BMW’s sudden removal of a tweet praising Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) system has sparked speculation about potential licensing deals and the future of autonomous vehicle technology. The deleted post, which called FSD ‘very impressive,’ fueled hopes among Tesla investors, but its disappearance leaves many questions unanswered.
A Wall Street analyst successfully completed an unassisted 94.7-mile drive from Manhattan to Connecticut using Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology, marking a significant advancement in autonomous driving capabilities and potentially impacting Tesla’s stock price.
A popular Tesla YouTuber, known as Dirty Tesla, has independently replicated a test by the safety advocacy group The Dawn Project, confirming that Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) software would indeed run down a child crossing the road. This confirmation comes after Tesla’s attempts to discredit The Dawn Project’s findings and its own supporters’ mixed results from similar tests.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has expressed concerns about Tesla’s promotion of its Full Self Driving (FSD) driver assistance system on social media, claiming it may mislead consumers about the technology’s capabilities. This comes amidst an ongoing investigation into Tesla vehicles involved in crashes while using FSD, including one fatal incident involving a pedestrian. The regulator has requested Tesla to clarify its communication regarding FSD and has set a deadline for the company to provide further information on crashes.
Tesla’s planned launch of Full Self-Driving (FSD) in China may face delays as the company awaits regulatory approval and grapples with data security concerns. While Tesla has expressed its commitment to launching FSD in China and Europe, the Chinese government is yet to grant permission for the feature’s introduction. Data security concerns have emerged as a significant barrier, prompting discussions about granting Tesla access to certain non-sensitive video data for system training.
Tesla is set to host its Robotaxi event on October 10th, and Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas believes it could be a significant moment for the company’s autonomous ride-sharing ambitions. Jonas expects Tesla to showcase a cybercab demonstration and discuss potential launch timelines, focusing on both fully autonomous and supervised ride-sharing services. The analyst also predicts Tesla will reveal details about target metro areas, FSD hardware installations, potential price cuts for FSD, and driver economics.
A U.S. District Court judge dismissed a lawsuit against Tesla, ruling that shareholders failed to prove CEO Elon Musk misled investors regarding the company’s Full-Self Driving (FSD) technology. While the judge rejected claims of misrepresentation, investors have until October 30th to file an updated complaint. Despite this victory, Tesla faces ongoing lawsuits and federal investigations regarding its Autopilot and FSD systems. The company continues to expand its FSD technology with software updates, including deployment on the Cybertruck. Musk has also teased the possibility of an unsupervised robotaxi by the end of 2024.
Wedbush analyst Dan Ives anticipates Tesla’s third-quarter deliveries to surpass expectations, driven by robust demand in China and favorable financing terms. He also highlighted the upcoming Robotaxi event as a key catalyst for the company.
An analyst has cast doubt on Tesla’s self-driving technology, calling it a ‘safety disaster’ and ‘galaxies away’ from its competitors. Independent testing by AMCI reveals frequent human intervention required for safe operation, raising concerns about the technology’s readiness for unsupervised autonomy.
Tesla executive Ashok Elluswamy’s playful ‘Airplane!’ GIF suggests the company is working hard to deploy its full self-driving (FSD) technology on the Cybertruck, despite previous delays. FSD features have already been partially implemented on the Cybertruck, but the full autonomous driving capability remains elusive.
