Automotive News Europe — 2023-12-15
Automotive Industry
The Dutch vehicle authority RDW said it does not currently plan a Tesla recall in Europe following a major US call back because of concerns about the EV maker's Autopilot driver assistance systems.
The RDW cited differences between Autopilot functions that are available on the European and US markets and said it has been in touch with Tesla.
Among European vehicle authorities, the Netherlands' RDW issues the type, or general approval, for Tesla cars. Its approval applies to other EU markets.
Tesla this week filed a recall covering more than 2 m vehicles in the US after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration determined that the automaker's driver-assistance system Autopilot does not do enough to prevent misuse.
The US recall concerns the Autopilot driver monitoring system, the RDW spokesperson told Automotive News Europe on Friday.
Teslas are classified in the US and Europe as having Level 2 or "partial driving automation" on the industry's five-point scale, with Level 5 being fully self-driving. Level 2 means that the driver has to keep hands on the wheel and their full attention on the road.
There are differences between the US and the EU as to what is allowed at Level 2 driving assistance, the spokesperson said. "For example, in how the 'driver monitoring' is done and the warning given to the driver when the system is abused."
Tesla's steering functions in Europe are tested against United Nations standards, not US rules, the RDW said.
The US recall was the result of a years-long defect investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that will remain open as the agency monitors the efficacy of Tesla’s fixes. A NHTSA spokesperson said the probe found that Tesla’s means for keeping drivers engaged were inadequate and could lead to "foreseeable misuse."
"Specifically, the investigation found that Tesla’s unique design of its Autopilot system can provide inadequate driver engagement and usage controls," the spokesman said.
US software fix
Tesla has said it plans to update software in the US with additional controls and alerts to make sure drivers pay attention while steering-assist functions are being used.
The US recall is the second this year involving Tesla’s automated-driving systems, which have come under escalating scrutiny after hundreds of crashes, some of which resulted in fatalities.
While CEO Elon Musk has for years predicted the automaker is on the verge of offering complete autonomy, both Autopilot and the beta features that Tesla markets as Full Self-Driving require a fully attentive driver to keep their hands on the wheel.
Autopilot comes standard on every new Tesla. It uses cameras to match vehicle speed with surrounding traffic and assists drivers with steering within clearly marked lanes.
The Tesla Model Y midsize SUV is on track to be Europe’s best-selling car in 2023, with 183,799 sales through October, according to figures from Dataforce.
The Tesla Model 3 has recorded 63,051 sales in Europe through October. It was the second-best-selling premium midsize sedan, trailing the BMW 3 Series.