Latest news with #FuelArc
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Tesla Robotaxi passenger captures video of self-driving vehicle's dangerous mistake: 'A perfectly garbage performance'
A recent YouTube video documenting a ride in a Tesla Robotaxi proves these autonomous vehicles aren't quite road-ready. After the vehicle made a dangerous move in the middle of an intersection, FuelArc described the ride as "a perfectly garbage performance." What's happening? Influencers for the YouTube channel Munro Live (@MunroLive) were invited to test a Tesla Robotaxi in Austin, Texas, where Tesla first launched the Robotaxi service. Barely a minute into the test ride, the vehicle chose to make a left turn from a non-turning lane. A safety operator — a human who sits in the vehicle to monitor Robotaxi trips — used a kill switch to override autonomous driving mode. This caused the vehicle to stop in the middle of the intersection, nearly blocking traffic from all sides, until the safety operator felt it was safe to continue the ride. One video commenter pointed out: "It wasn't due to traffic. The car didn't understand that intersection at all." Why is this concerning? While the incident didn't cause an accident, it could have. And it highlights why many people are hesitant to share the road with self-driving vehicles, let alone buy one even with supervised autonomous features for themselves. Tesla is consistently working toward improving the convenience, efficiency, and eco-friendliness of EVs. But incidents like this could shake consumer confidence in the brand and other EVs. Safety concerns give buyers pause, which could slow EV adoption at a time when broader climate goals depend on it. Tesla has faced similar setbacks in the past, including a widespread recall to fix problems with its supervised Full Self-Driving software. Combined with general uneasiness about the safety of the Robotaxi service, these issues could lead consumers to stick to what they know: planet-polluting gas-powered cars. What's being done to improve autonomous driving for EVs? The good news is that Tesla's initial Austin launch was designed for this type of testing. Safety operators sit in on rides to ensure everything goes as smoothly as possible, and they, along with test riders, can report any feedback or concerns to Tesla. With enough testing and reconfiguring of autonomous driving systems, it's possible that these vehicles could become the (safer) future. Tesla trains its software on once-in-a-lifetime situations to help it learn exactly what to do in virtually any situation. This real-world data helps the system evolve over time, ideally reducing errors like the one in Austin. For now, it's important to remember that EVs and auto-driving don't go hand in hand. You can still make your next car an EV if you aren't yet confident in autonomous systems. Self-driving features (which require active supervision) are optional in Tesla vehicles, as well as in EVs from other brands, like Ford and Mercedes-Benz. Many EVs don't offer the tech at all, so you can still reduce your carbon footprint without committing to Autopilot. Would you trust a self-driving car on a busy city street? Definitely No way Depends on the brand Depends on the situation Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
The Clock Is Ticking on Elon Musk's Hail Mary to Save Tesla
It's December of 2015, and the Green Bay Packers are up against the wall. They've lost their last three games, and their early-season momentum is feared dead in the water. The Detroit Lions, a longtime rival, only need to stop one last play on the 39-yard line to keep their two-point lead and take home the win. The snap comes, and Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers scrambles down the field while his faithful receivers scutter for the endzone. From 61 yards, the quarterback makes his final throw, a pass that meets a leaping Richard Rodgers to give Green Bay the touchdown, winning the game and ultimately saving the season. It's safe to say Tesla is in a similar spot: the losses are mounting, the future looks dim, and the team is down to their last pass. Sadly, Elon Musk is no Rodgers. Ten years after the "Miracle in Motown," the electric vehicle company's stock has plummeted by 25 percent in just six months, thanks to horrid global sales, a portfolio many investors see as crusty and dated, and perhaps above all, the alienating behavior of its own chief executive. Mere months into Musk's disastrous stint as federal spending czar, the prediction that "Tesla will soon collapse" is no longer a fringe opinion held by forum dwellers, but a serious charge levied by political commentators, stock gurus, and former Tesla executives alike. Fortunately for any foolhardy shareholders keeping the faith, Elon Musk has promised to rollout Tesla's autonomous robotaxi service in Austin, a product some analysts predicted could soon make up 90 percent of Tesla's profits. Unfortunately for those investors, Musk has given Tesla a self-imposed deadline of June 12th to make it all happen — meaning we're two weeks away from seeing whether or not the rubber hits the road. So where is the company at on its self-driving cabs? Well, the self-driving vehicles about to land in Austin streets are blowing past school buses into