Electric vehicle maker Tesla will remotely update the Autopilot software in about 285,000 of its cars in China to prevent drivers from mistakenly activating the Autopilot feature while driving. This is after the country’s regulatory agency investigated claims that drivers inadvertently switch to Autopilot when driving.
The remote update is understood to affect both cars made locally and those from abroad. The state regulator, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation, believes there are safety concerns if the Autopilot is not firmed up. When the Autopilot turns on accidentally, the vehicle may accelerate rapidly or quickly slow down. Sudden acceleration or slowing down could, in extreme cases, cause a collision.
According to the state regulator, Tesla had already commenced the process of updating the software since Saturday. The bulk of the vehicles affected are the locally produced Model 3 and Model Y models, while more than 35,000 imported Model 3 will also be updated.
Tesla has had several issues relating to safety connected with the Autopilot in its vehicles in recent times. Some fatal collisions have also been recorded both inside China and in the US, among other countries. However, Tesla has continued to pursue greater development of the Autopilot feature, with safety concerns factored into their development.
Tesla has made steady progress in penetrating the Chinese market, which is arguably the largest EV market. Tesla’s China strategy has seen it rapidly invest in building factories in the mainland for its products to remain competitive. The company’s CEO Elon Musk has already hinted that China is its next biggest market after the US. In April, the company said that the US and China accounted for about 70% of its revenue.
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(via)
