Tesla, the electric car manufacturer, has reached a settlement in a lawsuit regarding a tragic crash in 2018.
The incident involved an Apple engineer named Walter Huang, who lost his life when his Model X, operating on Autopilot, collided with a highway barrier.
The case, filed by Mr Huang’s family, was set to commence in the California Superior Court this week.
If the trial had proceeded, it would have attracted more attention to the company’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving technology.
The details of the settlement remain undisclosed, and it has been reported that the agreement is still pending approval from a judge. Tesla did not respond to a BBC request for comment right away.
Prior to the settlement, Tesla contended that Mr. Huang had utilised the system inappropriately, as he was engaged in playing a video game shortly before the accident occurred.
The company has previously been successful in court cases in California by asserting that the drivers involved did not adhere to the instructions to remain attentive while utilising the system.
Tesla is currently dealing with multiple lawsuits regarding accidents that are believed to be connected to its driver-assistant technology.
The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is currently looking into several accidents that have involved Autopilot.
For quite some time now, Tesla has been making promises about developing a self-driving vehicle, but they have not yet managed to release one.
Last Friday, Mr. Musk announced that the company has intentions to reveal an autonomous robotaxi in August.
The company is currently facing declining sales, and has recently reached a settlement with Mr. Huang’s family.
Deliveries took a significant hit in the first quarter of this year due to various challenges faced by Tesla. These challenges included a fire at its European factory, disruptions in global shipping, and increased competition.
Tesla has been adjusting its prices in order to stay competitive with other companies, like BYD. However, there has been a decline in demand for Tesla vehicles in important markets like China.
Tesla’s shares have experienced a significant decline in value since the beginning of the year.
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