FSD. This should be interesting!

[MrBadger]

The law is already developed to cover off the insurance angle. Installing software updates basically won’t be optional in future.

But most importantly, software updates will need to be tested to confirm that they still work at least the standard that the vehicle was type approved with. This basically would mean that the software being deployed would need to be more thoroughly tested to show that they meet standards, ie tested against a set of standard tests, and potentially be auditable. Its possibly not going to fix many types of defect per se, but it should reduce vehicle behavioural deviations and hopefully give a better overall quality to the testing as it should reduce the 'get it out the door, fix later' type of issues that blight some software releases. I think that this will greatly benefit those adhering to global standards such as UNECE as it would mean that any defect in implementing that standard would be more in the manufacturers interest to fix. Most of the 'issues' that are blamed on UNECE are down to poor implementation by Tesla rather than anything intrinsically wrong with the regulations, lateral cornering forces and overtaking manoeuvres being two examples of features that if implemented properly are no big compromise, yet Tesla's implementation make them a bit of a rollercoaster ride.

If there is any regulatory approval that needs to be passed, it will fail because of poor/no implementation rather than the regulations.

As for insurance, insurers have been collecting data on behaviour of autonomous vehicles for many years now. They are certainly well clued up as to what is expected of autonomous systems behaviour and minimum standards that these systems should be meeting. Ironically, I can vouch that high beam assist is one such criteria as many years ago I joked with a colleague who was involved in testing such systems on behalf of insurers, why an autonomous vehicle needed to use high beam - little did I know...

 

[Type2]

But most importantly, software updates will need to be tested to confirm that they still work at least the standard that the vehicle was type approved with.

Good point, and this could be very problematic for Tesla because so many software releases are quite obviously deeply flawed, so much so that sometimes I think their software testers must be a bunch of 12 year olds. My latest update (2022.28.1) has caused raised beam to go on and off more often than a whore’s knickers. And this is in towns where there is plenty of ambient light and raised beam shouldn’t come on at all.