E-mails to US authorities reveal that Tesla's software for “full self-driving capability” is not suitable for autonomous driving.
In terms of hardware, all Tesla vehicles are potentially capable of driving autonomously. Tesla is selling a software package called “Full Self-Driving-Capability” (FSD, translated: “Full Self-Driving Capability”) for around US $ 10,000. But this designation does not actually deserve the name, as can be seen from e-mails that have now been published. Instead, there is a huge gap between what Elon Musk promises to make and what the software can actually do.
According to a report by Business Insider, Tesla had to admit to the California authorities that the FSD software package would not make cars autonomous in the near future. At least that's what it says in emails Tesla sent to the California regulator, which were published on Friday.
“The driver is responsible”
In it, Tesla's attorney Eric Williams writes that the company has already made it “very clear” that beta users of the system are always responsible for the vehicle and that the software package * does not * allow the Tesla to drive autonomously.
The core element of the FSD software, which is apparently the subject of the letter, is a function that affects the automatic control of streets in the city. This element is currently limited to a few Tesla employees and is part of a beta program launched in October 2020. The function should still be activated in the first half of 2021.
Notifiable or not?
Williams says that the entire software package is still a “level 2” functionality in autonomous driving, which means that people must always pay constant attention to the vehicle and the road. That will also be the case with the final version of the software, according to the emails. This should be ready and published by the middle of the year. However, the start date has already been postponed several times.
In its inquiry to Tesla, the authority was primarily concerned with ensuring that Tesla does not have functions tested on the road that are actually notifiable and for which the US company needs its own permit. According to Tesla's attorney, the software called “Full Self-Driving-Capability” would not be software for autonomous driving and therefore no extra license would be required.
Musk marketing promises a lot more
However, this completely contradicts the way Tesla markets its vehicles – and the $ 10,000 software. For example, Musk showed videos in December of a driver playing video games while the car drives alone. In January 2021, Musk said that Tesla would soon – in 2021 – reach “Level 5”, ie the level of “full autonomy”. Musk has also promised that the FSD software will soon launch a fleet of one million robotic taxis. The “Business Insider” asked Tesla how this discrepancy came about, but unfortunately received no answer.
In Germany, advertising was also banned by the court. But the first testers of the FSD software were not exactly enthusiastic either and identified “serious defects”. The US consumer advocates at Consumer Reports had already been able to test some of the FSD functions and had to discover “unbelievable deficiencies”. For consumer advocates, Tesla's approach also endangers security. Especially since certain versions that have been released as beta versions should only be tried out on a test site.
