Tesla binds: ‘Autonomous driving not possible this year’
Tesla misses targets
“Over time, the most significant source of profitability for Tesla,” is how Elon Musk qualified FSD some time back. The striking top executive seemed almost firmly convinced that Tesla would succeed in putting a fully self-driving car on the road this year. Unfortunately, the practice of autonomous driving and Tesla is proving a bit more unruly. According to
Automotive News
Musk is trying to temper expectations in a call with investors. He expects to update the system this year, but at the same time admits that his cars are not yet ready to drive without a driver.
Tesla vs. government
In addition to the technical battle, Tesla has another apple to peel. In fact, the company is under the microscope of the NHTSA, the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration, and the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMW). Musk already says in the call that an approval for FSD will be a long time coming. “The car will be able to take you from your home to work, to your friends and to the supermarket without touching the steering wheel,” he said. “It’s a separate discussion whether it’s going to get legislative approval. That will not be the case this year.”
So Musk still seems to have confidence in the system, but regulators think otherwise. Tesla is currently under increased scrutiny by the NHTSA, and the DMV says it is currently investigating “the intended design and technical capabilities of Tesla’s cars,” without commenting further.
Autonomous driving in Tesla = expensive
The status of FSD’s European approval is not known. In the Netherlands, Tesla offers autonomous driving (FSD) as a €7,500 option, explaining that you then get “all Enhanced Autopilot features” (including Auto Lane Change, automatic parking and Autopilot navigation) and “traffic light and stop sign recognition. Furthermore, “automatic steering on urban streets” should be available soon, but it is not clear when that will be the case. So for now, you seem better off with Enhanced Autopilot, which has an additional cost of €3,800.
