Tesla recalls two million cars with autopilot defect

The news: Tesla is recalling almost all vehicles it has sold in the US to update software and repair a defective Autopilot system.

The numbers: The recall includes Tesla models Y, S, 3 and X, that were produced between October 2012 and December this year. A report published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says this amounts to 2,031,220 vehicles.

The context: The NHTSA says that the recall will allow Tesla to increase warnings and alerts to drivers and reduce the situations where Autopilot will be able to operate. The recall follows a two year investigation into Tesla car crashes which took place while the car’s partially automated autopilot system was being used.

What they said: On Tuesday, Tesla responded to unfavourable coverage of Tesla’s autopilot performance via X: “We at Tesla believe that we have a moral obligation to continue improving our already best-in-class safety systems […] At the same time, we also believe it is morally indefensible not to make these systems available to a wider set of consumers, given the incontrovertible data that shows it is saving lives and preventing injury.”