s fully autonomous vehicles through the Uber app.”

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Tesla did not respond immediately, but it took its time with validation vehicle testing in the Austin suburbs, as we reported yesterday:

Tesla looks to expand Robotaxi geofence once again with testing in new area

Today’s expansion is perhaps the biggest step Tesla has taken in its efforts to continue to grow its Robotaxi platform. This is not only because the company has significantly expanded the size of the geofence, but also because it has ventured into suburban areas and even included Gigafactory Texas in its service area.

Waymo could come up with another timely response as it did when Tesla expanded in late July. We’ll wait to see what it comes up with, as this awesome competition between the two companies is accelerating innovation.

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Tesla Robotaxi geofence expansion enters Plaid Mode and includes a surprise

Now, on August 26, the Robotaxi geofence has expanded once again, and is estimated to be about 130 square miles.

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Tesla has expanded its Robotaxi geofence in Austin for the third time since its launch in late June, and the company added a big surprise with this new service area.

After launching on June 22, Tesla’s driverless Robotaxi service has been expanded three times. Its initial launch was about 20 square miles in size. The first expansion occurred on July 14 and was roughly 42 miles large, more than double the initial geofence size.

The second expansion occurred on August 3 and brought the total service area to roughly 80 square miles.

Now, on August 26, the Robotaxi geofence has expanded once again, and is estimated to be about 170 square miles.

The expansion of the Robotaxi geofence seemed to show the company’s focus on getting the service to the areas East and West of downtown was an utmost priority.

We reported on the Bee Cave region of the Austin suburbs being a place where Robotaxi validation vehicles were spotted testing in recent days.

Bee Cave is included in the new geofence.

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However, that is not the biggest addition to the geofence, and it’s not even close. Tesla added a major area to the new geofence, one that fans of the company will absolutely love: Tesla Gigafactory Texas.

The big question that remains is whether Tesla is expanding the size of its fleet of Robotaxi vehicles in Austin. There have been many questions about the expansions of the fleet and not necessarily the geofence, and while the latter is certainly considered progress, Tesla will need to enable more Robotaxi into the vehicle population to handle the additional rides.

Tesla has been planning to do so, but is still prioritizing safety and does not want to rush any part of the Robotaxi process.

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Tesla is also looking to expand to new cities altogether. It is currently moving toward a Robotaxi launch in Florida, Arizona, and Nevada, and has also opened up job postings for Robotaxi operators in New York.

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Elon Musk

Elon Musk reiterates his most optimistic prediction yet with “UHI” forecast

Despite his polarizing nature, Elon Musk is, at his core, an optimist.

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Joel Kowsky, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Despite his polarizing nature, Elon Musk is, at his core, an optimist. If he were not one, he would never have founded Tesla or SpaceX, or pursued projects such as Neuralink or xAI.

Musk’s optimism was on full display on social media platform X recently, when he shared what could very well be his most optimistic prediction yet.

Robots and humans

The Tesla CEO recently responded to a post from David Scott Patterson, who estimated that all jobs will be replaced by AI and robots easily by 2030. In his post, Patterson noted that if robots are sold at the same rate as vehicles, it could result in an output of 320 million robots per year. 

Musk responded that eventually, intelligent humanoid robots will far exceed the population of humans, and “there will be many robots in industry for every human to provide products & services.” 

Musk is already taking steps to achieve such a future. Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot is expected to see its first “legion” produced this 2025. During an All-Hands meeting earlier this year, Musk also hinted to Tesla employees that the company will try to produce about 50,000 Optimus robots next year. 

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Universal High Income (UHI)

Musk has shared similar sentiments in the past, so it was no surprise that some X users asked the CEO how humans could sustain their lives when robots replace working individuals. To this, Musk responded that a Universal High Income (UHI) would be implemented, which should provide people with the best medical care, food, and transport available.

“There will be universal high income (not merely basic income). Everyone will have the best medical care, food, home, transport and everything else. Sustainable abundance,” Musk wrote in his post

Musk’s comment about sustainable abundance seems to be a prevalent theme in his recent optimistic comments. During Tesla’s second quarter earnings call, for example, Musk hinted that his Master Plan Part Four will describe a path towards sustainable abundance in a post-autonomy world.

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