On the safe side: Tesla removes autopilot from Hong Kong cars to keep within law
But only a limited number of the US manufacturer's 2,000 vehicles are affected by the news
US-based electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla has disabled an unapproved autopilot function for Hong Kong drivers upon legal concerns that users will be committing an offence.
The function was among driver-assisted features Tesla rolled out worldwide last month that allowed its model S cars to automatically change lanes and speeds, steer within lanes and park with the help of radar, cameras and ultrasonic sensors.
While the city’s Transport Department has approved the autoparking capability, it has not endorsed the other two functions.
READ MORE: Hong Kong drivers using new Tesla autopilot software warned they are ‘committing an offence’
“To ensure we comply with Hong Kong regulations, we will be temporarily turning off these two functions on all model S [cars] in Hong Kong effective immediately,” Tesla announced on Tuesday evening.
Earlier, the firm launched its update without government consent, prompting the department to say all “software updates that would affect prevailing driving functions” must be approved.