According to the latest reports, the German Federal Transport Administration has launched an investigation into Tesla’s automatic lane change function, and investigations into other Tesla-assisted driving functions are also underway. In addition, the findings will not only affect the EU’s legal standards for companies developing autonomous driving technology such as Tesla but also indirectly affect the promotion of FSD in the European market.
It is understood that this is not the first time Tesla’s Autopilot system has been investigated by regulators. In November last year, Tesla was investigated by the U.S. NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) for an accident caused by FSD, and this month, it was investigated by NHTSA again for “ghost brakes”. Multiple surveys may indicate that Tesla’s autopilot system still needs to be improved, and Tesla’s overseas expansion is not smooth.
The German KBA strictly investigates the result of automatic lane changes or may affect EU law
According to foreign media reports, the German Federal Transport Agency (Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt, referred to as KBA) is investigating Tesla’s automatic driving system, especially the automatic lane change function. Now, the agency is investigating whether the use of automatic lane changes on European roads is legal.
It is understood that although the KBA is headquartered in Germany, its decisions will have implications for law across the EU. To this end, the KBA contacted not only Tesla but also the Dutch Vehicle Registration Authority (RDW), through which all Tesla vehicles need to obtain credentials for use in Europe.
The specifics of the KBA’s investigation into Tesla’s Autopilot system and automatic lane change are currently unknown to the public, but Tesla isn’t the only automaker to offer the feature. Like Tesla, some models of Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Volvo can also change lanes, and when the adaptive cruise control system is activated, the driver still needs to turn the turn signal to change the lane.
There are frequent Tesla FSD problems. The U.S. authorities have repeatedly investigated
Some foreign media said that the KBA’s investigation into Tesla may have been caused by the US NHTSA’s investigation of Tesla. NHTSA has launched an investigation into a complaint about an accident in the beta version of Tesla’s FSD software.
The owner of the complaint told NHTSA that the Model Y he was driving first sounded the alarm while turning, and when he tried to turn the steering wheel to avoid other vehicles, the car automatically steered, causing the vehicle to veer into the wrong lane and eventually collide with a car. No one was injured in the accident, but the vehicle was severely damaged.
On the 17th of this month, Tesla was once again investigated by NHTSA for “ghost brakes” caused by problems with the assisted driving system. In addition, Tesla has been investigated by NHTSA several times for hardware problems.
The KBA’s findings may force Tesla to change its plan to provide FSD in Europe. Recently, some foreign media said that Tesla’s FSD software may land in China first. However, according to the survey, when Chinese customers currently buy Tesla, the number of orders for purchasing Tesla supporting software accounts for less than 1%.
From this point of view, it will take a period of testing and rectification for Tesla’s FSD software to truly enter the market.