Automotive News: Tesla's Autopilot Tech Is a Danger to Cyclists Robotics Expert Says, Toyota recalls 36,000 Tacoma pickups for stalling risk

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Tesla’s Autopilot Tech Is a Danger to Cyclists, Robotics Expert Says

Tesla's semi-autonomous car technology has helped make the company a $54 billion success story. But the system still has flaws, according to a Stanford University robotics researcher, who says it shows a disturbing inability to recognize cyclists.

Heather Knight is an expert in human-robot interfaces with a PhD from the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, and is doing post-doctoral research in social robotics. She published an essay about Tesla's self-driving tech on the blogging platform Medium, entitled "Tesla Autopilot Review: Bikers Will Die." read more »

Toyota recalls 36,000 Tacoma pickups for stalling risk

Toyota is recalling 36,000 Tacoma pickups in North and South America because they can stall without warning.

The recall involves Tacomas with V-6 engines from the 2016 and 2017 model years. Most of the trucks — 32,000 — are in the U.S. The rest are in Canada, Mexico, Bolivia and Costa Rica.

The company says an engine crankshaft timing rotor may have been produced with excessive anti-corrosion coating, which could cause the crank position sensor to malfunction. read more »

U.S. judge lets investor diesel lawsuit against Daimler proceed

A federal judge in California will allow a U.S. investor class action lawsuit against Daimler AG (DAIGn.DE) and several senior executives to proceed over allegations the company did not disclose excess emissions.

The German automaker faces ongoing investigations by U.S. and German authorities into excess diesel emissions. Last month, German prosecutors searched Daimler's offices as part of an investigation into diesel pollution.

U.S. District Judge S. James Otero in a ruling filed late Wednesday rejected requests by Daimler to dismiss the lawsuit, filed in 2016 by municipal pension funds and other investors. He said he would allow the suit to proceed against Daimler and senior executives Dieter Zetsche, Bodo Uebber and Thomas Weber. read more »

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