The Nationwide Freeway Visitors Security Administration has initiated two extra particular crash investigations into incidents that concerned Tesla electrical autos, and the place the corporate’s superior driver help programs are thought to have been an element within the crash.

Tesla presents an ordinary driver help bundle referred to as Autopilot in all its new automobiles right now. It additionally sells extra options in a bundle marketed as Enhanced Autopilot or Full Self-Driving within the U.S., which prices $15,000 or a $199 a month. The corporate additionally permits some house owners to entry options that haven’t been absolutely debugged below its FSD Beta program, and to check these options on public roads.

Not one of the firm’s automobiles are autonomous but, and no automobile maker is promoting a driverless automobile right now within the U.S. Tesla CEO Elon Musk instructed shareholders a self-driving Tesla would able to a cross-country demo drive with out human intervention by the tip of 2017, however the firm has by no means accomplished that demonstration.

The brand new crashes that have been added to NHTSA’s listing of investigations this month included a Thanksgiving Day collision that ensnared eight automobiles after a driver in a 2021 Tesla Mannequin S was transferring erratically by means of visitors lanes on the San Francisco Bay Bridge.

The motive force of the Mannequin S, which is Tesla’s premium sedan, claimed that they have been utilizing the corporate’s Full Self Driving options, in line with information launched by the California Freeway Patrol, as CNN first reported.

One other current crash added to NHTSA’s listing concerned a 2020 Tesla Mannequin 3, the corporate’s entry-level sedan.

In line with knowledge obtained from NHTSA by CNBC, the company is trying into at the least 41 crashes involving Tesla autos the place automated options similar to automated emergency braking, or extra in depth driver help system options included in Autopilot, FSD and FSD Beta have been concerned.

The information present that 14 of those earlier investigations concern crashes that resulted in fatalities.

The corporate can also be going through shopper lawsuits and federal and state scrutiny over its security claims and advertising practices. The California DMV has accused Tesla of participating in false promoting round its driver help programs.

In a current response to a shopper lawsuit filed in California, Tesla stated that its “failure” to comprehend its “long-term, aspirational aim” doesn’t quantity to fraud, and that it will solely obtain autonomous driving “by means of fixed and rigorous enhancements.”

Shares of Tesla sank on Thursday after information of the crash investigations. Traders additionally concern weakening demand for the corporate’s electrical automobiles throughout the globe.

Amid powerful financial circumstances, Tesla has just lately provided steep reductions on its automobiles within the U.S., Canada, Mexico and China. Tesla shares have additionally been weighed down by traders’ issues that Musk is distracted and harming the Tesla model along with his controversial administration of Twitter and his incendiary political remarks on the social media platform.