Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) could risk scrutiny from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) with the latest Full Self-Driving (FSD) V14.1.2 update.
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FSD's Mad Max Update
The company rolled out the ‘Mad Max' mode for the FSD system during the latest 14.1.2 on Thursday. "Introduced new speed profile MAD MAX, which comes with higher speeds and more frequent lane changes than HURRY," the EV giant said in the release notes for the update.
Tesla quoted a post on the social media platform X on Thursday, which showcased a video — which appears to be sped up — of the Mad Max mode in action as a Tesla vehicle weaves through traffic, hitting speeds upwards of 80 mph.
x.com/Tesla/status/1978905194567176547
NHTSA Investigation, FSD Lawsuits
The driving mode could put the company's FSD on authorities' radar amid an ongoing NHTSA investigation into FSD's system, affecting 2.88 million vehicles, after receiving reports of more than 50 traffic safety violations and multiple accidents.
Tesla has also been grappling with lawsuits over the FSD system, including a class action lawsuit against the company filed by owners in California alleging the company misled them about FSD's capabilities.
Tesla was also ordered to pay upwards of $240 million in damages by a court following a 2019 Florida crash involving a Tesla on autopilot, which resulted in the death of a woman.
However, Gene Munster of Deepwater Asset Management thinks that the NHTSA probe into Tesla is actually good for the company, as it could be a testament to Tesla's efforts in developing the autonomous driving technology. "Tesla just stands alone in this category of consumer autonomy," Munster said.
Gary Black Predicts Elon Musk Won't Answer Robotaxi Question
Elsewhere, investor Gary Black, who is the managing director of Future Fund LLC, predicts that company CEO Elon Musk wouldn't share an update on the timeline of removing onboard safety monitors from Tesla's Robotaxi.
Tesla began operating Robotaxis on the highways in Austin, Texas, moving the safety operators from the passenger seat to the driver's seat, which could be a result of Texas's updated self-driving regulations.
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