Earlier this week, Tesla came in the line of fire in China as its autonomous vehicle reportedly crashed while operating on the “Autopilot Mode.” It recently came to light that the automaker has removed the word “auto-pilot” and the Chinese term for self-driving, “zidong jiashe,” from its Chinese webpage.
It seems like the company is trying to stop users from pointing fingers at it. It is worth noting that this was Tesla’s first fatal car crash in China. It follows a deadly car crash in Florida earlier this year that pushed relevant authorities to introduce stringent laws for automated driving.
The Chinese driver, Luo Zhen, was driving a Tesla Model S and had switched on the auto-pilot mode when his vehicle crashed into a Volkswagen that was parked half way across the road. Though no serious injuries were reported, both cars were severely damaged. This incident might dent Tesla’s Chinese sales as it will spread negative sentiments among Chinese users.
Luo blames Tesla for not offering reliable technology. He said: “They use this immature technology as a sales and promotion tactic, but they don’t take responsibility for the safety of the function.”
Upon reviewing the crashed car’s logs, it was discovered that while auto-pilot mode was on, Mr. Zhen was not holding the steering wheel. This make’s the company’s case strong since its users are well-aware that auto-pilot is not a fully autonomous system.
Tesla CEO, Elon Musk reiterated in his Master Plan that the autopilot mode is still in its beta version, so drivers should always stay alert when the auto-pilot mode is on. The steering wheel should be held throughout the time that the autopilot mode is active.
The crash seems like another hiccup for the company to make its mark in the Chinese auto sector. We believe clear communications with its customers in the Chinese region can help Tesla overcome similar incidents in the future.