Photo: Tesla
Not long ago, Germany’s automotive regulator Kraftfahrtbundesamt (KBA) ordered Tesla to recall Model Y and Model 3 vehicles over a software malfunction with the auto emergency calling (e-call) system. Tesla responded with an OTA update to solve the problem.
Tesla is the pioneer of the OTA updates, a function that allows the carmaker to bring new features to the fleet or correct existing problems. The latter is crucial because it enables the EV maker to avoid a costly recall where the defective vehicles must be brought to a service facility. Instead, Tesla can push a software update in the background before owners even notice it. Well, most of the time.
Even though the owners might have missed it, many Tesla Model 3 and Model Y sold in Germany suffer from a technical problem in the cars’ emergency system. Specifically, the part that would automatically call emergency services in the case of a severe accident was not functioning correctly. The German authorities published a notice on June 29 stating that around 60,000 Tesla vehicles were affected globally.
The German authority KBA only recalled vehicles sold in Germany, as it has not the power to recall vehicles sold in other states. Nevertheless, this problem also affects Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles sold in other parts of the world, including an unspecified number of Model Y vehicles built at Giga Berlin. German authorities advise affected owners to contact Tesla about a solution to this problem. As this is a software issue, it needs to be corrected in software, and an OTA update should provide the necessary relief.
This is not the best moment for Tesla, as the EV maker announced not-so-stellar results for the second quarter due to production glitches at Giga Shanghai. Giga Berlin is also under pressure to ramp up production, considering that Elon Musk sees it as a “money furnace.” To do that, the Giga Berlin gigafactory needs to be reconfigured. This prompts Tesla to temporarily halt production at Giga Berlin, which will further cause delivery delays and sales to drop.
Even though the owners might have missed it, many Tesla Model 3 and Model Y sold in Germany suffer from a technical problem in the cars’ emergency system. Specifically, the part that would automatically call emergency services in the case of a severe accident was not functioning correctly. The German authorities published a notice on June 29 stating that around 60,000 Tesla vehicles were affected globally.
The German authority KBA only recalled vehicles sold in Germany, as it has not the power to recall vehicles sold in other states. Nevertheless, this problem also affects Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles sold in other parts of the world, including an unspecified number of Model Y vehicles built at Giga Berlin. German authorities advise affected owners to contact Tesla about a solution to this problem. As this is a software issue, it needs to be corrected in software, and an OTA update should provide the necessary relief.
This is not the best moment for Tesla, as the EV maker announced not-so-stellar results for the second quarter due to production glitches at Giga Shanghai. Giga Berlin is also under pressure to ramp up production, considering that Elon Musk sees it as a “money furnace.” To do that, the Giga Berlin gigafactory needs to be reconfigured. This prompts Tesla to temporarily halt production at Giga Berlin, which will further cause delivery delays and sales to drop.
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