German road traffic agency discovers software glitch affecting thousands of Teslas

Germany’s road traffic agency announced that it was recalling Tesla vehicles, specifically models Y and 3, because of a glitch in the automatic emergency call system that is affecting 59,000 vehicles all over the world.

The watchdog reportedly stated on its website on June 29 that a software malfunction had resulted in a breakdown of the eCall, which is tool that automatically contacts emergency responders in case of a serious accident.

According to the agency, a total of 59,121 Tesla vehicles have been affected globally by this glitch. However, it did not specify how many of those vehicles were registered in Germany.

The software glitch is an extra headache for Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk in recent days when it comes to his electric vehicle company. On Saturday, Tesla said that it delivered 17.9% fewer electric vehicles in the second quarter from the previous quarter, as a result of China’s COVID 19-related shutdown that disrupted its production and supply chain.

Musk said last month that Tesla’s new factories in Texas and Berlin are “losing billions of dollars” as they struggle to increase production because of a shortage of batteries and Chinese port issues.

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) early in June upgraded its probe into 830,000 Tesla vehicles with the advanced driver assistance system Autopilot, a required step before it could seek a recall.

Tesla has yet to comment on the glitch.