NTSB finds no evidence Tesla Autopilot used in fatal 2021 Texas crash

Published

2 years ago

February 9, 2023

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A driver uses the map navigation feature on a touchscreen control panel just prior to the Tesla Motors Inc. 8.0 software update inside a Model S P90D vehicle in New York, U.S., on Monday, Sept. 19, 2016.

Christopher Goodney | Bloomberg | Getty Images

The National Transportation Safety Board has concluded an investigation into a fatal Tesla crash that occurred in Spring, Texas in 2021. The federal vehicle safety watchdog found no evidence the company’s driver assistance system, which is marketed as Tesla Autopilot, was in use at the time of the crash.

The crash initially drew widespread attention after a local constable said nobody was behind the wheel at the time of the crash.

In its completed accident report, the NTSB says that excessive speed and driver impairment were the biggest causes of the crash and that all available evidence suggests the driver was behind the wheel at the time of the collision, then moved from the front seat to the rear of the car as it burned.

The driver of the 2019 Tesla Model S P100D vehicle had taken over-the-counter antihistamines and had been drinking earlier that night at a restaurant before crashing his car into a tree at 57 miles per hour, according to a toxicology report included in the NTSB’s probe.

After impact, which damaged modules in the vehicle’s high voltage battery back, the Tesla went up in flames. Both driver and passenger died in the vehicle as a result of blunt force trauma and burns, the federal report says.

The NTSB noted that the impact with the tree caused a power outage in Tesla’s 12-volt battery-powered systems, affecting the vehicle’s electronically operated door latches. Without power, occupants would have to “locate a small cutout in the carpet beneath the seat cushions and pull the mechanical release cable tab toward the center of the vehicle to manually open the rear door,” the report says.

Due to fire damage, the car doors and handles could not be evaluated by NTSB’s teams, so they could not determine whether the doors were manually operational after the crash, the board noted in their report.

While the NTSB makes safety recommendations to federal agencies and the auto industry, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is responsible for setting new vehicle safety standards, whether around battery electric vehicle tech or driver assistance systems.

The NTSB relied on data from Tesla, a sample vehicle and versions of software provided by Tesla, to conduct part of its investigation.

NHTSA, which is also investigating the 2021 crash, did not immediately reply to a request for an update on its probe.

In its report on the Spring, Texas crash, NTSB recommended that EV makers including Tesla create standardized guides that are easier for firefighters and other first responders to use during an emergency response.

The fire brigades who responded to this crash used 20,000 gallons of water to extinguish the EV fire. While they responded promptly, they did not initially see a recommendation in Tesla’s guide to lift the car to access and douse the battery from underneath the vehicle for more efficient extinguishment.

The NTSB also wrote, that it has “long been concerned about alcohol-impaired driving, which accounted for nearly 30% of highway fatalities in the United States in 2020.”

It has recommended that NHTSA require “all new vehicles to be equipped with passive vehicle-integrated alcohol impairment detection systems, advanced driver monitoring systems, or a combination thereof, which are capable of preventing or limiting vehicle operation if driver impairment by alcohol is detected.”

If the Tesla had been equipped with systems like this, the NTSB said, the trip and fatal crash may have been prevented.

Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment including whether it may add alcohol impairment detection systems to its vehicles.

Technology

Tesla launches refreshed Model Y in China to fend off domestic rivals

Published

10 hours ago

January 10, 2025

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Tesla launched a revamped version of its Model Y in China.

Tesla

Tesla on Friday announced a revamped version of its popular Model Y in China, as the U.S. electric car giant looks to fend off challenges from domestic rivals.

The Model Y will start at 263,500 Chinese yuan ($35,935), with deliveries set to begin in March. That is 5.4% more expensive than the starting price of the previous Model Y.

A spokesperson for Tesla China said that the new Model Y is only open for pre-sale in the Chinese market, rather than being launched globally.

Tesla’s Model Y refresh comes after the auto giant this month reported its first ever annual decline in overall deliveries for 2024.

Elon Musk’s electric vehicle firm is facing heightened competition around the world, from startups and traditional carmakers in Europe. In China, the company continues to face an onslaught of rivals from BYD to newer players like Xpeng and Nio.

Jason Low, principal analyst at Canalys, notes that the Tesla Model Y was the best-selling EV in China in 2024 and that the popularity of the car “remains high.” However, he noted that the competition in the sports utility vehicle (SUV) segment with vehicles priced between 250,000 yuan and 350,000 yuan “has been fierce.”

“Tesla must showcase compelling smart features, particularly a unique but well localized cockpit and services ecosystem,” as well as “effective” semi-autonomous driver assistance features “to ensure its competitiveness in the market,” Low added.

Tesla is offering a number of incentives for customers to buy the Model Y including a five-year 0% interest financing plan.

The new Model Y can accelerate from 0 kilometers per hour to 100 kilometers per hour in 4.3 seconds, Tesla said, exceeding the speed capabilities of the previous vehicle. The Model Y Long Range has a further driving range on a single charge versus its predecessor.

Tesla has not introduced a new model since it began delivering the Cybertruck in late 2023, which starts at nearly $80,000.

Investors have been yearning for a new mass-market model to reinvigorate sales. Tesla has previously hinted that that a new affordable model could be launched in the first half of 2025.

