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☆ The real reason Tesla may be giving free trials of its Full Self-Driving software
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Tesla is offering a free monthlong trial of its Full Self-Driving software. FSD adoption could significantly increase Tesla's profit margins and improve the software. Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced on Monday that the electric carmaker would offer its US customers a free trial of the driver-assist software starting this week. "All US cars that are capable of FSD will be enabled for a one month trial this week," Musk wrote on X. Advertisement"Almost no one actually realizes how well (supervised) FSD actually works," Musk wrote in the email.

Persons: Tesla, —, Elon Musk, Musk, FSD, Brett Winton, Cathie Wood, I'm, I've Organizations: Service, Business, ARK Invest, Tesla, National, Traffic, Administration

☆ Elon Musk requires 'FSD' demo for every prospective Tesla buyer in North America
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Lora Kolodny | In Lorakolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

While all new Tesla vehicles have a standard driver assistance system installed called Autopilot, the company's FSD option costs $199 per month for most customers in North America. Tesla's FSD system does not turn cars into autonomous vehicles. According to the Tesla owners' manuals, drivers must remain attentive to the road and ready to steer or brake at any time when using FSD or FSD Beta. Owners with FSD can also get access to the FSD Beta system, which allows them to test and help debug newer driver assistance features on public roads. Under pressure from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Tesla has implemented voluntary recalls to improve the safety of its Autopilot, FSD and FSD Beta systems in recent years.

Persons: Elon, Elon Musk, Musk, FSD, Tesla, Troy Teslike Organizations: Bloomberg, CNBC, Beta, National, Traffic Safety, Tesla Locations: Gruenheide, Germany, North America

☆ Ford CEO tells Wall Street to forget Tesla, says 'Pro' business is the future of the auto industry
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Ford Motor Co., CEO Jim Farley gives the thumbs up sign before announcing Ford Motor will partner with Chinese-based, Amperex Technology, to build an all-electric vehicle battery plant in Marshall, Michigan, during a press conference in Romulus, Michigan February 13, 2023. DETROIT – Ford Motor CEO Jim Farley on Thursday urged Wall Street to forget about Tesla and its FSD driver-assistance systems as the future of the auto industry, arguing investors should instead focus on the Detroit automaker's "Pro" fleet business. Look at Ford Pro. Ford expects the Pro unit's pre-tax earnings to increase to between $8 billion and $9 billion this year, the automaker said earlier this month. Tesla does not break out revenue or earnings from its premium driver-assistance software, marketed as its Full Self Driving Beta, FSD or FSD Beta.

Persons: Jim Farley, Farley, It's Organizations: Ford Motor Co, Ford, Amperex Technology, DETROIT, Ford Motor, Detroit, Deere, Co, Ford Pro, Research, Pro Locations: Marshall , Michigan, Romulus , Michigan

☆ Tesla upgrades Model Y in China as BYD competition heats up
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A Tesla Model Y is seen on a Tesla car lot in Austin, Texas, on May 31, 2023. The Tesla Model Y will come with Hardware 4.0 (HW 4.0) free of charge when a customer purchases the car. Tesla upgraded the self-driving hardware on the Model Y car it sells in China, Elon Musk's automaker said on WeChat on Thursday, as it looks to boost sales and fend off rising competition from domestic players. The U.S. EV maker also launched new red, gray and silver colors for the Model Y in China. Tesla has brought HW 4.0 to the Model S and Model X cars in some markets.

Persons: Tesla, Elon, Warren Buffett Organizations: Tesla, Beta, stoke Locations: Austin , Texas, China, WeChat, U.S

☆ Tesla set to report third quarter earnings after the bell
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Lora Kolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Tesla is set to report third-quarter results after the bell on Wednesday. The Q3 2023 earnings call will be Tesla's first since its previous CFO, Zachary Kirkhorn, announced he was stepping aside. Earlier this month, Tesla reported a 7% decline in vehicle deliveries for the third quarter compared to the previous three-month period. Tesla reiterated at the time that it was still aiming for 1.8 million vehicle deliveries for the full year in 2023. Tesla uses an online platform called Say Technologies to pick out questions from shareholders to answer in advance of earnings calls.

