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Germany finds Tesla Autopilot function unusual, orders rectification

After more than half a year of investigation into Tesla’s driver assistance system Autopilot, the German road traffic safety regulator KBA found that the software was “abnormal”. The agency has ordered Tesla to make improvements and limit some assisted driving features.

It’s unclear what the so-called “anomaly” means, what changes have occurred to Tesla’s over-the-air updates (OTA), or how many vehicles are affected. So far, the KBA has not responded to these questions either.

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However, the KBA may first be investigating the automatic lane change feature, which does not comply with European law. The agency forced Tesla to limit the feature and required drivers to use turn signals at all times.

At the same time, the KBA is also investigating Tesla’s practice of selecting owners for “Full Self-Driving” (FSD) software tests based on safety scores. The agency believes: “The vehicle must be safe enough for all drivers to drive.” Currently, FSD is not available in Europe.

In the interview, he said he wanted to know what changes Tesla made before deploying these updates. “If we do not receive any information, we cannot rule out the possibility that the system does not comply with the rules”.

Germany Tesla Autopilot function

A KBA spokesperson confirmed that the “unusual” situation described above was partially fixed by limiting the automatic lane change feature update. However, “further remedies are still being tested and validated”. The agency gave no specifics or provided a timeline for the fix.

If “exception” is a security hazard, why didn’t the KBA warn customers? If they’re not dangerous, why is the German safety regulator asking Tesla to improve Autopilot? What must be changed? What else does Tesla need to tweak? Do these improvements only affect Teslas sold in Germany, Europe, or around the world? None of these questions have been answered.

In fact, Tesla’s driver assistance systems are not identical across regions. That’s in part because Tesla has its own improvement plan, relying on data from its on-the-road fleet to improve assisted driving features, many of which come from North America, particularly California.

This results in the system performing better in some places than others. But regulations have also prevented Tesla from deploying its driver-assist features in certain markets, including Europe.

(via)

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