Based on the CNBC article, here's my understanding. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, because this sounds... really bad with safety implications that are not at all related to self-driving.
1. Tesla vehicles are drive-by-wire.
2. The missing component is a backup chip in the steering system.
3. The backup was excluded in a time frame that precluded robustness testing.
Are any of these items wrong? Because, if not, characterizing this as "oh well you have to bring your car in if you want our full self-driving magic" seems like a massive PR spin and a huge disservice to Tesla owners who every day bet their lives on Tesla's drive by wire system.
(Missing/not using a backup chip on a safety-critical system is exactly what caused the failure of the flight characteristic modification software on the 787-MAX. Missing backups was also identified as a possible root cause in the Toyota deaths. Backups are important, and the history of safety-critical systems that ignored the need for backups is littered with human bodies. Shit happens at scale.)
1. Tesla vehicles are drive-by-wire.
2. The missing component is a backup chip in the steering system.
3. The backup was excluded in a time frame that precluded robustness testing.
Are any of these items wrong? Because, if not, characterizing this as "oh well you have to bring your car in if you want our full self-driving magic" seems like a massive PR spin and a huge disservice to Tesla owners who every day bet their lives on Tesla's drive by wire system.
(Missing/not using a backup chip on a safety-critical system is exactly what caused the failure of the flight characteristic modification software on the 787-MAX. Missing backups was also identified as a possible root cause in the Toyota deaths. Backups are important, and the history of safety-critical systems that ignored the need for backups is littered with human bodies. Shit happens at scale.)