Tesla accused of ‘pushing the envelope’ on safety
Tesla has come under fire for having ‘pushed the envelope’ on safety by former business partner Mobileye following a fatal crash in which the electric car pioneer’s Autopilot system was implicated.
Amnon Shashua, chairman of the computer vision company, claimed to have severed ties with the manufacturer over concerns that a push to roll the system was premature.
Speaking to Reuters Shasua said: “It [Autopilot] is not designed to cover all possible crash situations in a safe manner. It is a driver assistance system and not a driverless system.”
In its response Tesla stated that Autopilot was always intended as an aid to drivers on major roads by keeping the vehicle in lane and keeping pace with surrounding traffic and was not conceived as a replacement for drivers.
Following May’s crash Tesla has updated its software to require drivers to keep their hands on the wheel, with Autopilot switched off until the car is parked if the driver refuses to comply.