A rift between Tesla Motors Inc and key supplier Mobileye NV sent down shares of the Israeli maker of chips for the electric vehicle maker’s semi-automated Autopilot system and fanned debate on self-driving vehicle technology. The company said it is also in the final stages of signing a definitive contract with Volkswagen AG to provide its road experience management technology, which provides real-time data to help anticipate collisions and obstacles.
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Tesla and Mobileye have disagreed regarding the fatal accident.
This is one of two federal investigations into the Tesla autopilot system following the high-profile crash on May 7 near Williston, Florida.
The driver identified as Joshua Brown was the first known fatality driving a Model S while the Autopilot system was operating.
“I think in a partnership, we need to be there on all aspects of how the technology is being used, and not simply providing technology and not being in control of how it is being used”, explained Mobileye Chief Technical Officer Amnon Shashua during a recent earnings call regarding the company’s second quarter financial results.
It is likely that Tesla Motors will begin to create the technology that it sourced from Mobileye in-house, especially with the hiring of former AMD chip engineer Jim Keller to be the vice president of Autopilot. The Florida Highway Patrol had estimated Brown was traveling at 65 miles per hour at the time of the crash.
At a special media event for the opening of the Tesla Gigafactory today, CEO Elon Musk made a few comments about the upcoming Model 3. The system, however, is meant to have the driver with his hands on the wheel at all times. The Tesla’s top was sheered off in the crash when the trailer reportedly attempted to make a left turn in front of the vehicle.
Brown’s auto reportedly went under the trailer.
That’s where the Tesla hit the semitrailer.
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Afterward, Tesla issued a statement that said, “Neither autopilot nor the driver noticed the white side of the tractor-trailer against a brightly lit sky, so the brake was not applied”. Mobileye’s new EyeQ5 “system on chip” will be an important component in a fully autonomous driving system being jointly developed with BMW and Intel and aimed at production in 2021. Consumer Reports asked the company to rename the feature and require drivers to keep their hands on the steering wheel.
