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According to a new report, Elon Musk's Twitter obsession is taking its toll on Tesla. Unfortunately, it's a toll that's going to continue to grow unless the company can find a way to fix some of its most fundamental problems. Those problems include Tesla's driver assistance systems and the Hyperloop concept, which has failed to impress even Silicon Valley elites.
Tesla's driver assistance systems are not safe to drive
If you're interested in buying a self-driving car, you've likely heard of Tesla's Autopilot system. It's a technology designed to help drivers avoid accidents by monitoring their surroundings, identifying traffic lights, and steering, braking, and accelerating without any input from the driver.
However, that's not all. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Tesla's Autopilot has been involved in over a dozen crashes. That's more than any other manufacturer.
Tesla’s full self-driving mode is not fully self-driving-Tesla recalls 50,000 cars that disobey stop signs in self-driving mode
NHTSA officials declined to comment on specific crash cases, but a review of the agency's database reveals a wide variety of crashes involving Tesla's automated driving systems. Most ADAS accidents occur in California.
The agency is investigating at least 18 crash deaths involving Tesla's Autopilot. The probe includes at least 38 special investigations opened since 2016 when the agency ordered the tech companies to report crashes involving ADAS.
The investigation is based on data submitted by the automakers and examines the effectiveness of driver supervision. It's also looking into phantom braking, a technique that allows an autonomous vehicle to stop independently.
Musk's inability to turn the science fiction-inspired Hyperloop concept into anything more than single-lane car tunnels
Elon Musk is a renowned American inventor, entrepreneur, and founder and CEO of Tesla. He has a market value of around half a trillion dollars and is considered one of the world's wealthiest people. But he has also drawn the ire of many on social media and in the tech and political worlds.
Musk is a self-described tech-mogul who has been criticized for his lack of empathy for others. However, the truth is that he has been trying to solve a problem that has consumed him for a long time.
As an inventor, he has been working on several new technologies, including the Neuralink chip. This chip is designed to be placed in the human brain and will allow for various functionalities, from hearing to paralysis. It hasn't been released for public use yet, but it is scheduled to have a product update in November.
Another of Musk's projects is the Hyperloop. This transportation system would move passengers through a low-pressure tube, eliminating the need for large airplanes and towers.
Musk's decision to put Tesla's first European plant in a region of Germany at risk of a sustained water shortage
Elon Musk's decision to build a 5 billion euro battery and battery cell production plant in a region of Germany at risk of a sustained water shortage are not without controversy. Activists and local politicians have alleged that the company gets preferential treatment. And the environmentalist community has claimed that the permitting process was not a credible attempt to address climate change.
A group of Brandenburg activists is suing the local environment ministry for a re-think of the permit application, arguing that it did not take climate change into account. That could delay the factory's opening, if not completely derail it.
The Tesla plant is currently generating only 260 Model 3 vehicles per week. That's a tiny fraction of the 1,500 units the company promised in December. But Musk has said that a ramped-up factory will eventually produce 500,000 cars per year.
The company has also faced some legal problems. It is now resolving a $60 million settlement with the directors of a solar energy firm it acquired in 2017. In January, a shareholder accused Musk of misrepresenting the financial crisis at SolarCity.
Musk's tweets have turned him into a deity in Silicon Valley
Elon Musk has been an exciting entrepreneur, but he's also been the target of several scandals. One of those has been his own tweets. Since he owns Twitter, he can exert a Trump-like grip on the news cycle. In the process, he's also gotten himself into a lot of legal trouble.
Elon Musk has been mocking Democratic politicians, including Senator Ed Markey. He's also trying to crack down on employees. He fired his assistant after she asked for a raise. He's reorganized the company's legal department. And he's made a series of other changes.
When he purchased Twitter for $44 billion in October, he pushed out one of his closest advisers. The lawyer, Greg Baker, reviewed the company's internal communications.
He also delayed filing a form indicating that he owned 5 percent of the company. But he continued to cut staff, and now he's facing legal battles. He's also been criticized for using negative posts to get attention.