- According to a Reuters report, Mad Max is designed to function at higher speeds than previous modes.
- NHTSA said it was in contact with Tesla to gather additional information, according to the report.
- In early October, the NHTSA opened an investigation into about 2.9 million Tesla vehicles, mainly due to concerns about traffic safety law violations involving vehicles with FSD technology.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reportedly said on Friday that it was seeking details from Tesla (TSLA) regarding a new driver-assistance feature called “Mad Max.”
According to a Reuters report, Mad Max is designed to function at higher speeds than previous modes. “NHTSA is in contact with the manufacturer to gather additional information,” the agency said, according to the report.
“The human behind the wheel is fully responsible for driving the vehicle and complying with all traffic safety laws,” NHTSA said, according to Reuters.
Retail sentiment on Tesla improved to ‘extremely bullish’ from ‘bullish’ territory compared to a day ago, with message volumes at ‘high’ levels, according to data from Stocktwits. Shares of Tesla were down nearly 3% in afternoon trading.
Mad Max By Tesla
The report added that some drivers on social media claimed that Tesla vehicles equipped with the more assertive setting of the Full Self-Driving system may exceed posted speed limits while operating.
Reuters said that Tesla did not immediately respond to its request for comment. The report added that last week, the company reposted a social media post that described Mad Max mode as accelerating and weaving “through traffic at an incredible pace, all while still being super smooth. It drives your car like a sports car. If you are running late, this is the mode for you.”
NHTSA’s Investigation
In early October, the U.S. auto safety regulator opened an investigation into about 2.9 million Tesla vehicles, mainly due to concerns about traffic-safety law violations involving vehicles equipped with its full self-driving (FSD) driver-assistance technology.
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation has identified several incidents in which the inputs to the dynamic driving task commanded by FSD induced vehicle behavior that violated traffic safety laws. The regulator then noted 58 incidents, including 23 injuries and 14 crashes or fires.
Shares of Tesla have gained nearly 8% this year and jumped 62% in the last 12 months.
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