Analysis: Tesla’s autopilot is just a driver-assistance system and will continue to be for some time.

In an article analyzing Tesla’s self-driving strategy, Ars Technica (3/7, Lee, 957K) Senior Tech Policy Reporter Timothy Lee writes that an “overhaul to Tesla’s Autopilot webpage might represent the clearest acknowledgment yet that the company has failed to deliver on Elon Musk’s ambitious vision for a self-driving future.” Lee states that the webpage’s “headline has changed from ‘Full Self-Driving Hardware on All Cars’ to ‘Future of Driving’,” a “sentence about Tesla’s ride-sharing network has been deleted,” and the “‘Full Self-Driving’ section now includes a disclaimer that ‘future use of these features without supervision is dependent on achieving reliability far in excess of human drivers as demonstrated by billions of miles of experience.’” Lee writes that, “in other words, despite Musk’s bluster over the years, Autopilot is still just a driver-assistance system” and “it will continue to be just a driver-assistance system for some time to come.”

Audi recalling 75,000 vehicles over fuel injection fire risk.

Citing an AP report, Fortune (3/5, Shoot, 3.84M) says Audi is “recalling 75,000 vehicles due to a fire risk.” Parts “of the vehicle fuel injection system could leak, according to the AP report, which is based on documents published by the federal government on Tuesday.” If the “leaking fuel comes in contact with an ignition source, it could catch fire.” According to Fortune, Audi is “recalling cars and SUVs, including A8 sedans (vehicles with model years 2015 to 2018), as well as A6, A7, and Q7 SUVs (model years 2016 to 2018)” in order “to prevent any potential damages and injuries.” In 2018, Audi “recalled nearly one million vehicles due to fire safety risks related to electric coolant pumps that had the potential to overheat.”

Continuing coverage: NHTSA investigating two recent deadly Tesla accidents.

In continuing coverage, CNBC (3/4, 4.47M) reports that US officials are probing a deadly crash involving a Tesla Model S that occurred last Sunday in Florida which “killed the driver and caused a massive fire, the second fatal Tesla crash in the state this week being probed, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on Saturday.” On Friday, NHTSA and the National Transportation Safety Board expressed that “they were sending teams to investigate the other fatal crash Friday in Delray Beach, Florida of a 2018 Model 3 that crashed into a semi-trailer.” A spokesman for NHTSA on Saturday provided confirmation “the agency has an ‘ongoing investigation’ into the Sunday Tesla crash in Davie, Florida, and ‘will take additional actions if appropriate.’”

        Fox News (3/4, Gastelu, 21.12M) says that the police report regarding the accident that occurred on Friday expressed that “a tractor-trailer was crossing State Road 7 to make a left turn when the Model 3, driven by Jeremy Beren Banner, 50, slammed into the side of it, which tore off the car’s roof as the rest of the vehicle continued underneath the trailer,” according to Fox News. It isn’t known at this time as to whether “Banner was in control of the vehicle at the time of the collision or if it was operating in its Autopilot mode.” On Friday, Tesla produced a statement “saying it is ‘deeply saddened to hear about this incident,’ and that it is ‘reaching out to the authorities to offer our collaboration.’” According to Fox News, “Tesla CEO Elon Musk has not yet commented on the crash.”

        Additional coverage is provided by Bloomberg Law (3/4, Subscription Publication, 3K), TechSpot (3/4, 30K), Land Line Magazine (3/4, 607K), WPEC-TV West Palm Beach (FL) West Palm Beach, FL (3/4, Bentzel, 124K), and Property Casualty 360 (3/4). 

NHTSA, NTSB probing multiple crashes involving Tesla vehicles.

The AP (3/2, Krisher) reports that NHTSA is joining the NTSB in investigating “a fatal crash involving a Tesla electric car that drove beneath a semitrailer that was crossing a Florida roadway” in Delray Beach on Friday. According to the story, “both agencies likely will be looking into whether Tesla’s Autopilot semiautonomous driving system was in use on [the driver Jeremy] Banner’s Tesla Model 3 at the time” of the collision. Additionally, NHTSA is investigating another fatal crash that took place in Florida on Sunday, February 24, where a Tesla Model S was involved in a fatal crash and fire in Davie, Florida.

        Reuters (3/2, Shepardson) reports that “NHTSA, the auto safety regulator, can demand a recall if it believes a defect poses an unreasonable safety risk, while the NTSB makes safety recommendations.” The two safety agencies “are investigating a number of crashes since 2017 that focus on two primary issues: the role of Tesla’s driver assistance technology Autopilot in accidents and some significant battery fires in the electric vehicles after crashes, including cases of batteries reigniting.” Reuters (3/2, Shepardson, Nomiyama) also reports in another story.

        The Miami Herald (3/2, Vassolo, 728K) reports that “the Feb. 24 crash, which occured along Flamingo Road in Davie, involved a 2016 Tesla Model S” that “left the roadway for unknown reasons, and struck a tree, causing it to catch fire” so badly the car was utterly destroyed.

        HardOCP (3/2, Megalith) reports with additional coverage of the fatal crash in Davie, where “witnesses claim they couldn’t get the driver out because of the vehicle’s door handles not opening and air bags not deflating.”

        The South Florida Sun Sentinel (3/3, Chokey, Krisher, 501K) reports NHTSA “said Saturday that it will send a ‘field team’ to West Delray, where” Banner died on Friday. NTSB spokesman Terry Williams informed the Sun Sentinel on Sunday that it remains uncertain what investigators from the agency will need to examine. He said, “We’re still gathering all the facts. ... We’re going to be looking at all aspects.”

        Bloomberg (3/2, Chuwiruch, 4.73M) reported that NTSB, via its official Twitter page, said that it is dispatching three officials to assist with the investigation of the crash that occurred on Friday, in collaboration with the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office.

        Ars Technica (3/2, 957K) and Gizmodo (3/2, Keck, 3.49M) report with similar coverage.

        Safety experts worry over Tesla’s use of the terms “autopilot” and “self-driving.” CNN (3/2, McFarland, 84.16M) reports that Tesla is now marketing its vehicles with the add-on option of “full self-driving capability,” which is “drawing criticism from experts on self-driving technology” who “say CEO Elon Musk is playing fast and loose with definitions, overselling the technology and potentially creating safety issues.” For $5,000, Tesla will unlock Autopilot capabilities in a customer’s vehicle, with “‘automatic driving on city streets’ as an update later this year, according to Tesla’s website.” Although the fine print in Tesla’s offer makes it clear that Autopilot is not capable of driving a vehicle without the “active” assistance of a human driver, safety experts say Tesla needs to make it more evident that Autopilot is nothing more than a glorified advanced driver-assistance system. As Raj Rajkumar, who worked on the winning team of the 2007 DARPA Urban Challenge, says, “Some agency needs to throw the book at Tesla” because their “use of this term [self-driving] is totally irresponsible.”