Tesla recalls two million EVs to finally fix AutoPilot-related function

Tesla is reportedly issuing a recall order that covers a massive two million electric vehicles (EVs) in the United States. The recall is to fix a fault with the AutoPilot system that is tasked to ensure that a driver is attentive to road and traffic conditions when the self-drive mode is activated.

The Tesla AutoPilot system has been extremely controversial with several crashes in the US being linked to it. The latest decision to issue a recall order comes around two years after US' National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into a series of accidents. It was eventually found by the NHTSA that the measures used by AutoPilot to ensure a driver is attentive when the self-drive mode is activated may be inadequate.

The recall now covers nearly all Tesla vehicles sold in the US since 2015 which also got AutoPilot activated. And as part of the remedial process, a software update will put in additional controls and alerts to allow drivers to be more attentive when the vehicle is driving itself. "Automated technology holds great promise for improving safety, but only when it is deployed responsibly," NHTSA said, according to Bloomberg. “Today’s action is an example of improving automated systems by prioritizing safety."

AutoPilot makes use of cameras and sensors on Tesla vehicles to assess the traffic surrounding the vehicle. It also monitors lane markers on roads to keep the vehicle in the safe lanes. Critics of Tesla AutoPilot system, however, have long argued that it is flawed even if the company has argued otherwise. Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in the past that AutoPilot negates the possibility o human errors and therefore, may be safer than an actual person. But not everyone is convinced. Not yet anyway.

Self-drive technology is an extremely controversial topic and subject to several regulatory approvals in many parts of the world.