The Tesla Model X that crashed in Pennsylvania on July 1 had autopilot disabled at the time, Elon Musk announced on Twitter. This info comes straight from the vehicle’s own logs.
Onboard vehicle logs show Autopilot was turned off in Pennsylvania crash. Moreover, crash would not have occurred if it was on.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 14, 2016
Tesla has been criticized over the last weeks for, as some say anyhow, offering its Autopilot semi-autonomous driving feature too early and using public roads as proving grounds. Consumer Reports just today called for the company to disable the feature until it’s safer.
The news that it wasn’t even in use at the time of the crash should silence some critics, but hardly all: The full story of the crash isn’t known yet, and while Autopilot does not appear to be the cause, it may yet have contributed. Until a more thorough investigation yields its results, it may be best to withhold judgment — not that anyone will do that.
This story is developing; more info as we get it.
