Following four incidents, including a fatal crash last year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with the automaker’s Full Self Driving (FSD) software. If NHTSA determines that the vehicles pose an unreasonable safety risk, it could result in a recall and this preliminary assessment is an important step.

The scrutiny comes at a time when Tesla CEO Elon Musk has shifted his company toward self-driving technology and robo-taxis, while facing increased competition and declining demand for its core automotive business . Musk announced the “Cybercab,” a two-seater robotaxi concept lacking steering wheels and pedals, relying on cameras and artificial intelligence for navigation, at the Robotaxi Summit last month. But such a vehicle would not have human control and would therefore require NHTSA approval for deployment.

It began when reports of accidents were reported, in which the FSD took over while visibility was severely reduced: sun glare or fog. In Rimrock, Arizona in November 2023, a 2021 Tesla Model Y ran over a pedestrian. One accident included reported injuries, and another (examined) also involved injuries.

2016 to 2024 Model S and The investigation was not commented on by Tesla, but the company’s shares rose slightly, by 0.1%, in early trading.

In a tweet Tuesday, Tesla released a statement saying its FSD software relies on active driver supervision and does not make vehicles fully autonomous. FSD aims to evaluate FSD’s engineering controls and attempt to assess their ability to detect and respond to particularly difficult road visibility conditions.

It is also investigating whether FSD-related accidents of a similar nature have occurred and whether Tesla has issued any updates that may affect the track in such low visibility conditions. With respect to timing and safety considerations for any changes to the FSD, this review will evaluate them.

Tesla’s FSD technology has been in development for years, with the aim of achieving high levels of automation. However, experts have raised concerns about the “camera only” approach used by Tesla, suggesting it could struggle in adverse weather conditions compared to competitors using additional sensor technologies like lidar and radar .