Tesla released the Autopilot feature in 2015, and a lot of people were excited at the time. But over the years, there have been many accidents due to the use of this feature.
According to recent reports, Tesla engineers said the company did not fix this feature or update it following a fatal crash that claimed a driver's life in Florida in 2016.
Tesla Engineers Said the Company Did Not Do Anything
According to SCMP, this revelation emerged during testimonies provided by the engineers in 2021 as part of a lawsuit brought by a family affected by a similar fatal accident involving a Tesla in 2019.
Despite the fatal collision, Tesla engineers said the company did not do anything to fix the possible defects in the Autopilot system in the nearly three years between two high-profile accidents that killed drivers whose Tesla cars crashed into the side of trucks.
The system was reportedly not designed to detect cross traffic and the associated risks at the time. The lawsuit is currently headed for a trial that is set for October.
Tesla and Elon Musk Are Under Legal Pressure from Different Parties
Their statements were taken as testimony, and after years of touting Tesla's autonomous driving as the futuristic approach, the company and its CEO, Elon Musk, are under legal pressure from different parties.
The pressure comes not just from consumers but also from federal prosecutors, regulators, and even the company's investors, who are questioning whether the firm's progress on self-driving vehicles in the past eight years was just overhyped.
The company has been the subject of multiple lawsuits and investigations by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Most of these investigations were regarding possible autopilot defects that could have played a part in multiple deaths since June 2021.
According to Engadget, Tesla has also been sued for false advertising after allegedly exaggerating EV ranges.
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There Have Been 17 Deaths Allegedly Related to Tesla's Autopilot Defects
The lawsuit will challenge the statements consistently made by Elon Musk regarding Teslas being the safest cars created. It has been reported that at least 17 deaths could be related to Tesla's autopilot defects.
Musk was excused from questioning in 2022, but it is now known that the billionaire is very involved with the design and production of Tesla. He is also involved with certain decisions regarding how things should move forward.
Tesla noted that it had long been transparent about the limitations regarding autopilot, including its challenges when trying to detect traffic crossing in front of the vehicle. The company also warns users through its manual regarding how the driver must remain alert.
Meanwhile, Tesla recently warned Core Lithium about a potential lawsuit over a failed deal. According to Reuters, the Australian miner has received a notice from the electric vehicle maker over a 2022 supply agreement that failed to materialize within the set deadline.
