The government is forcing Tesla to complete a software recall. I’m Amy E. Feldman.
Need proof that Elon Musk is betting that Tesla owners have the sense of humor of the average nine-year-old boy? Well, here you go. In a 2020 software update, the car gained a Boombox feature that let drivers broadcast prerecorded sounds through the car’s external front speakers, supposedly to provide sound warnings to pedestrians. One of the prerecorded sounds was the sound of flatulence. Hilarious. I’m sure pedestrians felt much safer.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration most assuredly did not find it hilarious, and said it made the roads less safe because it could hinder pedestrians from hearing a siren. I mean, if you’re going to buy that Tesla did it for pedestrian safety, then sure, we can agree the government’s motivation is also about safety. Now, “the fun police” as Elon Musk called them, has issued a mandatory software recall eliminating that feature. So, like all of us, the affected Tesla models will have to grow up a little.
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