EV Daily | NHTSA Probes Tesla Autopilot Reporting; Toyota, Ford, and Hyundai Expand EV Offerings

【Tesla】

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched an investigation into Tesla over delays in reporting crashes involving its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving systems. Tesla, which receives crash notifications automatically, allegedly delayed reporting incidents, citing system errors. Despite claiming these issues are resolved, NHTSA is evaluating the delays' causes and potential outstanding reports. Tesla has faced similar scrutiny before regarding crash data reporting, and currently leads in level 2 ADAS crash data with over 2,300 crashes reported. Nevertheless, the company remains opaque in sharing exact data on its autonomous driving progress. Tesla has posted several videos showcasing autonomous driving capabilities but has not shared exact mileages between interventions, raising concerns about transparency. Despite boasting 4.5 billion miles of FSD data, Tesla has not publicly released it, leading to reliance on crowdsourced data for insights. Tesla's head of FSD has mentioned needing to reach human-equivalent miles between interventions for unsupervised self-driving, but progress remains untracked.

【Others】

Toyota has introduced an upgraded 2026 bZ electric SUV, featuring improved range and a NACS port for Tesla Supercharger compatibility. The bZ now starts under $35,000 and offers a 30-minute charge from 10% to 80%. It features a thermal management system and battery preconditioning for efficient charging.

ChargePoint is expanding its modular Omni Port EV charger, allowing older stations to upgrade for modern compatibility. It offers J1772 and NACS ports combined with CCS1 DC fast charging, enhancing its 60%+ North American market presence.

Tern and Airstream have collaborated on two electric bikes designed for RV owners, the Vektron S10 and HSD P5I, featuring folding designs and Bosch Performance line systems. These bikes are tailored for compact storage and utility, enhancing mobility for RV lifestyles.

Ford's electric SuperVan set a record lap time at Nürburgring with Romain Dumas, highlighting Ford's performance capabilities in the EV sector.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike has added Applegreen DC fast charging stations, bolstering the network of over 60 chargers. The turnpike aims to equip all service plazas with fast chargers by 2027, using federal and state grants.

Hyundai plans to launch the IONIQ 3, an advanced, affordable EV expected to be more sophisticated than the Kona Electric, with a 400V electrical system and two battery options. It will be manufactured in Turkey to reduce costs as Hyundai expands its EV lineup.

Volkswagen offers competitive lease deals for its ID.4 electric SUV, starting at $129 monthly in some regions, making it cheaper than leasing a Jetta and appealing to cost-conscious consumers.