NHTSA Probes Nine Tesla Self-Driving Crashes, May Trigger 3.2M Vehicle Recall
Federal auto regulators have escalated an NHTSA probe into nine Tesla crashes in fog and glare, potentially leading to a recall of 3.2 million vehicles as the self-driving cameras failed to detect hazards. Musk confirmed continued Nvidia chip purchases for Tesla’s AI operations and unveiled Terafab and Cybercab robotaxi plans.
1. Regulatory Escalation: NHTSA Probe Deepens
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has elevated its investigation into nine incidents where Tesla vehicles using self-driving features collided due to poor visibility, moving the inquiry to an engineering analysis that could mandate a recall of up to 3.2 million cars.
2. Self-Driving Software Issues
Tesla’s camera-based driver assistance, renamed Full Self-Driving (Supervised), failed to detect hazards in fog, glare and dust; the company states that over-the-air upgrades would have prevented three of the crashes under review.
3. Strategic Chip and Robotaxi Plans
Elon Musk reaffirmed that Tesla will continue purchasing Nvidia chips for its AI operations while unveiling Terafab semiconductor ambitions and announcing plans to launch a no-wheel, no-pedal Cybercab robotaxi service in U.S. cities this year.