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Ralph Nader Urges NHTSA to Remove FSD From Every Tesla

Ralph Nader built a name for himself in defense of American consumers. His book “Unsafe at Any Speed” is famous for having killed the Chevrolet Corvair. However, it goes way beyond that: it discusses the resistance of American automakers to adopting safety devices in their cars back in the 1960s. Sixty years later, the safety advocate gets back to the theme by urging the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) “to order that the FSD technology be removed in every Tesla.”
Ralph Nader urges NHTSA to remove FSD from all Tesla vehicles 20 photos
Photo: Sage Ross/Creative Commons/Hyperchange/edited by autoevolution
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The safety advocate did not spare words about the risk he believes that Full Self-Driving (FSD) represents to American road users. According to Nader, “this nation should not allow this malfunctioning software which Tesla itself warns may do the ‘wrong thing at the worst time’ on the same streets where children walk to school.”

This is the latest blow to the beta software that Musk promised would give Tesla owners 1 million robotaxis. The Dawn Project started airing TV ads against FSD on August 9, warning about the dangers it represents with its failures. In the video, a 2019 Tesla Model 3 strikes a mannequin representing a toddler three times. In Germany, Tesla has had to buy back three vehicles so far because of how erratically Autopilot and the equivalent to FSD in Europe behave.

Musk recently said that Tesla would be worth zero if the company did not manage to make FSD work. That shows what blocking the sale, and the use of the beta software on public roads could represent to the EV maker. It could also mean that Tesla would worry more about quality control and service availability and solve the leading issues Tesla vehicles present nowadays. Offering better cars and a better experience would make it worth more than zero, especially with the company's Supercharging network, which is a significant advantage.

For Ralph Nader, FSD is a liability. In his words, it “is one of the most dangerous and irresponsible actions by a car company in decades.” We bet he did not even hear that Omar Qazi, considered one of Elon Musk most loyal followers and FSD advocates, asked someone to offer "a child who can run in front of my car on Full Self-Driving Beta." He promised not to run the child over, but we do not see that as any relief for the absurd proposition from the long-time Tesla investor. Qazi was also in the Tesla that almost hit a cyclist in February.

The safety advocate did not mention that FSD is beta software – simply put, that it is not production-ready, which did not prevent Tesla from allowing regular drivers to use it or try to test it with real children. Nader states that research shows FSD “malfunctions every eight minutes.” The "Unsafe at Any Speed" author did not mention which research was that.

Nader ends his statement by saying, "Americans must not be test dummies for a powerful, high-profile corporation and its celebrity CEO. No one is above the laws of manslaughter.” Ouch… You can read his statement on his website or right below.

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About the author: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo
Gustavo Henrique Ruffo profile photo

Motoring writer since 1998, Gustavo wants to write relevant stories about cars and their shift to a sustainable future.
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