[News-Oxcart Network]
In order to reduce the dependence on chips, Tesla secretly reduced redundant steering system components!
Recently, the US Consumer News and Business Channel (CNBC) reported that Tesla's internal letter showed that in response to the chip shortage, Tesla has reduced the allocation of Model 3 and Model Y cars made in Shanghai, removing one of the two electronic control units in the electronic power steering system.
The media also said that these reduced models have been sold from Tesla's Shanghai factory to China, Australia, Europe and other places.
In this regard, the official customer service of Tesla State said in an interview with the media: "Every vehicle we leave the factory must be in line with national regulations." ”
First, what is the reduction?
The report shows that Tesla has adopted a redundant backup design for the steering system in order to achieve full automatic driving, that is, a dual electronic steering control system, and the role of the electronic control unit is to convert the signal of steering wheel rotation into the rotation of the wheel.
Against the backdrop of chip shortages, Tesla eliminated redundant backup systems in order to ensure the delivery of more vehicles.
Second, will the allocation reduction affect safety?
No.
The automatic driving industry staff told Yang Mi that because the removed parts belong to the "secondary electronic control unit", mainly used to support the backup function, the system is to achieve L3 or above automatic driving system, only must have the safety wire control design, then the vehicle will have full automatic driving capabilities, need to bear the responsibility for accidents that occur during the automatic driving process.
In the era below L2 level, the assisted driving system belongs to the category of reminders, and the main responsibility of driving is the driver, so removing the backup steering system will not affect driving safety.
Media reports also show that Tesla employees said that after discussion they did not see the need to inform customers of the news, because the part is a redundant backup and does not work in the current L2 level assisted driving system.
Third, what will be the impact of the allocation reduction?
Reduced vehicles will not be able to upgrade to high-level autonomous driving systems.
Hypothetically, when Tesla implements L3 level assisted driving functions and allows drivers to release the steering wheel, it needs a dual electronic control unit system to ensure that the vehicle is still safe when the system crashes.
But these vehicles no longer have backup steering systems, which means that these reduced models sold by Tesla will never be able to achieve advanced self-driving capabilities, which will become an undeliverable check for those who have already purchased FSDs.
summary:
"Secretly reducing allocation" has become one of the sentient beings under the shortage of chips, and car companies are guaranteed to deliver. Judging from Tesla's response, the reduction is in accordance with the law, but the practice of "concealment" is inevitably undignified, and consumers have the right to know about the change of purchased products.