Tesla's Full Self-Driving System in Hot Water After Fatal Crash

Federal regulators are digging into Tesla's "Full Self-Driving" system after a report linked it to a deadly accident. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) started this probe on Thursday. Tesla had reported four crashes, one of which killed a pedestrian, all happening in low visibility conditions like sun glare, fog, or dusty air. Another crash resulted in an injury. The investigation covers about 2.4 million Tesla vehicles from the 2016 to 2024 model years. Investigators want to know if the system can handle low visibility well. They're also checking if there were any similar crashes and if software updates affected the system's performance in these conditions.

Meanwhile, Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed a new robotaxi, the Cybercab, without a steering wheel or pedals. He hopes for fully autonomous vehicles without human drivers by next year and robotaxis by 2026. He aims to make the Full Self-Driving technology available on Model 3 and Model Y vehicles in Texas and California next year. This comes as Tesla faces sales struggles and increased competition globally. They delivered nearly 463,000 vehicles in the third quarter, slightly up from the same period last year. The company is trying to focus investor attention on its robotics technology, including a humanoid robot named Optimus.

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