Tesla to recall Cybertruck over acceleration defect

NEW YORK (AFP): Tesla is recalling 3,878 Cybertruck vehicles because of a defect that can cause unintentional vehicle acceleration, increasing crash risk, according to a US notice posted this week.

Tesla notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on April 17 of the condition in which the accelerator pedal may become trapped on the Cybertruck, Elon Musk’s futuristic take on the American pickup truck.

If the accelerator pedal becomes trapped, “the performance and operation of the pedal will be affected, which may increase the risk of a collision,” Tesla said in the notice.

Tesla said it was not aware of any collisions or injuries related to the condition. The company will replace or rework the accelerator to address the issue, the company said.

Musk has championed the Cybertruck, declaring at a launch event last November that “Finally, the future will look like the future!”

But the vehicle’s use of large flat plates of unbent stainless steel poses challenges in manufacturing. Musk has said it will take time to ramp up production, targeting 2025 as the year when output will reach 250,000 a year.

Earlier this week, Tesla announced it would lay off more than 10 percent of its global workforce as it contends with rising competition among electric vehicle producers and slowing demand growth in some markets.