The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has initiated a preliminary evaluation into 6,813 electric vehicles made by Fisker in 2023 due to complaints regarding the automatic emergency braking system. Eight consumers have reported unexpected activation of the braking feature without any visible impediments in front of their vehicles, causing sudden deceleration. Three individuals have alleged injuries as a consequence of these incidents. The NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation will examine the extent and gravity of the issue to assess its effect on safety. The NHTSA may conclude the investigation without any further action. This investigation comes after another preliminary probe by the NHTSA initiated last month regarding complaints concerning the doors of Fisker’s electric vehicles failing to open. [Source: Reuters, accessed May 10, 2024.]
Separately, the NHTSA announced the initiation of a preliminary examination into 210,960 Ford vehicles owing to complaints of diesel fuel leakage that might cause a fire. The agency has received 27 complaints, including 12 instances of fires and four injuries, related to Ford F-250, 350, 450, and 550 Super Duty models equipped with 6.7L diesel engines manufactured between 2015 and 2021. [Source: Reuters, accessed May 10, 2024.]
In a letter to Tesla published on the NHTSA’s website, NHTSA officials stated that they couldn’t identify any differences between the cautionary software released after a recall and the software that existed prior to it. The agency claims that Tesla has reported 20 additional accidents involving Autopilot since the recall. [Sources: “Tesla: Autopilot software update did not fully fix issue,” Associated Press, May 10, 2024; and “Tesla: Autopilot software update did not fully fix issue,” Yahoo Finance, May 10, 2024.]
The Biden administration has declared that it will study Chinese-made “smart cars” that can collect sensitive data about American motorists driving them. The Commerce Department issued a notice of proposed regulation in February that initiates an investigation into national security hazards presented by “connected vehicles” from China and other nations perceived as adversaries of the United States. [Source: Associated Press, accessed May 10, 2024.]
The Biden administration has also declared that it will scrutinize imported Chinese electric automobiles by imposing significant tariffs. [Source: Yahoo Finance, accessed May 10, 2024.]
The NHTSA’s ongoing probe into Tesla’s partially automated driving system revealed that Evidence suggested that the driver of a fatal accident in Colorado in 2018 was playing a mobile game on his iPhone at the time of the crash. Nevertheless, the family of the deceased claimed that Autopilot was promoted in such a way that it led car owners to believe that they didn’t need to stay vigilant while behind the wheel. The NHTSA pushed Tesla to recall over two million vehicles in December to address a faulty system intended to ensure that drivers paid attention while utilizing Autopilot. [Source: Associated Press, accessed May 10, 2024.]
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