Tesla recall amounts to software update for autopilot system

A Tesla recall that is affecting millions of people in Canada and the United States is actually just a software update that will improve safety features included in Tesla’s autopilot.

The autopilot is more of a driver assistant. It doesn’t actually drive the car, it just helps the driver with steering, accelerating and braking.

Tyler Krause, the president of the Tesla Owners Club of  Saskatchewan, said he doesn’t agree with labelling it a recall.

“I disagree with the term ‘recall.’ Technically that’s what it is — that’s how the Traffic and Highway Association puts forward these sorts of changes — (but) what it really is is just a software update,” he said.

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Krause explained that Tesla owners can do the updates from the comfort of their own homes.

“Nobody has to take their car anywhere. There’s no cost. It’s not mandatory,” said Krause. “It’ll show up as an available update in the car once the person is connected to an available network.”

The update is expected to arrive in the next couple of weeks in both the United States and in Canada and is only expected to take 20 to 25 minutes to complete.

The hope is that the update will help reduce the chance of a collision.

Tesla took to social media providing some numbers on vehicle accidents with a driver using autopilot compared to a driver not using autopilot.

Tesla said it recorded one crash for every 4.85 million miles driven in which drivers were using the autopilot technology compared to one crash for every 1.40 million miles driven in which drivers were not using the autopilot technology.

While there are many articles that do not accurately convey the nature of our safety systems, the recent Washington Post article is particularly egregious in its misstatements and lack of relevant context. 

We at Tesla believe that we have a moral obligation to continue…

— Tesla (@Tesla) December 12, 2023

Krause said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had identified some problems and concerns when drivers are using the autopilot system.

“They basically identified that there is an increased risk of collision if someone that’s using Tesla’s autopilot system isn’t prepared to intervene,” said Krause. “There’s also concern that people weren’t always aware if the autopilot system was engaged.”

Krause said the new update will help people become aware when autopilot is engaged.

“It’s going to kind of address this by providing better alerts, better monitoring and better checks,” said Krause. “(This) makes sure that whoever is driving is still responsible for their vehicle.”

The engagement of the system will also be updated to make it even more simple.

“Right now all the driver has to do is press a button or pull a stock two times,” explained Krause. “They might change that so you only have to do that once.”

Krause hopes the label of this being a recall doesn’t affect the perception of Tesla and other electric vehicles in a negative way.