Persons: Tesla, Zachary Kirkhorn, Vaibhav Taneja, Elon Musk Organizations: LSEG, Elon, Technologies, Highland, Tesla, Twitter, Say Technologies Locations: U.S, China, EU, Austin

☆ Tesla reportedly facing DOJ, SEC probes over plans to build Elon Musk a large glass house
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Lora Kolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Tesla is reportedly facing two new federal probes over possible misuse of company resources by or for the personal benefit of CEO Elon Musk. However, the new probes add to a litany of other investigations that Tesla is facing from state and federal regulators. Following that revised settlement agreement, the SEC has issued subpoenas to Tesla concerning its governance processes and compliance in regards to their settlement agreement. Tesla also disclosed in its second-quarter financial filing for 2023 that the DOJ has sought documents "related to Tesla's Autopilot and FSD features." The NHTSA investigation was initiated after a string of crashes in which Tesla vehicles with Autopilot systems installed reportedly crashed into stationary first responders' vehicles.

Persons: Elon Musk, Porte, Tesla, Elon, Musk Organizations: SpaceX, Tesla, Twitter, Viva Technology, Porte de, Street Journal, U.S, Attorney's, Southern, of, Securities and Exchange Commission, Manhattan, Reuters, Manhattan federal, SEC, CNBC, National, Traffic Safety Administration, National Transportation Safety Board, Department of Justice, DOJ, Highway Transportation, Safety Administration, Beta, NHTSA Locations: Paris, France, of New York, Austin , Texas

☆ Tesla ordered by auto regulators to provide data on 'Elon mode' Autopilot configuration
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Lora Kolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Tesla has received a special order from federal automotive safety regulators requiring the company to provide extensive data about its driver assistance and driver monitoring systems, and a once secret configuration for these known as "Elon mode." If the driver leaves the steering wheel unattended for too long, the "nag" escalates to a beeping noise. As CNBC previously reported, with the "Elon mode" configuration enabled, Tesla can allow a driver to use the company's Autopilot, FSD or FSD Beta systems without the so-called "nag." Tesla CEO Elon Musk who also owns and runs the social network X, formerly Twitter, often implies Tesla vehicles are self-driving. His use of Tesla's systems would likely comprise a violation of the company's own terms of use for Autopilot, FSD and FSD Beta, according to Greg Lindsay, an Urban Tech fellow at Cornell.

Persons: Elon Musk, Porte, Tesla, Elon, John Donaldson, Philip Koopman, Koopman, Ann Carlson, Ashok Elluswamy, Greg Lindsay, Grep, Bruno Bowden, Musk Organizations: SpaceX, Twitter, Porte de, CNBC, Traffic Safety Administration, Bloomberg, NHTSA, Automotive, Carnegie Mellon University, California DMV, FSD, Urban Tech, Cornell Locations: Paris, California

☆ Tesla Autopilot safety probe by federal vehicle regulators nears completion
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Lora Kolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A multiyear investigation into the safety of Tesla's driver assistance systems by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA, is drawing to a close. Tesla cars cannot function as robotaxis like those operated by General Motors -owned Cruise or Alphabet 's Waymo. Tesla CEO Elon Musk — who also owns and runs the social network X (formerly Twitter) — often implies Tesla cars are autonomous. But it's not clear that this is a strong enough system to ensure safe use of Tesla's driver assistance features. In 23 of these incidents, the agency report says, Tesla's driver assistance features were in use within 30 seconds of the collision.

