Tesla’s “fully self-driving” cars face new investigation after fatal accident

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has dealt a potential setback to Tesla’s (TSLA) autonomous ambitions with a new investigation into full self-driving (FSD) technology.

Specifically, NHTSA said it opened an investigation into Tesla’s FSD software based on reports of four accidents in which the FSD software was used in a “restricted roadway visibility area.” According to NHTSA, the reduced road visibility was due to conditions such as sunlight, fog or dust in the air.

According to NHTSA, in one incident a pedestrian was struck and killed and another accident resulted in injuries when FSD was operating in limited visibility conditions. NHTSA’s preliminary investigation would examine, among other things, whether FSD controls can detect and respond to poor roadway visibility – and whether other similar accidents have occurred with FSD activated.

NHTSA said the investigation would cover 2.4 million Tesla electric vehicles, which is any vehicle with the ability to use FSD in the United States.

An investigation into Tesla’s visibility issues is a major concern for Tesla. The automaker is using a purely visionary system for autonomous driving that uses cameras as its main sensory input. Other automakers use radar, LIDAR (laser), and ultrasonic (sound) sensors to detect objects and read the contours of the road.

Tesla took the vision-based approach, which uses machine learning and AI to process information in real time – and make decisions based on visual information. CEO Elon Musk and Tesla believe a vision-based system in which millions of Tesla vehicles on the road collect data to train AI models would be the fastest way to implement fully autonomous driving capabilities.

Just last week, Tesla and Musk unveiled a fully autonomous Cybercab, a robot taxi scheduled for production around 2026 that will cost $30,000. The Cybercab has neither pedals nor a steering wheel and is designed for completely autonomous use.

Tesla and many bullish analysts see Tesla as more than just an automaker, but rather an AI and technology software company, with the biggest non-auto bets being on its autonomous software and projects like the Optimus robot.

But any doubt about the capabilities of Tesla’s FSD software – such as limited functionality in poor visibility conditions – is a major blow to the company’s autonomous ambitions.

This also isn’t the first NHTSA investigation into Tesla’s FSD software. Last year, after an investigation, the NHTSA ordered Tesla to conduct a software update recall of FSD aimed at inattentive drivers.

Tesla also faces a Justice Department investigation into whether the company and executives like Musk committed fraud by misleading investors and consumers about FSD’s capabilities.

The story continues

Pras Subramanian is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. You can keep following him Twitter and further Instagram.

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