Two men were killed in a Tesla crash in Spring, Texas on Saturday night, and apparently no one was behind the wheel, according to local police who were questioned by reporter Deven Clarke at NBC branch KPRC 2.
The Tesla vehicle reportedly crashed into a tree and burst into flames. One person was found in the front passenger seat and another one in the rear passenger seat of the vehicle.
Based on a preliminary investigation, police told KPRC 2 that they believe no one was behind the wheel, but they have not yet completed their comprehensive investigation. A preliminary investigation is not conclusive.
Police did not immediately respond to CNBC’s questions about whether the driver was able to move or get out of his seat during the collision.
Firefighters allegedly used 32,000 gallons of water and spent hours suppressing the fire that resulted from the accident on the electric vehicle.
As CNBC reported earlier, Tesla sells automated driving systems under the brand name Monopilot, and Full Self-Driving (FSD). It also releases a “beta” version of Full Self Driving (FSD beta) software to some customers who have the premium FSD option, which currently costs $ 10,000.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in an episode of the Joe Rogan Experience podcast on February 11: “I think Autopilot gets good enough that you do not have to drive most of the time unless you really will.”
Tesla Autopilot and FSD are unable to control the electric vehicles in all normal driving conditions.
According to records from CNBC and others, Tesla lawyers said in a letter to the California DMV late last year: “Neither Autopilot nor FSD Capability is an autonomous system.” And in their owner’s manuals, Tesla warns drivers: ‘The features currently activated require active drivers supervision and do not make the vehicle autonomous.’
Nevertheless, many Tesla fans and influencers share videos on social media that show people riding their hands free for a long time, sleeping at the wheel or with no one in the driver’s seat.
Actor Jamie Foxx, for example, shared a video on his YouTube channel where he pretended to be asleep at the wheel of a Tesla Model 3, and closed it with his eyes. In January this year, a teenager and his mother, as reported by The Drive, made a video in which he pretended to be sleeping at the wheel of a Tesla and then climbed into the back seat to fall asleep.
In Germany, a court in Munich actually banned Tesla from using phrases equivalent to Autopilot and Full Self-Driving ability in its ads, because they found that this language deceived consumers and overestimated the capabilities of the cars.
CNBC reached out to Tesla and fire and police departments in Harris County, Texas, for more information.
The news of the fatal crash comes as the National Road Safety Administration (NHTSA) is evaluating the public’s comments that it had searched in advance on the proposed legal planning. The federal agency has not yet regulated automated management systems, but has left the task to states.
There have also been several recent accidents involving Tesla vehicles, which have asked federal probes to determine if their Autopilot or FSD systems were involved in the collisions. The National Road Safety Administration said last month that it had opened 27 investigations into accidents involving Tesla vehicles, 23 of which are active.
Just hours before the report of the fatal crash in Spring, Texas, Musk cited the company’s self-reported data for the first quarter.
He said on Twitter – where he has more than 50 million followers – on Twitter: “Tesla with Autopilot is now approaching ten times the chance of an accident as the average vehicle.”
According to information collected by Tesla but not shared with third parties for an independent analysis, the company said: ‘We have registered one accident for every 4.19 million kilometers in which drivers had Autopilot. For those who drive without Autopilot, but with our active safety features, we have registered one accident for every 2.05 million miles driven. For those who drive without Autopilot and without our active safety features, we have registered one accident for every 978 thousand kilometers driven. “
Tesla did not disclose how many accidents with their cars resulted in injuries, fatal or only vehicle or property damage.