We recently reported on the unique code Tesla has added to its vehicles to identify the area’s crash testing agency (and you can see the latest on that). here).
In investigating this additional code, we discovered evidence that Tesla is updating the firmware of the vehicles used for crash testing after they leave the factory and before they are tested. crash by crash testing agency.
Twitter users greenwho is known for exclusively disclosing upcoming Tesla features based on code implemented to the vehicle in over-the-air updates, discovered this anomaly after obtaining a set of computers from Crash-tested vehicles have unique development codes.
green spoke exclusively to CarExpert and told us that the development code is not something you can find on any public member owned vehicle.
“Of the units I received, some appeared to have rare firmware or even weren’t in the public search. While it is not always possible to say that this is development software, those that do not appear in various software aggregators such as Teslascope and Teslafi are at least so rare that no vehicles are involved. those services and no one online mentions them or the whole ‘special/one-off’ build,” green speak.
How green know Tesla has uploaded development firmware for the cars for crash testing and safety assistance testing? They actually came across a set of Model X and Model 3 computers that were pulled from destroyed crash test vehicles and then sold through the open market in Europe.
When they took the firmware apart, they discovered recordings from the computer that showed crash tests in progress. This footage matches public footage released by Euro NCAP of crash tests. The computers with this footage subsequently obtained development software that was never deployed to public Tesla vehicles.
This development software was found on one of the Tesla Model X crashes tested in 2019 and on one crash tested on the Model 3 in 2019. There are even some computers that are tested. taken from the same source shows proof of modified firmware.
“Several other computers haven’t had any crashes as far as I can see, but they come from the same power supply for the computers that recorded the crash tests. [on video] and they shared various common properties with the crash-tested computers such as special provisioning steps to ensure Tesla employees could access them remotely in a much easier way than with a conventional production vehicle,” green speak.
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Tesla Model X computer tested developer firmware display issue
green confirmed that while modifying the vehicle’s firmware won’t affect the actual crash test, it does have the potential to modify how the vehicle behaves during safety assistance testing.
“Also, I would like to point out that the firmware version on a crash-tested vehicle does not matter as long as the crash-tested vehicle is not used for other tests prior to crash testing. touch. This is because during crash testing, the cars are not operating under their own power and all crash side sensors are covered as part of the protocol, so the engine software facility will not be able to influence the results of such tests. Where firmware can affect results are various ADAS test scenarios like auto and pedestrian emergency braking and the like,” green.
We wanted to better understand why this is happening and how the modified cars represent a vehicle that customers can buy. And, the answer surprised us. Following our inquiries, Euro NCAP initiated an investigation and provided the answers we are pursuing.
“Up to now, these [investigations] focused primarily on relating Tesla’s software updates to the known history of test vehicles, published ratings, and agreements made with Tesla prior to testing. ,” said Euro NCAP program director, Aled Williams.
“Euro NCAP allows manufacturers to update their vehicles up to the time they are tested. It is in the interest of car buyers that manufacturers should seek to provide them with the most highly developed, best performing systems available. However, Euro NCAP requires that the cars tested be similar to those in production at the time the safety ratings are published.
According to Euro NCAP, vehicle ratings are only applied to vehicles that meet any software or hardware modifications made by the manufacturer prior to testing and usually the VIN is quoted on the Euro NCAP website to shows how and when ratings are applied.
In the case of Tesla and vehicles with updatable software, any software updates related to safety tests that can be applied back to a vehicle will allow it to be reclassified. that safety class.
We asked Euro NCAP to specifically confirm whether the updates Tesla made to its vehicles to achieve high test results were indeed being applied to customers’ vehicles as part of the ongoing ratings. implemented or not.
According to Euro NCAP program director, Aled Williams, this is how the sequence of events happened.
“So far, Euro NCAP has been able to match the software update sequence with vehicle selection and testing and publish ratings for Model 3, Model X and Model Y. Broadly speaking, The ‘pacing’ for all of the cars is the same and is as follows… and Euro NCAP can confirm that the software updates made by Tesla are in line with the stated timeline:
- Vehicles are being produced and provided to customers
- Cars produced from which Euro NCAP will randomly select test vehicles
- The software of these cars is updated at the end of the production line, like that of all other vehicles. This is a standard manufacturing process to ensure that cars leave the factory with the latest software installed.
- Euro NCAP selects vehicles for testing. This is done randomly from a selection of cars provided by Tesla. At the time of selection, Tesla did not know which vehicle would be used for which test.
- At the same time, Tesla continues to run their own tests to refine and optimize the vehicle’s performance in the upcoming Euro NCAP ‘official’ tests. Euro NCAP is not a party to Tesla’s own development trials.
- At the time close to the start of the official Euro NCAP testing, the software was ‘frozen’. Tesla begins rolling out the new software by OTA to customer vehicles, a process that can take several weeks to complete (due to the number of vehicles that must be updated).
- At the same time, Euro NCAP’s test cars were similarly updated with the software.
- Official tests are taken and ratings are generated, based on the results of those tests.
- The inspection process can take several weeks, inspection and follow-up work also takes time. From the start of the trial to the release of the results can take about three months.
- Before announcing the results, Tesla implemented the new software on production cars. Vehicles manufactured before the update is in production are updated by OTA.
- Euro NCAP publishes its ratings, has tested cars with the same software used in production vehicles, and has been retroactively deployed to cars that have been built before.”
So it looks like Tesla is actually using body tests to further improve the cars customers have purchased and rolling out these updates to customers for free as over-the-air updates. .
Although Euro NCAP acknowledged that it could not verify what the development code in the test vehicle contained, Tesla assured them that elements of the safety-related development code were deployed to customers as a part of over-the-air updates.
According to Williams, Euro NCAP hopes to publish experimental versions of the software in the future to help better tailor the features and software for customers.
Our previous story regarding Tesla being found coded green by Twitter users adding extra codes for vehicles that designate local inspection authorities – i.e. ‘eroncap’, ‘ancap’ etc – you can find out more about why the code was added and what it did to the car in our original story.
