What We’re Reading
Ford EV and hybrid sales surge 65% in May (CNBC, June 4, 2024)
Ford recently announced an increase of about 65% in sales of both hybrids and EVs. While that number sounds astounding, let’s put it in perspective. While there has been an increase, the total number of vehicles sold in that segment was about 26,000. Ford sold just over 190,000 cars last month, so approximately 14% of those sales were accounted for by hybrids and EVs.
As recently reported, the Model E electric vehicle unit has taken enormous losses this year, but sales of its all-electric F-150 Lightening pickups and Mustang Mach-E EV have been growing. The automaker is focusing on offering hybrid options across its entire North American lineup by 2030.
Tesla plans to use cabin radar, ditching seat sensors for safety (Teslarati, June 3, 2024)
In a new software update, Software Version 2024.14.3, Tesla reportedly plans to incorporate cabin radar instead of seat sensors to show which seats are occupied, as well as detecting that a person is sitting in the driver’s seat when Full Self-Driving or Autopilot are engaged. According to a Tesla hacker, “greentheonly,” the use of cabin radar will be used to detect a human driver before the vehicle can move. This change is likely due to driver complaints regarding malfunctions of the seat sensors, as well as “cheat devices” that can trick the vehicle into detecting a human driver who is not there.
The report of the cabin radar comes shortly after a NHTSA recall for Tesla’s malfunctioning seat belt warning system. According to Reuters, the remedy to this issue will “remove dependency on the driver seat occupancy sensor from the software and only rely on driver seat belt buckle and ignition status to activate the seat belt reminder signals.”
Tesla Settles Fatal Crash Suit Ahead of California Trial (Transport Topics, May 28, 2024)
Only a few months after Tesla settled a high-profile case involving the fatality of a former Apple engineer, Tesla has settled another fatal crash lawsuit only days before the trial was scheduled to begin. The crash, which took place in downtown Indianapolis nearly 8 years ago, involved the driver Casey Speckman, who lost control of a 2015 Tesla Model S, which plaintiffs claimed accelerated on its own, causing the vehicle to hit a tree and burst into flames. The passenger, Kevin McCarthy, allegedly survived the impact, but died in the fire, unable to open the vehicle doors due to “the defective design of the door latch system entrapping him in the vehicle,” according to the lawsuit.
Tesla has claimed that the vehicle was free from defects, with EDR data showing that Ms. Speckman had her foot on the accelerator pedal at the time of the collision. Additionally, police reports indicated a blood alcohol level that was more than double the legal limit. The “conditional” settlement between parties occurred on May 24, but no details were provided in court filings.