Persons: David Shepardson, Ann Carlson, Elon Musk —, —, Musk, Tesla, Elon Organizations: National, Traffic Safety Administration, Reuters, CNBC, NHTSA, General Motors, FSD Beta, SAE International, Ford Locations: U.S

☆ Researchers say they found a way to tap into Tesla's most advanced features — without paying for them
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Researchers in Berlin say they found a way to circumvent that, and get new features for free. The doctoral researchers used a hack to "attack" Tesla's systems. Tesla owners use in-car purchases to unlock all sorts of vehicle features and upgrades. The researchers say they "attacked" Tesla's embedded car computer — known as "jailbreaking" — giving them the ability to run arbitrary software on the infotainment system, activate or disable features, and circumvent payment. Using a voltage-glitching vulnerability in the electronic control unit, the researchers bypassed Tesla's MCU-Z processor.

Persons: Tesla, Tesla's Organizations: Technical University Berlin, Tesla, TU Berlin Locations: Berlin

Getting more cars on the road would help Tesla maintain its dominant U.S. market share in "turbulent times" and give it access to precious usage data needed to train the artificial intelligence models behind its self-driving technology. The billionaire believes full self-driving (FSD) could one day account for most of Tesla's value and give it a cushion rivals lack as they try to turn their EV operations profitable. "They're not an AI play the way Microsoft or Nvidia is an AI play," said Thomas Martin, senior portfolio manager at Tesla shareholder Globalt Investments. "They're more of an AI play the way a regular business is an AI play, except that this race to full self-driving has always been an AI issue, and it's always been based on data. Wells Fargo analysts said FSD's adoption could be impeded by its price, which Musk said was low.

Persons: Elon, Musk, Tesla, Gene Munster, Lucy Nicholson, John Tomlinson, Thomas Martin, it's, Wells, Peter Henderson, Aditya Soni, Akash Sriram, Dhanya Ann Thoppil Organizations: Tesla, Deepwater Asset Management, REUTERS, Global, Research, Beta, Microsoft, Nvidia, Globalt Investments, Dojo, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S

☆ Tesla is finally addressing one of its customers' biggest gripes — but only for 3 months
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Elon Musk announced that Tesla owners can transfer their Full Self-Driving package to a new Tesla for a limited time. Elon Musk has heard you, Tesla owners. Musk on Wednesday announced a solution to one of his customers' biggest gripes — but the deal won't last long. For a limited time, he said, Tesla owners will be able to transfer their expensive Full Self-Driving package to a new Tesla. Tesla charges $15,000 for a suite of driver-assistance features it calls Full Self-Driving (FSD).

Persons: Tesla, Elon Musk, Musk, they've, FSD Organizations: Morning, Wednesday, Beta

☆ NHTSA presses Tesla for more records in Autopilot safety probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Lora Kolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Tesla must send extensive new records to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration as part of an Autopilot safety probe — or else face steep fines. The agency initiated an investigation into Autopilot safety in 2021 after it identified a string of crashes in which Tesla vehicles using Autopilot had collided with stationary first responders' vehicles and road work vehicles. Instead, Tesla vehicles require a driver behind the wheel, ready to steer or brake at any time. The company's FSD Beta consists of driver assistance features that have been tested internally but have not been fully debugged. Tesla uses its customers as software and vehicle safety testers via the FSD Beta program, rather than relying on professional safety drivers, as is the industry standard.

Persons: Elon Musk, Porte, Tesla, Ronald Belt, Lars Moravy Organizations: SpaceX, Tesla, Twitter, Viva Technology, Porte de, National, Safety Administration, Beta, Cruise, FSD Beta, NHTSA Locations: Paris, France, U.S

☆ Tesla secret configuration allows select drivers to use Autopilot, FSD without a nag to take the wheel
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Lora Kolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

When a Tesla vehicle has this mode enabled, it eliminates what owners of the cars refer to as the "nag." The researcher has nicknamed the feature "Elon Mode," but that is not the company's internal nomenclature for it, he said. Instead, Tesla driver assistance systems require a human driver to remain attentive and ready to brake or steer at any moment. Typically, when a Tesla driver is using Autopilot or FSD (or their variations), a visual symbol blinks on the car's touchscreen to prompt drivers to apply resistance to the steering wheel at frequent intervals. If the driver does not grasp the steering wheel, the nag escalates to a beeping noise.

