WASHINGTON — The nation’s top rated car protection regulator is requesting far more data from Tesla Inc. to aid its investigation of selected Product 3 and Design Y autos outfitted with Autopilot following studies alleging “phantom braking.”
NHTSA’s ask for will come following the company in February opened the investigation into an believed 416,000 Model 3 and Product Y motor vehicles from the 2021-22 product a long time just after obtaining 354 issues of unexpected braking even though utilizing Autopilot’s driver-assist functions.
In a letter sent May well 4 to Eddie Gates, Tesla’s director of field quality, NHTSA explained the range of experiences of unexpected brake activation in all those motor vehicles experienced elevated to 758.
The company is now trying to find further specifics from Tesla, like any grievances or lawsuits related to the alleged defect as effectively as reviews involving a crash, personal injury or dying.
Tesla has until June 20 to reply, or it could experience civil penalties of up to practically $115 million.
In accordance to the letter, posted Friday, NHTSA is inquiring Tesla to explain any assessments, assessments, experiments, simulations or similar steps that have been executed by, or for, the automaker as it relates to the alleged defect. The agency also needs to know what components and software modifications have been created to the impacted vehicles because the start of production.
Other requests include things like a in-depth description of the procedure structure and operation, like all associated sensor systems, as nicely as Tesla’s assessment of the alleged defect, problems that may final result in unanticipated brake activation and involved security dangers.
Tesla, which disbanded its media relations office, did not instantly react to a ask for for comment.
The electric automobile maker has ongoing to deal with better regulatory scrutiny under the Biden administration.
Last yr, NHTSA opened an investigation into Tesla’s Autopilot technique following a sequence of crashes involving its models and emergency autos. The ongoing probe addresses an approximated 765,000 Teslas from the 2014-21 design a long time. Most of the crashes happened soon after dim and in total resulted in 17 accidents and 1 dying.