Tata Harrier EV ‘Summon Mode’ Allegedly Blamed for Accidental Death; CCTV Footage Goes Viral

A man in Avinashi, Tamil Nadu, has been reported dead after an accident allegedly involving a Tata Harrier EV operating in its autonomous “Summon Mode”. In a post and accompanying video footage on Reddit’s /r/CarsIndia forum, a user stated that a relative of his sustained a head injury after the Harrier EV rolled backwards down a steep ramp at the entrance to a building, apparently to the surprise of many people around it. 

Content warning: graphic description of the accident ahead:

The victim, who was standing by the open driver’s door, can be seen attempting to reach or climb into the vehicle, presumably in order to stop it. However, he is caught by the open door and stumbles, at which point he falls down. The video clearly shows the car then rolling over his legs. As the car continues to roll away, a crowd of people rush to the man’s aid, however according to the post, he was later pronounced brain dead. The video also contains a second angle, shot from the other side of the car, where it can be seen hitting an adjacent structure at low speed, and then moving forward again, towards the victim and people trying to help him. 

According to the Reddit post, which is now delisted but still online (graphic content warning), the family has not yet taken legal action against Tata Motors. However, it is implied that they are planning to. The video’s time stamp shows that the incident occurred on the evening of August 14. The car is now in the possession of Tata Motors, as per the original poster. 

Tata Motors sent ACKO Drive this statement expressing grief at the news: "We were informed of the tragic accident and are deeply saddened by the loss. Our thoughts, prayers, and heartfelt support are with the deceased’s family. We are currently gathering all relevant facts. Preliminary observations from video shared online/ on social media suggests that the vehicle may have rolled back from the top of a slope due to gravity and ricocheted after striking an unknown object, suggesting that the motor was not engaged. The vehicle remains with the family and has been driven since the incident, and we have not yet had the opportunity to inspect it."

The statement does not mention Summon Mode at all, but instead only states what is observed in the video. Rolling due to gravity could suggest that the car’s parking brake was not engaged. Several people online have also weighed in, pointing out that Summon Mode should not be able to be activated when the car’s door is open. The exact cause of the car rolling backwards, and what happened in the moments leading to that, remain uncertain.

Summon Mode is an autonomous driving feature that allows a car to move slowly for short distances using its onboard sensors. It is commonly used to move in or out of a tight parking spot. It should not be able to engage when there are obstacles in its path, such as the people standing right next to the vehicle in the video. 

The Reddit user who posted this video added a comment stating that the victim had also previously encountered a serious problem. The Harrier EV allegedly stalled on a road and could not be restarted. Tata Motors technicians had to come to the site to revive it.