Persons: Tesla, Elon Musk, Musk, Elon, GreentheOnly Organizations: Tesla, CNBC, FSD Beta, National, Traffic Safety, NHTSA Locations: Austin , Texas, United States, U.S

☆ Elon Musk's self-driving car project is on a road to nowhere
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Elon Musk has made developing autonomous driving technology one of Tesla's fundamental goals. "Today it's financially insane to buy anything other than a Tesla," Musk said at an event touting the carmaker's autonomous-vehicle development in 2019. That revolutionary software update never came, and by 2022 the goalpost for bringing self-driving cars to the masses had shifted to 2023. Full Self-Driving is far from actually being self-driving, some sayDespite its branding, Tesla's Full Self-Driving Beta currently requires total driver supervision, just like cruise control or smarter features like Autopilot. Likewise, McGehee says self-driving cars need a combination of overlapping sensors — whether that's cameras, radar, lidar, or ultrasonic sensors — to move through the world safely.

☆ Tesla is rolling out its first Full Self-Driving update after a recall — see the new features
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Nora Naughton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tesla is addressing a recall issued last month to some cars equipped with Full Self Driving, or FSD. The latest FSD update is rolling out gradually, and drivers should be notified by April 15. The update comes with a variety of new features, including a merging of FSD and Tesla's Autopilot highway driver assist software. This week's update is also designed to address NHTSA's recall, according to text from the update posted to a Tesla blog that crowdsources from owners. Tesla's driver assist features are under investigationTesla's Autopilot driver assist software has drawn the scrutiny of regulators for several years.

☆ Fatal Tesla collision with firetruck under federal investigation
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Lora Kolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Federal vehicle safety regulators initiated a new, special crash investigation into a fatal collision that involved a Tesla Model S sedan and a firetruck in Walnut Creek, California, last month, CNBC has confirmed. All new Tesla vehicles in the U.S. come with a standard driver assistance package called Autopilot. The new special crash investigation is part of an extensive NHTSA probe of Tesla's driver assistance systems, and how they perform around parked first responder vehicles. According to records on the agency's website, NHTSA opened a "preliminary evaluation" of Tesla's Autopilot systems on August 13, 2021. "The investigation opening was motivated by an accumulation of crashes in which Tesla vehicles, operating with Autopilot engaged, struck stationary in-road or roadside first responder vehicles tending to pre-existing collision scenes."

☆ Tesla recalls almost 3,500 Model Y cars for loose bolts
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Tesla is recalling 3,470 2022-2023 Model Y cars due to bolts in the second-row seat back frames not being secured properly. On Model Y vehicles, the second-row driver- and passenger-side seat back frames are secured with four bolts per seat back. Tesla found five warranty claims regarding the bolts since last December, but is not aware of any injuries or deaths due to it. Tesla will inspect the bolts and tighten them if necessary for free of charge, and owner notification letters will be mailed. Tesla will attempt to fix the feature, which costs $15,000, through an over-the-air software update, the notice added.

☆ Elon Musk has promised self-driving Teslas for years. Experts say it's not even close.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

☆ Tesla recalling nearly 363,000 vehicles equipped with ‘Full Self-Driving’
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Tesla is recalling nearly 363,000 vehicles with its so-called “Full Self Driving” driver assist feature due to risks it can pose at intersections, even if the driver is paying attention and ready to take over control of the car. Tesla will attempt to fix the the FSD feature, which costs $15,000, through an over-the-air software update, the notice added. NHTSA itself has identified at least 273 crashes that involved one of Tesla’s driver assist systems. Tesla owners have filed a class-action lawsuit over the predictions and missed deadlines, which is still pending. Tesla, which has disbanded its public relations staff and has not responded to press inquiries for several years, could not be reached for comment.

