Tesla Earned $1.6 Billion In The Third Quarter As Auto Sales Soared


Autopilot, a computerized system that uses cameras and other sensors to steer, brake and accelerate cars on its own, is the subject of investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the top federal auto safety regulator. The agency is investigating Autopilot’s failure to see parked police cars and other emergency vehicles with flashing lights. The agency identified 12 accidents in which Teslas operating in Autopilot mode crashed into emergency vehicles.

Tesla recently sent a software update to Autopilot-equipped vehicles that is expected to improve detection of emergency vehicles. Ask the traffic safety agency Tesla to provide comprehensive data on the fix and explain why it didn’t initiate a security callback before deploying the update.

The traffic safety agency has come under criticism for its lax approach to regulating new technologies such as Autopilot and self-driving cars. On Tuesday, the Biden administration appointed Mary Cummings, a Duke University expert in self-driving technology, to a senior auto safety role at the federal agency, signaling that Tesla may now face tighter scrutiny.

Ms. Cummings criticized Autopilot and stated that the system does not monitor effectively to make sure drivers are paying attention to the road. In a message posted on Twitter, Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk said on Tuesday Ms. Cummings’ “highly biased” against Tesla.

Tesla doesn’t seem to have lost many of its customers to its competitors. Ford Motor has started selling the Mustang Mach-E, an electric sports utility vehicle, but sales have remained modest by Model Y standards as the global shortage of computer chips has hampered production by most automakers. Rivian, a startup considered a potential competitor to Tesla, has started producing an electric pickup truck, but has only delivered a small number to customers so far; The company won’t say how many.

German automobile manufacturer Porsche, owned by Volkswagen Group, broke new ground against Tesla with the Taycan electric sports car. In the first three quarters of this year, Porsche sold more than 28,000 Taycans, starting at around $82,000, which is roughly the cost of a Tesla Model S or Model X. By comparison, Tesla sold 13,000 S and X vehicles.





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