Tesla Inc. TSLA CEO Elon Musk said that Autopilot was not enabled in a fatal Tesla car crash in Texas last weekend.
What Happened: It was reported over the weekend that a Tesla Model S car with no one in the driver's seat crashed into a tree in Texas and burst into flames. Both the occupants were killed.
It was unclear whether Tesla’s driver-assistance systems were engaged before or during the crash. However, Musk has claimed that Autopilot was not enabled in the car crash.
“Data logs recovered so far show Autopilot was not enabled & this car did not purchase FSD. Moreover, standard Autopilot would require lane lines to turn on, which this street did not have,” Musk said on Twitter.
The crash is reportedly being investigated by two federal agencies - the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The NHTSA has in recent years formed Special Crash Investigation (SCI) teams to look into Tesla crashes related to the vehicle's Autopilot system.
See Also: Why Tim Quast Says Tesla Stock Investors Should Wait For Better Buying Opportunity
Why It Matters: Tesla's full-self driving (FSD) is an advanced driver assistance system, while autopilot is part of all its vehicles.
The company has rolled out a “beta” version of FSD software to a small set of customers. The feature costs $10,000 and will be available through a subscription model by June.
Tesla FSD Beta is defined as a Level 2 system, meaning the driver is fully responsible at all times.
The Palo Alto-based company's vehicle safety report for the first quarter of 2021 has shown that the average distance per accident while driving on Autopilot has actually declined year-over-year. However, Musk has claimed that Tesla with Autopilot engaged is approaching a 10 times lower chance of accident than the average car.
Price Action: Tesla shares closed 3.4% lower in Monday’s regular trading session at $714.63, but rose 1% in the after-hours session to $721.78.
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