child crash dummies, if that's any indication. According to a FuelArc analysis of a school bus test, Tesla's latest iteration of "full self-driving" software failed to detect flashing red school bus stop signs (and in turn failed to stop at the parked bus), detected child-sized pedestrians but failed to react, and made no attempt to brake or evade the adolescent crash dummies as the car drew closer. FuelArc notes that school bus recognition only hit self-driving Teslas in December of 2024. Keep in mind, these vehicles have been on public roads, albeit with drivers behind the wheel, since October of 2015 — just months before Rodger's now-infamous Hail Mary. It's obvious that the robotaxi is nowhere near ready, which is probably why Tesla is scrambling to hire remote operators to drive its vehicles ahead of the looming June deadline. This ought to be the "Miracle in Motown" moment for Telsa – but the quarterback doesn't even have the ball, and the receivers are nowhere to be found. More on Tesla: Self-Driving Tesla Suddenly Swerves Off the Road and Crashes Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Tesla drivers raise red flags after uncovering disturbing pattern in their vehicles: 'This is not a random glitch'
Tesla may be in more hot water as drivers report inaccurate odometer readings. In the wake of a class action lawsuit against the manufacturer, FuelArc News explored whether accusations of odometer fraud — odometers allegedly exaggerating mileage so warranties would run out sooner — were overblown. The auto news source determined the accusations to be supported by at least nine drivers' reports dating back to 2021 and that Tesla vehicles in these driver complaints allegedly "overstated mileage by an average of 36%." That is a small sample size compared to the millions of Teslas on the road, and the data wasn't rigorously collected by an independent third party, but the claims are notable given the lawsuit and overall run of bad news for Tesla in 2025, with protests and a profits drop of 71%. Influencer Tesla Pittsburgh (@NZCUTR on YouTube) also posted a video of his vehicle's odometer skipping a mile in real time back in March 2024, though he said in the description that he believes it's a glitch rather than a case of odometer fraud. FuelArc noted that drivers have been reporting this issue for years. The issue wasn't limited to a single Tesla model, and the report found no evidence of odometers undercounting miles — only overcounting. "What we found here is clear enough. This is not a random glitch," FuelArc stated. "It wasn't a single vehicle or a one-off lemon. Tesla odometer complaints are scattered across years, models, and continents, and the pattern is not subtle: lots more miles added, no miles subtracted." Odometer fraud — if proved true, which is far from the case as things stand — could be yet another reason why customers might shy away from purchasing Teslas. The adoption of electric vehicles is a crucial step in combating rising global temperatures and mitigating the effects of the changing climate. When they replace fuel-burning cars, EVs help cut carbon pollution and improve air quality, which reduces health issues related to air pollution. Also, false odometer readings can impact the livelihoods of drivers. As FuelArc noted: "Mileage is real money. It impacts insurance costs, lease terms, resale values, and most importantly from an auto manufacturer's point of view, warranty coverage." If odometer fraud persists and is proved, Tesla could experience even more of a significant downturn. Additional lawsuits could follow as drivers push back against the possibility of losing money. Still, making your next car an EV can go a long way toward creating a healthier future for all. Explore your options, including Tesla as well as alternatives. Do you trust Tesla to produce quality products? Absolutely I trust Tesla not Elon I'm not sure Not at all Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
There's Something Very Sketchy Going on With Self-Driving Teslas Running Down Motorcycles
Teslas get a bad rap these days. Aside from the whole Elon Musk thing, the electric vehicles are becoming notorious for shoddy construction, massive consumer recalls, and sketchy self-driving software. There is, however, one thing Teslas seem to excel at: mowing down motorcyclists. According to a new analysis by FuelArc, Teslas have a totally unique propensity for plowing over motorcyclists among self-driving cars — supporting a belief among some motorcyclists that Teslas are particularly dangerous to ride next to. FuelArc's analysis scrapes National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data on self-driving collisions dating back to 2022. It found that Tesla logged five motorcycle fatalities in the past three years, the only self-driving vehicle manufacturer to do so. In other words, of all the recorded motorcycle deaths involving a self-driving vehicle, a Tesla was responsible for every single one. While motorcycle deaths are certainly tragic, they're unfortunately nothing new in our world of 6,000 lb SUVs and lifted trucks. What is alarming, FuelArc notes, is the fact that Teslas are killing motorcyclists overwhelmingly from behind. In four of the five cases reviewed, NHSTA data and news reporting shows the Teslas