back to article US watchdog sticks probe into 2.6M Teslas over so-called Smart Summon crash reports

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched a probe into Tesla's software that allows cars to operate autonomously over short distances, after reports of the code crashing in a physical sense. The software under investigation is called “Smart Summon” and “Actually Smart Summon,” and is accessed …

  1. Fruit and Nutcase Silver badge
    Coat

    Darwin Award

    After DOGE goes to work on the NHTSA, it would be ironic if one or more of the unresolved faults leads to Musk receiving a Darwin Award

    1. This post has been deleted by its author

      1. BristolBachelor Gold badge

        Re: Darwin Award

        The phrase "greater good" comes to mind. Since it's the other side of the pond, and the involved person will son be in a political position, you could also say "colateral damage".

    2. Martin an gof Silver badge
      Unhappy

      Re: Darwin Award

      Isn't it a prerequisite of qualifying for a Darwin Award that you have not yet procreated? By that count it looks as if Musk is ineligible.

      M.

      1. Fruit and Nutcase Silver badge

        Re: Darwin Award

        You're right. Anyway, you get the idea.

  2. xanadu42
    Mushroom

    It is an ASS...

    ... and I mean that in the context that it is stupid...

    Question is whether or not the person who chose "Actually Smart Summon" as the feature/product name could see the issue with the naming?

    Or was it deliberate and indicative of Tesla's (aka Musk's) contempt for those who bought their cars?

    /s

    1. lglethal Silver badge
      Go

      Re: It is an ASS...

      This sounds like an internal engineering joke. Not just for the obvious acronym, but for the acknowledgement that yes this time we'll "Actually" get it right.

      I've worked on many engineering projects where the internal early models had funny acronyms, I once worked on a Space Greenhouse project, that we called GRASS. But it was always clear from the start that as soon as anything about the project was going to be communicated publicly that the acronym would have to change to something more politically correct/less funny.

      How this clearly joking name got through to an actual product is well mindblowing... Especially since it clearly implies that the old system was not fit for purpose, and yet Tesla released it to the public. Which in the land of the lawyers (USA!!!) seems like opening themselves up to a raft of lawsuits... Truly Mindblowing...

      1. Anonymous Coward Silver badge
        Terminator

        Re: It is an ASS...

        This from the company who release a series of cars named: S 3 X Y

        Yes, I believe the marketing department is a teenage boy.

        1. lglethal Silver badge
          Facepalm

          Re: It is an ASS...

          Wow I really never picked up on that. My God Musk is a tool isnt he?

        2. Lazlo Woodbine Silver badge

          Re: It is an ASS...

          Model 3 was supposed to be Model E to make it even less subtle, but fortunately, Mercedes intervened...

          1. Philo T Farnsworth Silver badge

            Re: It is an ASS...

            Some people grow older but never grow up, it seems.

            I understand the concept of the celebration of the "inner child" but I tire quickly of the "outer tantrum."

          2. MachDiamond Silver badge

            Re: It is an ASS...

            "Model 3 was supposed to be Model E to make it even less subtle, but fortunately, Mercedes intervened..."

            I thought it was Ford since they have an "E" line (Econoline) of vans. Maybe it was both.

        3. Zarno

          Re: It is an ASS...

          Models C, 0, and K are no doubt currently in rigorous testing...

      2. MiguelC Silver badge
        Coat

        Re: It is an ASS...

        I worked on a project implementing MiFID controls for the UK market, which was internally named "MiFUK"

        It was only when our client, who was in on the joke, went to present the project that he thought of asking us to remove all references to that acronym

    2. rgjnk Bronze badge
      Alert

      Re: It is an ASS...

      I remember a major European aircraft program where the British contingent got everyone to use a Single Harmonised Integrated Test Environment for their software.

      It survived unchanged throughout, along with some other much less subtle digs that got introduced along the way.

      1. MiguelC Silver badge
        Happy

        Re: It is an ASS...

        Paris had a new metro line that was meant to be called Metro Express Régional Défense Etoile...

        1. Phil O'Sophical Silver badge

          Re: It is an ASS...

          Allegedly what we know know as the UK "Grampian" TV region had been planned as "Scottish Highlands & Islands Television" until the first ident slide was seen...

          There's also GEC-Plessey Telecommunications, generally known as "GPT" which caused much amusement in a meeting in France where it sounds like "J'ai pété" ("I farted").

          1. MiguelC Silver badge
            Happy

            Re: It is an ASS...

            Dabbsy wrote an amusing column about "Pussy, I farted" (chat, j'ai pété)

    3. Martin an gof Silver badge

      Re: It is an ASS...

      Near-relevant xkcd.

      M.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Smart Summon -> Actually Smart Summon

    Nah, they'll just release a "Really Smart Summon, this time for real, I swear" software and call the problem solved.

