NEW YORK: Tesla withdraws self-driving beta over software issues

NEW
YORK: Tesla has withdrawn its latest
“full self-driving” car software update after drivers complained of
problems.

Some
drivers reported intermittent issues such as safety alerts sounding, despite no danger
being present.

The
latest version was rolled back on Sunday afternoon, less than a day after it
was released.

Tesla
chief executive Elon Musk said there were “some issues” with this
version, but it was “to be expected with beta software”.

A few
hours earlier, Mr Musk said the launch would be delayed because the company’s
quality assurance team had found “regression in some left turns at traffic
lights”.

But it
was released anyway, before being quickly withdrawn on Sunday after drivers
reported the problems.

It comes
as Tesla raised the price of four of its electric vehicles in the US.

Safety questions

Thatcham
Research, which conducts safety tests for motor insurers in the UK, said there
were concerns over Tesla’s move to beta-test new software with real-world
drivers.

“The
challenge you’ve got is you’re allowing your customers to be the guinea
pigs,” said Matthew Avery, director of research at Thatcham.

“There
are obvious safety challenges with customers trying it out, and either
misunderstanding it or getting it wrong.

“There’s
a risk that there could be systems that are not safe, which could lead to
potential accidents.”

Despite
the name, Tesla’s semi-autonomous driving technology cannot be used as a
substitute for a driver.

The
company still instructs its users to keep their hands on the wheel at all
times, and a warning sounds if they fail to do so.

Mr Avery
said that while a risk existed with beta software in Tesla’s cars, the fact
that the car is not truly autonomous is important.

“There
is no such thing as full self-driving,” he said. “That’s very much a
marketing term. These vehicles are still assisted driving… effectively the
car supporting you.

“These
systems are not taking over on behalf of the driver.”

Separately,
car rental giant Hertz announced it is ordering 100,000 Tesla vehicles.

It is the
largest single purchase for electric vehicles on record, according to Bloomberg. Tesla’s stock reached a new
record high of more than $970 (£705) as a result of the announcement.

The deal
comes a year after Hertz filed for bankruptcy protection in the US as the pandemic saw its business
plummet.