Tesla pushed envelope in terms of safety – Mobileye

A tech firm that creates driver assistance systems claims that it ended its relationship with Tesla because the electric carmaker “pushed the envelope in terms of safety”.

Mobileye, which makes high-tech cameras and other assistance systems, told Reuters that Tesla’s Autopilot system was not meant to deliver a driverless experience.

“No matter how you spin it, (the Autopilot system) is not designed for that. It is a driver assistance system and not a driverless system,” Mobileye’s Amnon Joshua told the newswire.

The comments came a few months after the two companies halted their relationship in July, and in the wake of at least two fatalities involving Autopilot.

More to the Tesla, Mobileye breakup than safety?

A spokesperson for Tesla denied that Autopilot was a driverless system. “Drivers must be prepared to take control at all times,” the spokesperson was quoted as saying.

In fact, Tesla says the claims are sour grapes, saying that it was developing its own tech to replace Mobileye’s systems.

“When Tesla refused to cancel its own vision development activities and plans for deployment, Mobileye discontinued hardware support for future platforms and released public statements implying that this discontinuance was motivated by safety concerns,” a spokesperson added.