Every time there’s a Tesla crash, there is a lot of publicity. This year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigated a crashed Tesla involving a 2022 Model S that killed three people, putting Tesla's Autopilot technology under review. The collision occurred earlier this month in Newport Beach, California, and involved the Tesla colliding with construction equipment after hitting the curb. Three people were killed in the Tesla, while three construction workers were injured.
And then last month, a Tesla vehicle was caught on video crashing into a $3.5M Cirrus Vision private jet after being ‘summoned’ in a dangerous way by the owner. Tesla's Smart Summon feature, which allows owners to move their cars autonomously. The first version “Summon” was upgraded to Smart Summon where owners can call their Tesla vehicles from a further distance. Elon Musk, the Tesla Technoking, called Smart Summon "Tesla's most viral feature." The video evidence suggests that the owner was not paying attention when summoning the car, as there was plenty of time to notice that it was heading right for the jet.
Tesla Smart Summon can call the vehicle using the Tesla app
Tesla still a safer bet
According to a new study, Tesla owners are far less likely than other automobile owners to crash their Tesla. The latest research on the possibility of wrecking a Tesla comes on the heels of Elon Musk's repeated claims that Tesla's Autopilot reduces the risk of an accident.
Cambridge Mobile Telematics conducted the latest study, which was presented this week at an event hosted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Different sets of data generated from the same drivers driving Teslas and other vehicles were compared in the study. According to the data, when the individuals drove a Tesla, their crash rate was 50% lower than when they drove other automobiles they owned.
However, according to the Cambridge firm, when driving EVs, drivers assumed far greater risks - between 180 and 340 percent higher - than when driving standard ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles. Porsches, on the other hand, were 55 percent more likely to be involved in a crash than other cars were driven by the same people, according to the study.
While there's no official reason for this, it's likely that consumers take additional risks when driving a sports car in order to get more value out of their high-powered purchase, which leads to crashes and incidents.
The study, titled “Electric Drivers: Changes in Driver Behavior” investigated the dangers of driving various cars on public roads, including typical gas-guzzlers, gas-electric hybrids, and battery-powered all-electric cars. The study also looked at how other factors including "driver weariness, vehicle range, distracted driving, and speeding" effect drivers of different cars. People are less likely to crash their Teslas than any other car, despite the fact that the reason for this is unknown.
This Week’s Software Release
At the beginning of this week, Tesla released 2022.16.0.2, which included updates to Regenerative Braking, Navigation Energy Prediction, and Driver Profiles. Different features may apply to different models.
- Regenerative Braking: When regenerative braking is limited by battery temperature or state of charge, your car can now automatically deploy normal brakes for continuous deceleration.
Tap Controls > Pedals & Steering > Apply Brakes When Regenerative Braking Is Limited to enable the feature.
- Regeneration / Acceleration Line: In a Model 3 and Model Y, the line right above the speedometer reading depicts the amount of regenerative braking (green) or acceleration (black) that is taking place. The line's centre is neutral, meaning there is no acceleration or regenerative braking. The more the line moves to the left, the more regenerative braking occurs, and the further it moves to the right, the more acceleration occurs. The line has been thickened in this version, making it more visible and simpler to notice for the driver.
- Navigation Energy Prediction: When utilising online navigation, the energy prediction for your route has been improved by including expected crosswind, headwind, humidity, and ambient temperature.
- Driver Profiles: Your driver profile is now linked to your media player accounts (for example, Spotify login). While your driver profile is being selected, simply log into your media account.
