Drivers using the Autopilot mode remain safer than regular drivers, reiterated Tesla. The company continues to deny reports that it misled the public and its investors by taking too long to share details involving the death of a customer using the feature.
In a statement, Tesla refuted articles by Fortune, saying the media outfit didn't honor the carmaker's request for a 24-hour period that will allow it to fully verify details of the incident. Instead, Fortune "jumped the gun," publishing the stories before Tesla was able to provide its full side of the story.
Fortune, however, countered the allegations and said that it contacted Tesla and Elon Musk, Tesla's CEO, for comments and clarification before any of its stories came out.
According to Tesla, Fortune made a lot of assumptions. When it reached out to Tesla for a comment, Fortune never asked any questions about the investigation, rushing to publish its stories that are misleading.
The carmaker said that it was wrong to assume that the incident was caused by a failure in their electronic vehicle's Autopilot mode. Rather, the accident was the result of a semi-tractor trailer crossing lanes in a divided highway in front of oncoming traffic. There was no evidence that could suggest that the Autopilot mode was not working as it should: to assist the driver in maintaining vehicle position in a lane and adjusting speed depending on surrounding traffic conditions.
"Contrasted against worldwide accident data, customers using Autopilot are statistically safer than those not using it at all," Tesla said.
Tesla has tens of thousands of customers all over the world, with more than 100 million miles of driving logged without a single fatality confirmed, according to the statement. Yes, there is an accident that could have involved Autopilot, but that is one out of the countless other times the feature has prevented accidents, saving lives in the process.
Fortunately for Tesla, its investors are not taking the same slant that Fortune did, with stocks trading up instead of down when news broke out that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is initiating a preliminary investigation of the accident. According to the company, this confirms that not only do its investors know better but also Tesla's own internal assessment of Autopilot meets market expectations.
Tesla paid tribute to Joshua Brown last month, sending its deepest sympathies to his family and friends in another statement. There is no word if Brown's family will be taking the company to court because of the incident.