☆ Tesla recalls 362,758 vehicles, says Full Self-Driving Beta software may cause crashes
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Lora Kolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Tesla is recalling 362,758 vehicles equipped with the company's experimental driver-assistance software, which is marketed as Full Self-Driving Beta or FSD Beta, in the US, according to a recall notice out Thursday. The FSD Beta system may also have trouble responding appropriately "to changes in posted speed limits," the notice said. Tesla lets thousands of drivers try new and unfinished driver assistance features on public roads in the U.S. through FSD Beta. Owners must obtain a high driver-safety score, as determined by Tesla software that monitors their driving habits, and maintain it to get FSD Beta access. FSD Beta can best be summarized as a host of new features that are not yet fully debugged.

☆ Tesla recalls more than 362,000 cars for a software issue that may cause them to 'act unsafe around intersections'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tesla will issue an over-the-air software update to more than 362,000 cars, NHTSA said Thursday. The carmaker issued the recall over concerns its FSD software may cause it to act "unsafe" in intersections. NHTSA said the beta software "increases the risk of a crash." Tesla will release an over-the-air software update to address the issue, according to the agency. The agency said the software issue "increases the risk of a crash" and allows the car to exceed the speed limit and travel through intersections in an "unlawful or unpredictable manner."

☆ Tesla recalls 362,000 U.S. vehicles over Full Self-Driving software
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Tesla Inc FollowWASHINGTON, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) is recalling 362,000 U.S. vehicles because its Full Self-Driving (FSD) Beta software may cause a crash, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on Thursday. The auto safety regulator said the Tesla software allows a vehicle to "exceed speed limits or travel through intersections in an unlawful or unpredictable manner increases the risk of a crash." Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. NHTSA said "the system may respond insufficiently to changes in posted speed limits or not adequately account for the driver's adjustment of the vehicle's speed to exceed posted speed limits." Tesla and NHTSA say FSD's advanced driving features do not make the cars autonomous and require drivers to pay attention.

☆ Amazon's Zoox robotaxi now giving rides to employees on public roads in California
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Annie Palmer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Amazon -owned autonomous vehicle venture Zoox said on Monday that it is now testing its self-driving robotaxis on public roads in California with passengers on board. Zoox executives said the company began the tests after it received approval from the California Department of Motor Vehicles last week. Zoox said one of its vehicles completed a test run with employees on board over the weekend. Zoox unveiled its custom-built, electric robotaxi in 2020, with an eye on offering on-demand autonomous transportation in urban settings. It will continue to test the vehicle with employees and expects to launch a shuttle service for staffers this spring.

☆ Super Bowl ad slams Tesla’s ‘Full Self-Driving’ tech
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —Electric carmaker Tesla will face a hit on Super Bowl Sunday, when an ad will play showing the alleged dangers of its Full Self-Driving technology. The ad is part of a multimillion dollar advertising campaign by The Dawn Project. The ad cost $598,000, a Dawn Project spokesperson told CNN. “Tesla’s Full Self-Driving is endangering the public,” the ad said. “Tesla’s reckless deployment of Full Self-Driving software on public roads is a major threat to public safety.

☆ A Tesla owner says he knows people who tie weights to the steering wheel to trick the system into thinking they are actively driving
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Bianca Giacobone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Tesla feature monitoring if drivers are holding the wheel can be tricked with weights, users say. Tesla's Autopilot requires constant human supervision, as it can't handle all driving situations. Elon Musk's automaker released its much discussed Autopilot system in 2015, and Teslas have since found themselves in all sorts of crashes. But the monitoring system can be tricked, and that's been the case for years. The company is expected to release the latest full self-driving software later this month, though it is unclear whether it will liberate seasoned Tesla drivers from having to regularly apply pressure to the steering wheel.

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