    1. This post has been deleted by its author

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Smart Summon -> Actually Smart Summon

      Maybe throw some of this newfangled AI malarkey at it?

    3. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge

      Re: Smart Summon -> Actually Smart Summon

      Kinematically

      Improved

      Software

      System

      Mutating

      Yearly

      Actually

      Smart

      Summon

      They'll update to the latest version - which will auto-mutate using AI to constantly improve itself and fix the problem. It'll be called KISSMYASS.

      You know it makes sense...

  4. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

    Meanwhile...

    ... elsewhere in the world of self-driving cars https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/c70e2g09ng9o

    1. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge
      Happy

      Re: Meanwhile...

      Dr Syntax,

      I misread your post as self-driving cats…. I wouldn’t trust those either.

      1. CrazyOldCatMan Silver badge

        Re: Meanwhile...

        I misread your post as self-driving cats…. I wouldn’t trust those either

        Butbutbut.. cats are all trustworthy and can do no wrong! The Evil Mistress says so!

        (Is that enough to move the claws away from my jugular?)

  5. Emir Al Weeq

    Reaction times are a factor!?

    "user had too little reaction time to avoid a crash"

    How fast do these things go in (Actually) Smart Summon mode?

    1. MachDiamond Silver badge

      Re: Reaction times are a factor!?

      "How fast do these things go in (Actually) Smart Summon mode?"

      Not that fast, but if you aren't engaged with your hands on the wheel (as it spins around) and your feets on the pedals, you lengthen the time it will take to react when you finally see that the car isn't going to stop before doing $14k in damage by backing the rear corner of the car into a bright yellow bollard. (the repair cost does not include the cost to hire a car for 3 months while yours waits disassembled at the shop for parts.)

      1. This post has been deleted by its author

      2. Coen Dijkgraaf

        Re: Reaction times are a factor!?

        @MachDiamond

        When using the Smart Summon, the user is not even in the car, so they don't have their feet on the pedal or steering wheel.

        They are outside of the car, and using the app to bring the car to their location.

        1. This post has been deleted by its author

        2. MachDiamond Silver badge

          Re: Reaction times are a factor!?

          "When using the Smart Summon, the user is not even in the car, so they don't have their feet on the pedal or steering wheel."

          I got sidetracked by previous conversation. There's still an issue with not being able to stop the car fast enough and not being able to see all around the car as you would if you were sat in it. I see it as yet another party trick. The problem is it goes wrong could be very expensive. Does Tesla insurance cover beta software? I'll wager that independent insurers have clauses about that sort of thing not being covered so if you do $10k worth of damage to your Tesla (not that hard) and $15k worth of damage to another car, OR do somebody an injury, selling that massively depreciated car may not cover the money due. How much is your house worth or did you spend the money on the car?

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The man from A.S.S

    Another

    Stupid

    Scam

  7. Johnb89

    So who pays?

    When a Tesla using ASS hits another car, I assume that Tesla blames the human and takes no responsibility for damages. And has the logs to prove Tesla isn't at fault, which it won't share with a court or the user or the police, but trust them, it is never the car.

    Do the courts agree with that? Has it been tested? Some might suggest that a self driving car should be responsible for its actions.

    Or does your insurance cover such things when you buy a Tesla and that's already in the policy?

    1. Johnb89

      Re: So who pays?

      And what if it runs over a child where criminal prosecution would be expected? Who is legally liable? Tesla's CEO? Tesla QA? The owner of the car? The person that had their hand on the 'stop' button on the app?

      Has this been tested in court?

      1. This post has been deleted by its author

      2. MachDiamond Silver badge

        Re: So who pays?

        "Has this been tested in court?"

        Whoever initiated the software to have the car move is likely going to be the party at fault. Chances are very high that the owner will be the one that did that.

        What happens if you "Butt Dial" your car?

        1. This post has been deleted by its author

          1. MachDiamond Silver badge

            Re: What happens if you "Butt Dial" your car?

            "I don't think a pocket activation would be a defence, still their responsibility."

            It could be argued that the app was so poorly designed that inadvertently activating the software with the phone in your pocket was inevitable when you didn't mean to.

            I've had phones that did sketchy things while in my pocket. I finally notice when I feel the phone is rather warm. My latest phone had a feature that would dial emergency services if I pushed the power button 5x moderately quickly. Initially I thought it was a good feature. The phone can be slow so it turns out that getting it to blank the screen (and not turn back on) led to me hitting the button too many times and I didn't even realize I had done it until I got a VM. Now all of that is turned off. The local police use a blocked number for call out which I block on my phone so if they try to call me, they go straight to VM which I can't block from happening. Oddly, patrol officer's phones don't have blocked caller ID so they can get through to me.

    2. MachDiamond Silver badge

      Re: So who pays?

      "Or does your insurance cover such things when you buy a Tesla and that's already in the policy?"

      When using beta software? I doubt it.

  8. This post has been deleted by its author

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