Missy Cummings, who spent more than a year at the federal auto safety agency, said that drivers were putting too much trust in systems like Tesla’s Autopilot and that regulators needed to restrict their use.
A regulatory filing says officials have asked about software that Elon Musk, the chief executive, has said would allow cars to operate autonomously.
A wave of lawsuits argue that Tesla’s self-driving software is dangerously overhyped. What can its blind spots teach us about the company’s erratic C.E.O.?
Sales contracts prevent buyers of the company’s electric cars from pursuing class-action suits if something goes wrong.
Regulators said 1 percent of the vehicles recalled could have the defect. The products affected include 1.7 million Escape S.U.V.s.
NHTSA will take a broad look at whether the electric carmaker’s driver-assistance system can increase the risk of crashes.
Automakers and technology companies say they are making driving safer, but verifying these claims is difficult.
Fully electric vehicles have fewer fires than gasoline-powered and hybrid cars, and their crash protection is at least equivalent.
The new company, which is aiming to go public this year, has performance E.V.s planned, with Volvo’s safety in its DNA.
Some drivers have complained that cars using the company’s Autopilot system have been slowing down suddenly even when there are no hazards ahead.
