On December 13, local time, Tesla announced that it would recall more than 2 million vehicles in the United States to install new protections for its Autopilot (autonomous driving) system.。

NHTSA disclosed the recall in a letter to Tesla stating that Tesla has agreed to a software update starting on Tuesday (December 12)。And said that if the driver repeatedly fails to prove that he or she is ready to resume control of the car when the automatic steering function is turned on, the use of the automatic steering function will be restricted。

Accidents frequent, NHTSA has investigated Tesla for two years

The recall follows a two-year NHTSA investigation into Tesla.。

Previously, NHTSA launched an investigation into Tesla Autopilot in August 2021 after discovering multiple accidents in which Tesla cars hit stationary emergency vehicles.。The survey was further upgraded in June 2022.。NHTSA reviewed 956 accidents in which Tesla Autopilot was allegedly used, focusing on 322 accidents involving Autopilot.。

In a letter to Tesla, NHTSA said, "In some cases, when the autopilot feature is enabled, the prominence and scope of the feature's controls may not be sufficient to prevent driver abuse."。NHTSA said the risk of a crash could increase when the driver is not fully engaged and ready to control the car.。

Ann Carlson, acting director of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, praised Tesla's recall.。Carlson told a US House hearing: "One of the things we determined was that the driver wasn't always focused when the system was on.。Carlson also said the agency launched a safety investigation in August 2021, when she kept hearing about fatal accidents involving the use of autopilot.。"My first reaction was that we had to do something about it.。"

Tesla's Autopilot is designed to allow cars to automatically steer, accelerate and brake in the lane, while the enhanced Autopilot can assist in lane changes on the highway, but it does not allow the vehicle to be self-driving.。

NHTSA said: "Automation technology has great promise in improving security, but only if it is responsibly deployed.。"Today's action is an example of improving automated systems by prioritizing safety."。"

Tesla: Disagree with NHTSA findings, but update

Tesla said it disagrees with the findings, but will offer free wireless software updates for all affected vehicles on or after Dec. 12, 2023.。It is reported that the update will provide additional controls and reminders for the controls and alarms already in place on affected vehicles to further encourage drivers to comply with their ongoing driving responsibilities when steering automatically.。

In addition to the software update, Tesla will mail letters to owners informing them of the change.。

The safety recall covers almost all Tesla vehicles in the U.S. and covers models including Model S luxury sedans, Model X full-size SUVs, Model 3 sedans and Model Y mid-size SUVs。This could have an impact on Tesla's reputation.。However, in fact, the implementation cost of the recall installation is not too high, nor will it significantly restrict drivers from using Tesla's advanced driver assistance features。

Separately, Transport Canada says Tesla will recall 193,000 vehicles to fix Autopilot issue。It is unclear whether Tesla China will request a recall.。

It is worth noting that Tesla's stock price has not been greatly affected by this。On December 13, Tesla shares closed up nearly 1%。

Although Tesla has agreed to the recall, NHTSA still said that the investigation of Tesla Autopilot will continue, and it will also monitor Tesla's remedial measures.。

This is not the first time NHTSA has urged Tesla to change it.。

In February, Tesla recalled 363,000 cars equipped with the FSD (fully autonomous driving) beta feature after it found that cars using the feature would violate traffic laws, including driving straight through intersections in turn-only lanes and entering stop signs controlled by stop signs.。

Self-Driving Technology, Tesla's Next Growth Driver？

In recent times, Tesla has been affected by declining profit margins and slowing sales growth.。But given that Tesla's self-driving technology is a leader among current car companies, its self-driving technology is also considered the company's next growth potential.。

Tesla now has data based on about 300 million miles driven, and Tesla CEO Musk said that number "will soon reach billions of miles, tens of billions of miles."。He said this would give the company a huge competitive advantage as it ramps up investments in AI and other technologies to realize its potential.。

Musk said: "We see a clear path to fully autonomous driving, which is 10 times safer than ordinary human drivers.。"

Earlier this year, Musk also told investors he was "very open" to licensing his FSD technology to other car companies.。"We are already in early discussions with a major (original equipment manufacturer) regarding the use of Tesla FSD.。So we're not going to try to keep this a secret。Musk said, "We are more than happy to license it to others."。"

Gene Munster, an analyst at Deepwater Asset Management, said: "If Tesla (autonomous driving technology) is successfully applied to one manufacturer, the possibility of other automakers joining is high.。This will be a similar dynamic we've seen in the past month as seven automakers have signed up to use Tesla's charging network.。"

Munster also said he is bullish on Tesla for the long term, arguing that Tesla's FSD technology license could generate up to $20 billion in annual revenue within five years of the first agreement taking effect.。