sustained some kind of front-end impact — meaning the self-driving software is failing to register motorcyclists before it's too late. And it's not just drivers on two wheels. The NHTSA previously forced Tesla to issue a recall on self-driving vehicles in 2022 after numerous incidents where the EVs barreled headfirst into emergency vehicles. Though the NHTSA graciously redacts Tesla crash statistics at the corporation's request, its 2022 investigation found Musk's cars have a knack for "frontal plane crashes" — a fancy way to say "ramming into stuff at full speed." Sadly, many of these deadly frontal crashes could have been prevented. Of all the self-driving Tesla crashes analyzed by the NHTSA, 93 percent of them involved hazards "visible to a human in time to either avoid the accident entirely or at least take action to mitigate the severity of the accident," according to FuelArc. While some will no doubt argue that five motorcycle fatalities is too small a sample size to draw any conclusions from, the simple fact that there are any self-driving fatalities at all suggests something is seriously wrong with this tech. As software, self-driving remains under-regulated by safety authorities. Thanks to commercial licensing laws, Tesla is allowed to claim that its self-driving software is proprietary, meaning we have very little information about how these cars make their life-altering decisions. Nonetheless, we still allow them on our roads, a decision that turns motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists like into human guinea pigs. While this grand experiment has been underway throughout the US since 2018, residents of Austin, Texas are about to become rats in a whole new type of maze: Tesla's "unsupervised full self-driving" program, slated to start in June. The NHTSA is currently reviewing whether Tesla's previous recall in 2022 was effective at ending front-end dive bombs (spoiler alert, it wasn't). What it decides as Musk culls the agency's staff remains to be seen, but unless lawmakers drastically upend their current approach to regulation, the self-driving bloodbath isn't likely to end anytime soon. More on self-driving cars: Someone Else Tested Whether a Tesla Will Really Crash Into a Wall Painted Like a Road
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Report: Tesla Cybertruck 17 Times More Likely For Fire Fatalities Than Ford Pinto
Read the full story on The Auto Wire In an explosive report, a group claims to have studied data related to Tesla Cybertruck crashes, concluding the EV is 17 times more likely for fire fatalities in a crash than the Ford Pinto. That's stirring up plenty of controversy since many view the Pinto as an unmitigated disaster, although some are coming to the classic car's defense, as well as contesting claims the all-electric truck is that dangerous. This controversial claim is being made by auto news site Fuel Arc. To back this up, an article on the site provides a simple table with data for the Tesla Cybertruck and Ford Pinto. One column is for total units produced, another for reported fire fatalities, and the final is a fatality rate. That all seems simple enough. To arrive at the claim the pickup is 17 times more likely to be involved in a fire fatality, the author took the total number of units produced through January 1, 2025, which is 34,438, and the claimed number of fire fatalities of 5 people. The author does admit the fifth Cybertruck fatality, from an incident in Las Vegas, might be controversial since there are claims that person was burned after dying. Everyone is of course free to accept that as part of the statistics or not. Meanwhile, the Ford Pinto saw a total production run of 3,173,491 units before the exploding gas tank controversy forced the end of the model line in 1980. The total number of fatalities as recorded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was 27. Using these numbers, that means the fatality rate of the Pinto per 100,000 units made is 0.85 versus 14.52 for the Cybertruck. Again, drop the one death to 4 and recalculate if you don't agree with its inclusion, the Tesla's final number still looks bad. We're sure Tesla, many Cybertruck owners, and probably some data nerds will take issue with the methodology behind the claim the EV is 14 times more deadly when it comes to vehicle fires. After all this claim assumes that as ownership numbers climb for the pickup, the fatality rate will stay fairly stable. Some might laugh and say it definitely will, but will it? We don't know. Another potential flaw is the claimed number of Cybertrucks have been delivered to owners. Tesla is famously secretive about such data, so the author is left to calculate it 'through a variety of means.' But a breakdown of how that was calculated isn't provided, so draw whatever conclusion you want. The big question which isn't addressed in the report is why the rate for Tesla Cybertruck fire fatalities is higher than for the Ford Pinto. Instead, the claim the Pinto is a symbol of 'corporate greed' is repeated a few times. Was it, or was the Pinto a symbol of bureaucratic incompetence? And is the Cybertruck just 'unsafe at any speed'? Let us know what you think. Source: Fuel Arc Image via Tesla Join our Newsletter, subscribe to our YouTube page, and follow us on Facebook.
