Tesla Approves To Update Software For Two Million Cars With Autopilot Features In The US

The wheelhouse of the Tesla Model S. (Doc. Tesla)

JAKARTA - Tesla in the United States has agreed to update Autopilot's autodriver feature software, following a long-running investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

This software update is done over-the-air, which has reportedly been designed to improve the car's ability to determine whether the driver using Tesla's Autopilot function really pays attention to the road and always touches the wheel.

The company led by Elon Musk said initially they rejected NHTSA's analysis that existing systems could be misused. But they agreed to improve the software, which is reportedly just to end this investigation.

According to a report by The Washington Post, December 13, this software update is to fix problems affecting Model S (2012-2023) vehicles, Model X (2016-2023), Model 3 (2017-2023), and Model Y (2020-2023), which effectively includes all Tesla vehicles equipped with Autopilot on US highways.

While Tesla is informing, the new software will add additional warnings and controls to encourage drivers to further comply with their driving obligations when Autosteer (one of Autopilot's functions) is activated.

Previously, NHTSA began an investigation into Autopilot after recording a number of accidents (more than a dozen) in which Tesla collided with vehicles stopping on the road, including fire trucks and police cars, in some cases with fatal results.

NHTSA in its investigation said that Tesla's "unique design of the Autopilot system could provide driver engagement and inadequate user control that could lead to system misuse.

This could increase the risk of accidents, where Autopilot driver assistance is enabled, but drivers do not maintain sufficient vigilance to maintain responsibility for vehicle operations, or are not ready to intervene immediately in the event of a system failure or Autopilot is cut off for any reason.