Three times in the last four months, technology analyst William Stein from Truist Securities has tested Tesla’s highly praised “Full Self-Driving” system at the invitation of Elon Musk. Despite Tesla’s claims that vehicles with this technology can travel with minimal human input, Stein reported that the cars he tested made risky and even illegal maneuvers, causing concern. Stein’s experiences, along with a recent Tesla crash in Seattle that resulted in the death of a motorcyclist, have attracted the attention of federal regulators who have been investigating Tesla’s automated driving systems for over two years due to safety issues raised by numerous accidents.
These incidents have raised doubts among those monitoring autonomous vehicles about the safety and feasibility of Tesla’s automated system functioning reliably on a large scale. Stein expressed skepticism about Tesla achieving Musk’s goal of deploying a fleet of autonomous robotaxis by next year, as the company is facing challenges in proving the system can drive more safely than human drivers as required by federal regulations.
Although Musk has indicated that Full Self-Driving may surpass human driver safety by the end of this year, the recent incidents have cast uncertainty on these claims. Despite Tesla’s caution that vehicles with the system still require driver supervision at all times, there are concerns about the system’s ability to operate without human intervention safely. The current skepticism surrounding Tesla’s autonomous driving technology poses a significant obstacle for the company, which has been investing in Full Self-Driving since 2015.
Stein’s test drive of a Tesla Model 3 equipped with the latest Full Self-Driving software revealed instances where the car made unsafe decisions, such as making a left turn on a red light and straddling multiple lanes on a roadway. These incidents, along with Stein’s observation during two previous test drives in April and July, indicate that the Full Self-Driving system may not be as advanced as Musk has predicted, raising concerns about its readiness for widespread deployment.
While some Tesla enthusiasts have shared videos of their vehicles operating autonomously, experts warn that these videos do not provide a comprehensive picture of the system’s performance over time. Despite Tesla’s efforts to improve its driving technology, concerns remain about the system’s ability to navigate real-world scenarios safely, especially in comparison to other autonomous vehicle companies that utilize a combination of cameras, radar, and laser sensors for enhanced detection capabilities.
As regulators continue to investigate Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system and its implications for vehicle safety, the debate over the system’s readiness for widespread deployment and its ability to operate autonomously without human intervention intensifies. Musk’s ambitious projections for Tesla’s autonomous driving technology face growing scrutiny amid mounting concerns about the system’s safety and reliability on public roads.