Despite Tesla’s headwinds, the company’s stock is up nearly 70% over the last 12 months, partly due to CEO Musk’s close relationship with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.

Technology

World’s biggest chipmaker TSMC posts record 2024 revenue as AI boost continues

Published

13 hours ago

January 10, 2025

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World's biggest chipmaker TSMC posts record 2024 revenue as AI boost continues

The logo for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company is displayed on a screen on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Sept. 26, 2023.

Brendan Mcdermid | Reuters

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. posted December quarter revenue that topped analyst estimates, as the company continues to get a boost from the AI boom.

The world’s largest chip manufacturer reported fourth-quarter revenue of 868.5 billion New Taiwan dollars ($26.3 billion), according to CNBC calculations, up 38.8% year-on-year.

That beat Refinitiv consensus estimates of 850.1 billion New Taiwan dollars.

For 2024, TSMC’s revenue totaled 2.9 trillion New Taiwan Dollars, its highest annual sales since going public in 1994.

TSMC manufacturers semiconductors for some of the world’s biggest companies, including Apple and Nvidia.

TSMC is seen as the most advanced chipmaker in the world, given its ability to manufacture leading-edge semiconductors. The company has been helped along by the strong demand for AI chips, particularly from Nvidia, as well as ever-improving smartphone semiconductors.

“TSMC has benefited significantly from the strong demand for AI,” Brady Wang, associate director at Counterpoint Research told CNBC.

Wang said “capacity utilization” for TSMC’s 3 nanometer and 5 nanometer processes — the most advanced chips — “has consistently exceeded 100%.”

AI graphics processing units (GPUs), such as those designed by Nvidia, and other artificial intelligence chips are driving this demand, Wang said.

Taiwan-listed shares of TSMC have risen 88% over the last 12 months.

TSMC’s latest sales figures may also give hope to investors that the the demand for artificial intelligence chips and services may continue into 2025.

Foxconn, which assembles Apple’s iPhones, reported its highest-ever fourth quarter revenue this week, as it notched strong demand for AI servers.

Meanwhile, Microsoft this month said that it plans to spend $80 billion in its fiscal year to June on the construction of data centers that can handle artificial intelligence workloads.

CNBC’s Jordan Novet contributed to this report.

Technology

Supreme Court set to hear oral arguments on challenge to TikTok ban

Published

20 hours ago

January 10, 2025

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Supreme Court set to hear oral arguments on challenge to TikTok ban

Tik Tok creators gather before a press conference to voice their opposition to the “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act,” pending crackdown legislation on TikTok in the House of Representatives, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., March 12, 2024.

Craig Hudson | Reuters

The Supreme Court on Friday will hear oral arguments in the case involving the future of TikTok in the U.S., which could ban the popular app as soon as next week.

The justices will consider whether the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, the law that targets TikTok’s ban and imposes harsh civil penalties for app “entities” that continue to carry the service after Jan.19, violates the U.S. Constitution’s free speech protections.

It’s unclear when the court will hand down a decision, and if China’s ByteDance continues to refuse to divest TikTok to an American company, it faces a complete ban nationwide.

What will change about the user experience?

The roughly 115 million U.S. TikTok monthly active users could face a range of scenarios depending on when the Supreme Court hands down a decision.

If no word comes before the law takes effect on Jan. 19 and the ban goes through, it’s possible that users would still be able to post or engage with the app if they already have it downloaded. However, those users would likely be unable to update or redownload the app after that date, multiple legal experts said.

Thousands of short-form video creators who generate income from TikTok through ad revenue, paid partnerships, merchandise and more will likely need to transition their businesses to other platforms, like YouTube or Instagram.

“Shutting down TikTok, even for a single day, would be a big deal, not just for people who create content on TikTok, but everyone who shares or views content,” said George Wang, a staff attorney at the Knight First Amendment Institute who helped write the institute’s amicus briefs on the case.

“It sets a really dangerous precedent for how we regulate speech online,” Wang said.

Who supports and opposes the ban?

Dozens of high-profile amicus briefs from organizations, members of Congress and President-elect Donald Trump were filed supporting both the government and ByteDance.

The government, led by Attorney General Merrick Garland, alleges that until ByteDance divests TikTok, the app remains a “powerful tool for espionage” and a “potent weapon for covert influence operations.”

Trump’s brief did not voice support for either side, but it did ask the court to oppose banning the platform and allow him to find a political resolution that allows the service to continue while addressing national security concerns.

The short-form video app played a notable role in both Trump and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris’ presidential campaigns in 2024, and it’s one of the most common news sources for younger voters.

In a September Truth Social post, Trump wrote in all caps Americans who want to save TikTok should vote for him. The post was quoted in his amicus brief.

What comes next?

It’s unclear when the Supreme Court will issue its ruling, but the case’s expedited hearing has some predicting that the court could issue a quick ruling.

The case will have “enormous implications” since TikTok’s user base in the U.S. is so large, said Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of Berkeley Law.

“It’s unprecedented for the government to prohibit platforms for speech, especially one so many people use,” Chemerinsky said. “Ultimately, this is a tension between free speech issues on the one hand and claims of national security on the other.”