A video posted to YouTube shows dashcam footage of a driver approaching the scene of the accident, which resulted in “minor” injury. You can see the Toyota Corolla’s mangled front end before getting a glimpse at the Cybertruck’s driver’s side with what appears to be less significant damage. We still haven’t gotten a look at the front of the Cybertruck, however.
Consumer Report did some preliminary testing with its Tesla Model S with Autopilot after a massive 2 million vehicle recall triggered a new software update. And unsurprisingly, the group’s safety experts came away thoroughly unimpressed.
A preliminary evaluation of Autopilot after the software update was installed on CR’s Tesla Model S suggests that the fix is insufficient, a CR safety expert says, explaining that it’s still too easy for drivers to misuse the feature.
“Although we welcome some of the changes that Tesla made as part of the most recent software update, including warning text that’s easier to read, the new software doesn’t go far enough to prevent misuse or address the root causes of driver inattention,” says Kelly Funkhouser, associate director of vehicle technology at CR’s Auto Test Center.
They were still able to use Autopilot after covering the in-cabin camera! So much for driver monitoring.
Tesla vehicles don’t have the best record for quality. The brakes will sometime slam without warning. The range is often inflated. Autopilot is a mess. And now, according to Reuters, the suspension and steering columns on “tens of thousands” of Tesla vehicles are experiencing premature failure — sometimes after just a couple hundred miles of ownership.
Tesla’s response? Blaming the customers.
A woman in San Francisco sued Tesla to block her abusive husband from using the company’s smartphone app to track her Model X. The husband was stalking her and had allegedly left a metal bat in the backseat of the car as a warning. She tried asking the company to restrict his access, but sued after she was told no. A judge ruled in Tesla’s favor.
Other companies, like GM and Rivian, are taking steps to prevent misuse of their connected cars. But not Tesla.
Wiper Chat begins at 17:40 in a new video about the Cybertruck on Leno’s YouTube channel. Perhaps Leno has been reading The Verge and wanted to know more.
The Verge is your source for all Tesla Cybertruck wiper news, so please keep sending us tips!
The latest Tesla Bot is a little bit lighter, walks faster, and balances better with improvements throughout, including in the function of its neck, feet, and hands. But is it the “friend” Elon Musk says will cost “much less than $20,000” and allow for “a future where there is no poverty?” Probably not.
According to the updated caption, this Tesla Cybertruck suffered from software problems that caused traction control issues and a failure to air down, while another post said it also had the wrong tires. That left it spinning its wheels during a recovery at the Corral Hollow OHV trail by the same kind of Ford SuperDuty pickup Tesla claims its electric truck can out-pull.
Also, at least on this release candidate, the people who recovered it said the truck lacked recovery tow points — they had to tie the ropes to its suspension.
