A deadly May crash involving Tesla’s autopilot function has prompted safety regulators to launch a preliminary inquiry into the technology available in an estimated 25,000 of the company’s vehicles.
The automaker wrote in a blog post Thursday that the accident occurred when a tractor trailer crossed the highway on which the 2015 Tesla Model S was moving in self-driving mode. Neither the car nor the driver detected the truck’s white side, apparently due to the glare of the sun. The brakes weren’t engaged, and the car drove under the trailer, Tesla said.
