Electric cars – Tesla gets off track – Frankfurter Rundschau

08 July 2016

Hardly room: Tesla CEO Elon Musk Photo: rtr

The Tesla management must give piecemeal, that it related to autopilot tests were several crashes. That’s not the only problem.

A child prodigy is disenchanted. There is growing evidence that Elon Musk could have spared his Tesla electric cars. Accidents caused by the “autopilot” function make the company to provide current violently. But there are even more problems.

The Tesla management had to concede in the last few days piecemeal, that there has been in the United States several crashes with Tesla cars, where obviously the “autopilot” function in game was. In a case of accident for the driver turns deadly. Many details are still unclear, the authorities are investigating the cases. Carmaker Tesla could now be sentenced to a costly product recall, also damages actions threaten.

There is evidence that the company was negligent, because it suggested that the cars can drive autonomously. However, these are only the combination of several assistance systems. The software is a so-called beta version, so a not yet fully developed test version. The may certainly be used in the US. However, it must be ensured that the driver sits behind the wheel and at any time can take control. Maybe Tesla has failed to incorporate technical devices that guarantee this

. The demand for “Model 3″ is huge

that Tesla such risks are taken, has to do with the extremely researching kind of Musk, who has set out to show the established carmakers that he can do everything better and faster. Here similar assistance systems are also used in cars German carmaker, however, can not and must not be used as an autopilot them.

But Tesla makes about the accidents also still more to do. Musk is planning to bring in just under two years the compact car model 3 on the market. The demand is huge. Therefore Musk wants 2018 final total of around 500 000 cars – the SUV Model X and Model S sedan added. But the Tesla management had just admit that the production is already behind the budgeted figures: Actually in the second quarter 17 000 cars should be delivered, but it was only 14 400th Tesla has always problems to ramp up production in the works. Would still recalls added, everything could be much more complicated

In addition:. The largest project that Tesla has for the next few months before the chest, is the so-called Gigafactory that Musks building company together with Panasonic in Nevada. You should on a grand scale by far the most expensive component of electric cars finished: the batteries. If it comes here to delays, Musks might get a whole business plan falter. Remember, the Tesla but survive only if it reduces the cost per vehicle by massively large quantities

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