The Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt, the German equivalent of the RDW, has launched an investigation into the legality of Tesla Autopilot. The German newspaper reports that Image am Sonntag†The inspection service is looking in particular at the ‘Auto Lane Change’ function, in which Teslas change lanes independently. This feature may not be allowed in Europe at all.
In the context of the investigation, the KBA is also in contact with the RDW. The Dutch inspection body has approved the Tesla models for use on European roads. According to European rules, this only needs to be done in one country, after which the vehicles are allowed throughout the European Union. The investigation may require Tesla to disable the Auto Lane Change feature in Europe. AutoWeek has asked Tesla for a response to the investigation.
There has been criticism for some time about the way Tesla promotes Autopilot, a system that complements, not replaces, the driver. There is also the question of whether Tesla is doing enough to ensure that drivers keep their attention on the road when the system is switched on. Currently, however, you must constantly touch the steering wheel if you have Autopilot on. If you don’t, the system will shut itself down.
Criticism in homeland
Tesla has recently had the NHTSA on its neck in its home country of America. It started a second investigation last week into a possible defect in the Autopilot function. In addition, the regulator forced Tesla to roll back a number of functions, including the ‘boombox’. This allowed Tesla owners to use speakers outside the car to play their own sounds. Tesla must also examine why cars could drive quietly at an intersection with stop signs if there was no other traffic. This is illegal in some US states.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl