Tesla caused quite a bit of commotion as it unveiled its new Model S and X which lack of a bodily gear shifter, however according to a new statement by the NHTSA, the provider isn’t breaking any rules or regulations by moving these controls to the cars’ touchscreens. This new method of changing gears is part of an interior revamp that’s rolling out now to the Model S and Model X, with Tesla saying that the cars can automatically switch between drive, reverse, park, and neutral based on what it thinks the driver is doing. If the event the driver needs to take over, they can use gear controls on the touchscreen.
A video of these touchscreen controls recently surfaced online, and as expected, it didn’t exactly sit right with a lot of people. The video reveals that changing gears is done by dragging an icon up and down on the display, with the control for putting the car in neutral being on a completely different menu. Despite those concerns, Tesla looks to be in the clear in regards to the legality of the whole thing.
Related: NHTSA Investigating After Tesla Crashes Into A State Police Cruiser
As reported by The Verge, a spokesperson from the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Agency) said in an email that the agency is aware of Tesla’s touchscreen controls and that they”would not violate federal automobile standards.” The email goes on to say that”At the moment, there are no known compliance issues related to the shift control configuration.”
As the others have pointed outthat last point will be well worth paying attention to more than the coming weeks and weeks. Hardly any individuals have gotten these new Teslas using the touchscreen gear controls, and as the vehicles start shipping to more clients, the potential for more problems to arise will increase exponentially. There may not be any documented issues yet, but that is not to mention it can not alter in the future.
The Verge further reports which the NHTSA has verified it will keep a watch out for the new Tesla versions and can be encouraging any drivers with them to report safety problems should they arise. If this happens, it’s possible the NHTSA could reverse its blessing and require Tesla to implement the gear shifter in a more conventional fashion. It’s far too early to know for sure just the way any of this will perform , but it’s well worth considering any possibilities. It certainly seems like a setup which should get further real-world testing prior to being approved, but time will tell just how this goes.
Next: Is Tesla’s Full Self-Driving Safe Or Unfinished Beta Tech?
Source: The Verge
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