Musk: Tesla Won't Drop Autopilot Feature

Tesla Motors Inc. has no plans to disable the “Autopilot” self-driving function available in its Model S and Model X electric vehicles in the wake of a fatal crash involving the technology.

But the company intends to step up its efforts to educate owners on how to safely use the system, CEO Elon Musk tells The Wall Street Journal. “A lot of people don't understand what it is and how you turn it on," he adds.

Since introducing the technology last November, Tesla has urged drivers to keep their hands on the wheel during autonomous driving. The company also emphasizes that drivers are responsible for their own safety.

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating the May 7 accident in which a Model S owner was killed while the vehicle was operating in Autopilot mode.

In a separate injury rollover in Pennsylvania involving a Tesla Model X believed to be in Autopilot mode, police reportedly ticketed the operator for careless driving. A third crash in Montana on Sunday apparently resulted when Autopilot didn’t recognize wooden stakes on the side of the road and hit them at about 60 mph, destroying a Model X.