The Michigan-based automaker announced plans to accelerate its development of self-driving cars, as it races to keep up with its traditional competitors and technology companies alike.
A driver crashed earlier this month while on a commuter highway after the car failed to avoid a vehicle parked on the left side, partially in the roadway, damaging both cars but causing no injuries.
Tesla said on Wednesday that one of its cars had crashed in Beijing while in 'autopilot' mode, with the driver contending sales staff sold the function as 'self-driving,' overplaying its actual capabilities.
Earlier this week, Consumer Reports urged the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to scrutinize Mercedes' 'The Future' campaign, which touts the automated driving features available in the new E-Class.
The National Transportation Safety Board also found evidence the driver was using Tesla's Traffic-Aware Cruise Control and Autosteer, and the car was equipped with automatic emergency braking.
Softbank and Honda described a future in which Honda cars could speak and interact with their drivers via cloud-based technology based on SoftBank's "Pepper" robot
Autonomous vehicles must be "much safer" than human drivers before they are deployed on U.S. roads, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration chief Rosekind said.
Although the venture sought to produce premium cars like Tesla, it would attempt a different strategy from the US company that began with relatively limited production and focuses on a single model at a time.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in March it was collecting information after a Google self-driving car struck a municipal bus in California in a minor crash. But it did not open a formal probe.
The Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating whether Tesla Motors Inc. waited too long to disclose a fatal crash in May that called into question the safety of a system in the car that takes control of steering and braking.