Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature—known for its automatic parking, lane changes, and urban steering assistance—has caught the attention of federal authorities. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched a preliminary investigation into this $8,000 add-on, a favorite among Tesla enthusiasts.
The probe involves roughly 2.4 million Tesla vehicles outfitted with FSD, including the popular Model 3 and Model Y, which were among the best-selling electric vehicles in the U.S. last year. The investigation follows several accidents involving FSD-enabled vehicles, one of which tragically resulted in a fatality, while another left occupants injured.
Reports indicate that these crashes occurred in poor visibility conditions, such as intense sun glare and fog, which appear to have disrupted the performance of the FSD system. The NHTSA aims to assess how well Tesla’s autonomous technology handles such environments and will look into whether similar accidents have happened under comparable circumstances. Additionally, investigators are examining if Tesla has rolled out any safety improvements to address these challenges.
This inquiry comes on the heels of Tesla’s recent announcement about its ambitious robotaxi project, underscoring the company’s pursuit of full autonomy. Tesla has acknowledged the steep obstacles in achieving this goal, highlighting the need for exceptional reliability surpassing human driving abilities. The company insists that billions of miles of testing data and approval from regulators worldwide are essential to make fully autonomous driving a reality.
Despite these hurdles, Tesla remains the dominant player in the electric vehicle space. In 2023 alone, the automaker sold over 1.8 million vehicles. Its latest financial report showcased strong momentum, with nearly 500,000 vehicles delivered in the third quarter—a 6% year-over-year growth.
