Tesla driver’s $500 ‘run in’ with kangaroo highlights costly feature of popular EV
Tesla cars have long been the most popular electric vehicle on Australian roads. Despite the occasional complaint from drivers, most buyers love to crow about the fleet’s advanced technology. However one driver’s recent experience of a safety feature in action has put a dent in his wallet to match the one on the front of his car.
On Tuesday the driver had a “run in with a roo” just before 6am while driving along a rural road in NSW, activating a safety feature called ‘active hood’. This makes the rear portion of the bonnet pop up, minimising impact on whatever is approaching the car while also reducing damage to the car itself.
The driver, who managed to break and only “tap” the kangaroo, believes the safety feature reduced the severity of the situation but it meant he was left to drive around with his bonnet sticking out before he could get to the mechanic and get it fixed.
“I go to a service centre, quote came back at just over $500,” he wrote in an online group for Tesla owners, explaining the bonnet needed to be replaced rather than just reset as pyrotechnics are used in the safety feature.
Hefty repair costs linked with automatic safety feature
After sharing his experience on social media many other Tesla drivers chimed in to say they too have copped hefty repair costs due to this feature, with some believing it wasn’t necessary in minor collisions.
“Happened to me about a month ago… initial quote they gave was $500. After a technician had a look at the service centre, I received a call saying it was going to be $2,000,” another Tesla owner lamented.
Yahoo News Australia has contacted Tesla for comment about the feature’s design.
Tesla’s motion sensor technology doesn’t pick up kangaroos
There has been criticism of another Tesla safety feature in relation to kangaroos after drivers discovered the motion sensor ‘Tesla vision’ doesn’t appear to pick up the native animals when they jump into the path of the car.
The camera-led feature picks up on pedestrians, cyclists and even dogs and relays that information to drivers and passengers through the screen in the car. But last month a driver warned others that it appeared not do the same for kangaroos, despite one of the animals being in plain sight in front of him.
“Just a heads up to Tesla owners who are driving cross country… Tesla Vision does not recognise our national fauna such as our iconic kangaroo,” he said. “Please take the usual precautions to slow down and keep an eye out, especially during sundown and sunrise.”
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