Almost autonomous… But already famous. Tesla finally launched its “full self-driving” (FSD) update, allowing some owners to activate a beta version of its controversial autonomous tech. Tesla fans applauded the unfinished feature, and shares of the EV icon jumped nearly 3% yesterday. The deets:
- Not-quite-self-driving: The update enables “autosteering” around urban obstacles like bikers or pedestrians. Teslas are “Level 2 autonomous,” like models from GM, Volvo, and Toyota, which means drivers must still constantly supervise. Honda sells the most autonomous car yet, a Level 3 that asks drivers to engage only if something goes wrong.
- No hard braking: FSD Beta will be available to Tesla owners who request access and earn high “safety scores” after a week of car-veillance, which measures factors such as aggressive turning.
- Partial functionality, full price tag: FSD costs $10K up front, or $199/month — and an estimated 360K people have already bought it.
Pump the brakes… Yesterday, the head of the National Transportation Safety Board slammed the update, saying Tesla shouldn’t roll out features without addressing existing safety issues. Last month, regulators launched an investigation into Tesla’s self-driving tech, considering 11 separate accidents and one fatality. Tesla’s getting heat over accusations it’s misleading buyers about its self-driving abilities.
Tesla is used to moving fast... As an EV pioneer, Tesla has often built technology before regulators can even regulate it — think EV charging networks. Tesla claims to make the “safest cars in the world,” and all its models have received perfect crash-test ratings. CEO Elon Musk has acknowledged that FSD is still dangerously far from full autonomy, but he seems to have no plans to slow the release to wait for regulators.