Latest / Elon Musk Podcast / Tesla’s Full Self-Driving Software Under Investigation

Transcript

Tesla’s Full Self-Driving Software Under Investigation · Elon Musk Podcast

• 0:01
  Hey, everybody. Welcome back to the Elon Musk
• 0:04
  Podcast. This is a show where we discuss
• 0:07
  the critical crossroads that shape SpaceX, Tesla X, The
• 0:11
  Boring Company, and Neurolink. I'm your host, Will Walden.
• 0:17
  How effective is Tesla's full self driving system under poor
• 0:21
  visibility? And also, what led a new federal
• 0:24
  investigation targeting Tesla's driver assistance tech?
• 0:28
  Could this scrutiny disrupt Elon Musk's robo taxi?
• 0:32
  Now, the National Hwy. Traffic Safety Administration,
• 0:35
  the NHTSA, announced a preliminary evaluation into
• 0:38
  Tesla's FSD technology after four reported crashes between
• 0:42
  November 2023 and May of 2024. These incidents all occurred
• 0:47
  under reduced visibility conditions such as fog, sun
• 0:51
  glare or airborne dust. The agency's focus is whether
• 0:54
  the software is capable of detecting and responding
• 0:57
  appropriately in such scenarios. One of these incidents in
• 1:01
  Rimrock, AZ involved a Tesla Model Y striking and killing a
• 1:06
  pedestrian. The crashes have prompted
• 1:09
  concerns over the system's reliability in non ideal driving
• 1:12
  environments, leading to broader inquiries into its operational
• 1:17
  safety. The investigation effects
• 1:19
  approximately 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD,
• 1:24
  spanning models released between 2016 and 2024.
• 1:27
  This includes Model S, Model X, Model 3 and Model Y, and also
• 1:32
  the 2023-2024 Cyber Truck. The preliminary evaluation is
• 1:36
  just the first step in a potentially lengthy process that
• 1:40
  could lead to recalls if the vehicles are deemed a safety
• 1:43
  risk. The investigation will assess
• 1:45
  whether Tesla has made updates to the FSD system to improve its
• 1:49
  handling of poor visibility, and the NHTSA is also evaluating the
• 1:54
  safety implications of the updates, examining their timing,
• 1:59
  purpose and effectiveness. Now, the four crashes under
• 2:02
  investigation are under certain scenarios with SFD appeared to
• 2:10
  falter. Rimrock, AZ November 2023 I
• 2:14
  already spoke about that when a pedestrian was killed after
• 2:16
  being struck by a 2021 Tesla Model Y January 2024 in nipped
• 2:21
  in California, a Model 3 collided with another vehicle
• 2:24
  during a dust storm and Red Mills, Virginia in March of
• 2:27
  2024, a Model 3 was involved in a crash on a cloudy day and
• 2:32
  Collinsville, OH May 2024 a Model three hit a stationary
• 2:37
  object on a foggy rural Rd., resulting in injuries.
• 2:41
  Now the NHTSA is seeking to determine if these incidents are
• 2:45
  indicative of broader systematic issues within the Full Self
• 2:49
  Driving system. Tesla has long marketed FSD
• 2:53
  software as a step toward autonomous driving, though it
• 2:56
  currently requires driver supervision.
• 2:58
  And on its website, Tesla clearly states that FSD is not a
• 3:01
  fully autonomous system and advisors users to remain
• 3:04
  attentive during driving behind the wheel.
• 3:07
  The system has faced scrutiny throughout the years, with
• 3:10
  critics arguing that Tesla's reliance and a camera only
• 3:13
  approach without supplemental sensors like radar or lidar may
• 3:17
  limit its reliability in adverse conditions.
• 3:20
  And some industry experts suggest that weather related
• 3:22
  challenges could be a critical hurdle for Tesla's self driving.
• 3:26
  Now, this latest probe is not Tesla's first encounter with
• 3:29
  regulators. Earlier in 2023, NHTSA closed an
• 3:33
  investigation into Tesla's less advanced Autopilot system after
• 3:37
  examining nearly 500 crashes. That inquiry identified 13 fatal
• 3:42
  accidents, leading to heightened concerns about Tesla's driver
• 3:46
  assistance technology. Tesla also faces lawsuits and
• 3:49
  government investigations into its claims about Autopilot and
• 3:53
  FSD. One high profile case, Tesla
• 3:56
  reached a settlement early this year avoiding a trial of an
• 3:59
  Autopilot related crash. Meanwhile, the Department of
• 4:03
  Justice has issued subpoenas related to Tesla's self driving
