Tesla Claims Failing Touchscreens in NHTSA Recall Were Only Meant to Last 5-6 Years Anyway

THE DRIVE

This week, Tesla finally gave in to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's request to recall its Model S sedans and Model X SUVs over flash memory failures that will cause the cars' signature 17-inch portrait-oriented central touchscreens to fail after a certain length of time—but not without pushback on the very definition of the word "defect," according to a letter from Tesla's legal department made public today. read more »

Tesla Vice President Of Legal Tells NHTSA That MCUs Are Wear Parts

INSIDE EVS

When InsideEVs first talked about the MCUv1 issues on the Model S and Model X, some Tesla supporters insisted it was natural for computers to decay. Al Prescott, Tesla’s vice president of legal affairs, recently told NHTSA that is exactly the case. In his words, the computer does not have a defect. It just wears out like “brakes, lights, tires.” read more »