Recharge Wrap-up: Autopilot mitigates accident in video, Ford exits India’s EV consortium

A Tesla owner shows footage of an accident he was involved in to come to the defense of the automaker’s Autopilot system. Bobby Blackwolf of the Voice of Geeks Network shows how his Model S responded to slowing vehicles before he was aware of them. Then, he gives us a video from the rear of his car, which shows the car behind him bumping him, causing minor damage. He feels the accident would have been much worse were it not for Autopilot. Blackwolf says, “When I hear Consumer Reports saying that, for the good of consumers, Tesla needs to turn off their Autopilot system, what I actually hear them say is that they feel that this should have been a three-car pileup rather than the slight fender bender than it actually was.” Check out the video above, and read more at Electrek.

Ford has left India’s electric vehicle consortium. Ford – the only global automaker in the group – vetoed the decision of its Indian arm to join the consortium, according to anonymous sources. “The direction that has come from the headquarters suggests that the program is financially unviable and Ford India should rather focus on strengthening its financial and sales performances,” says one source. Consequentially, the whole program (which would develop a network of suppliers for members to build hybrid and electric vehicles) has been delayed, striking a blow to India’s goal of 6 million EVs by 2020. Read more at Live Mint, or at The Tech Portal.

WEC drivers talk about how hybrid LMP1 racecars have changed the sport. In a video from Safe is Fast, Allan McNish, Alex Wurz, Anthony Davidson, Sébastien Buemi, and Brendon Hartley each give insights into the differences. From managing the extra boost, to learning a new braking style, to cornering, to thinking about harnessing potential lost energy, hybrid technology has had a “massive influence” on driving, as Wurz says. And while making the most of a hybrid racer can be tricky, the techniques also provide good habits for driving efficiently on public roads, according to Davidson. Read more and watch the video at Crash.net.