What We’re Reading

• AAA study finds ADAS could save more than 8,000 lives per year (AutoBlog, August 17, 2023)

  Using crash data from 2017-19, researchers at the University of North Carolina, with support from the American Automotive Association’s (AAA) Foundation for Traffic Safety, have worked up models for “how many motor vehicle crashes, injuries, and deaths ADAS technologies are likely to prevent over the next 30 years.” Using these models as a baseline, researchers predict that, through 2050, ADAS could prevent 27 million crashes, 14 million injuries, and 250,000 deaths.

  The report, titled “Examining the Safety Benefits of Partial Vehicle Automation Technologies in an Uncertain Future,” conceded that its estimates “are subject to substantial uncertainty” due to the evolving efficacy of the technology, adequate system safeguards, and consumer adoption. Dr. David Yang, president and executive director of the AAA Foundation, added that “[the] full safety benefits of ADAS will not be realized unless they are fully understood by the consumer, used properly, and widely adopted.”

• Ford Faces Federal Probe Over 2022 Mustang Mach-E Recall (Bloomberg, August 21, 2023)

  In June 2022, Ford issued a safety recall impacting nearly 49,000 2021 and 2022 Mustang Mach-E models manufactured at the company’s plant in Cuautitlan, Mexico. Ford temporarily halted deliveries of the vehicles to dealerships and deployed two software updates to address overheating of high-voltage battery main contactors during DC fast charging, which resulted in power failures.

  After receiving numerous customer complaints that the battery issue continued to persist even after the over-the-air software patch was deployed, NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has announced it is opening an investigation known as a recall query. A document posted to NHTSA’s website on Monday noted that the investigation, which increased the number of recalls involved in the recall inquiry to 64,727, will “assess the remedy” prescribed in Ford’s recall.

  According to information provided by NHTSA, Ford has issued 38 recalls so far this year, more than any other automaker.

• Grieving widow sues Tesla over deadly Model 3 crash and explosion (TechCrunch, August 22, 2023)

  Tesla has been sued in New York federal court by the widow of Jyung Woo Hahn, who was killed in March 2022 when his Tesla Model 3 crashed on the Palisades Parkway. Jiyoung Yoon claims that the Tesla “malfunctioned and collided with a tree and immediately burst into flames,” trapping her husband and the father of two children inside.

  First responders reported that the fire was difficult to extinguish, requiring more than 1,000 gallons of water. According to this article: “When a lithium-ion battery is ruptured, a process called thermal runaway happens, which results in a sharp increase of battery cell temperature and pressure, accompanied by the release of flammable gas. The flammable gas can ignite from the battery’s high temperature, resulting in a quick fire that’s hard to put out and emits toxic fumes. Tesla’s batteries span the entire length and width of the floor of its vehicles, making a fire that much more encompassing.”

  The full complaint against Tesla can be accessed here (warning: it contains graphic photographs of the charred vehicle). The claims asserted sound in strict liability, negligence, and breach of implied warranty of merchantability.