• 4:07
  claims, and the California Department of Motor Vehicles has
• 4:10
  accused the company of overstating the system's
• 4:12
  capabilities. Now, Elon Musk has frequently
• 4:16
  touted Tesla's advancements in autonomous technology
• 4:20
  positioning in as a cornerstone of the company's future.
• 4:22
  Just a week before the investigation was announced,
• 4:25
  Musk unveiled the prototype of the Cyber Cab 2 Seater Robo Taxi
• 4:29
  concept without a steering wheel or pedals.
• 4:32
  Now, Musk claimed that Model Threes and Model Y vehicles
• 4:35
  would operate without supervision in California and
• 4:37
  Texas by 2025, but offer no specifics on how this would be
• 4:42
  achieved. However, regulatory hurdles loom
• 4:46
  large for Tesla to deploy vehicles without traditional
• 4:49
  controls, approval from NHTSA would be required.
• 4:52
  This poses a huge challenge as the agency investigates Tesla's
• 4:56
  current technology and its ability to ensure safety.
• 5:00
  Now, Tesla's approach to autonomous driving relies
• 5:03
  exclusively on camera based vision systems powered by
• 5:06
  artificial intelligence, a method some experts argue is
• 5:10
  vulnerable to environmental limitations.
• 5:12
  And competing companies such as Waymo and Cruise incorporate
• 5:16
  lidar and radar technology to enhance their system's ability
• 5:19
  to navigate complex environments.
• 5:22
  Now, Jeff Schuster, who's a vice president at Global Data, noted
• 5:25
  that weather conditions could impede the performance of camera
• 5:28
  based systems, adding the regulatory oversight may delay
• 5:31
  Tesla's deployment of fully autonomous vehicles.
• 5:34
  And the investigation adds to more pressure on Tesla as it
• 5:38
  faces increased competition in the electric vehicle market.
• 5:42
  Companies focus on self driving technology comes amid slowing
• 5:45
  demand for its core vehicles and rivals are making strides in the
• 5:48
  robo taxi space with more robust sensor arrays.
• 5:52
  Tesla's legal troubles and regulatory scrutiny could also
• 5:54
  impact investor confidence. While Tesla's stock rose
• 5:57
  slightly after the announcement of the investigation, prolonged
• 6:01
  uncertainty could weigh on the company's market position.
• 6:04
  Now. What's next?
• 6:05
  The NHTS as preliminary evaluation is expected to last
• 6:09
  up to 8 months, but the agency identifies significant safety
• 6:12
  risks. It could escalate the
• 6:14
  investigation to an engineering analysis or recommend a recall.
• 6:18
  Tesla has not commented publicly on the latest probe, leaving
• 6:21
  questions about its next steps unanswered.
• 6:23
  The agency is also examining whether Tesla drivers are
• 6:26
  adequately adhering to instructions to remain engaged
• 6:29
  while using FSD. Past investigations in Autopilot
• 6:32
  revealed instances where drivers rely too heavily on the system,
• 6:36
  leading to accidents. Now, Tesla has faced other fatal
• 6:40
  accidents involving its driver sys systems.
• 6:43
  In one instance in April of 2023, a Model S operating in FSD
• 6:48
  mode struck and killed the motorist near Seattle.
• 6:51
  Such incidents have drawn criticism from safety advocates,
• 6:55
  who argue that Tesla's branding of a software as Full Self
• 6:58
  Driving can mislead users into overestimating its capabilities.
• 7:02
  Now, the company's December 2023 recall of more than two million
• 7:06
  vehicles to address issues with its Autopilot system also
• 7:09
  remains under review. The NHTSA is still evaluating
• 7:13
  whether those measures adequately resolve concerns
• 7:16
  about drivers not paying attention.
• 7:25
  Hey, thank you so much for listening today.
• 7:26
  I really do appreciate your support.
• 7:28
  If you could take a second and hit this subscribe or the follow
• 7:31
  button on whatever podcast platform that you're listening
• 7:33
  on right now, I greatly appreciate it.
• 7:36
  It helps out the show tremendously and you'll never
• 7:39
  miss an episode. And each episode is about 10
• 7:42
  minutes or less to get you caught up quickly.
• 7:45
  And please, if you want to support the show even more, go
• 7:47
  to patreon.com/stage Zero. And please take care of
• 7:53
  yourselves and each other. And I'll see you tomorrow.