In Brief
Consumer Reports magazine is calling on electric carmaker Tesla Motors to change the name of its Autopilot semi-autonomous driving system and to disconnect the automatic steering feature after a fatal crash in Florida.
The magazine says in a statement that calling the system Autopilot promotes a dangerous assumption that Teslas can drive themselves. It also says the automatic steering should be updated to make sure a driver’s hands stay on the steering wheel at all times.
In an e-mail, a Tesla spokesman said the company has no plans to change the name. The company says Autopilot has been safely used in more than 100 million miles of driving by customers.
