Elon Musk’s ambitious Tesla Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology, a cornerstone of Musk’s vision for the company’s future, is facing fresh criticism following a Wall Street analyst’s alarming test drive experience.
CNN reports that Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature, an $8,000 option touted by CEO Elon Musk as safer than human drivers, has recently faced criticism after a Wall Street analyst reported a near-crash incident during a test drive. William Stein, an analyst with Truist Securities, detailed his experience in a note that raises questions about the readiness of Tesla’s autonomous driving technology and the company’s plans for a fleet of robotaxis.
Stein’s test drive, utilizing a special “demo mode” available only to Tesla employees, revealed several concerning issues. The analyst reported that the vehicle made illegal maneuvers, including changing lanes in areas where it was prohibited. More alarmingly, Stein had to intervene to prevent a potential collision when the car accelerated through an intersection while another vehicle was completing a turn. He also noted that human intervention was necessary when a police officer signaled for the car to pull over for a funeral procession.
These observations led Stein to conclude that the system was “no better, arguably worse” than his previous test in April. However, he did acknowledge some improvements, such as the car’s ability to adapt to challenging road conditions like lane closures and potholes, as well as more active lane-changing behavior.
The incident highlights the ongoing debate about the safety and reliability of Tesla’s autonomous driving features. Musk has consistently promoted FSD as a key component of Tesla’s future success, arguing that the planned robotaxi service could significantly increase the value of Tesla vehicles due to their potential to generate income independently.
Despite Musk’s optimism, Tesla’s own earnings statement cautioned that the timing of the robotaxi service launch “depends on technological advancement and regulatory approval.” The company recently postponed the announcement of details about the robotaxi service from early August to October 10, with Musk citing the need for important improvements to the vehicle.
The development comes amid increased regulatory scrutiny of Tesla’s driver assistance technologies. In January, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) ordered a recall of 363,000 US vehicles equipped with FSD, citing “insufficient adherence to traffic safety laws” leading to an “unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety.” This followed a December recall of nearly 2 million Teslas due to concerns about the Autopilot feature potentially giving drivers a false sense of security.
The NHTSA’s involvement extends beyond these recalls. The agency conducted a two-year probe into approximately 1,000 crashes involving Tesla’s driver assistance features. More recently, the NHTSA mandated another recall of 1.8 million Tesla vehicles due to a software issue related to hood latch detection, which will be addressed through an over-the-air update.
Read more at CNN here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
