Tesla is sailing with more skepticism about its autonomous driving systems



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It’s hard to be Tesla. In a world where cars are going electric, just like the company originally intended when its mission began 18 years ago, Tesla is the best dog around. All the automakers around the world are nibbling their heels in an attempt to catch up with the automaker Elon Musk. However, recent developments have inspired me to look at a different kind of competition Tesla faces, which seems somewhat unfair in the grand scheme of things. Sadly, it’s not another auto company, but federal investigators and Tesla skeptics that continue to make company crashes worse, all because it’s possible that a car involved in a crash could have. operated on autopilot.

Earlier this week, a Model Y was involved in an accident in Michigan. What turned out to be a case of reckless driving was initially blamed on the possibility of an autopilot by mainstream media sources. Unfortunately for them, their credibility with Tesla vehicles continues to be shaken as they sacrifice long term reliability in electric vehicles for a short term audience. A Tesla was actually in an accident in Detroit, and yes, the NHTSA was investigating it. There is no reason to go further than that.

Unfortunately, Tesla’s deployment of autopilot and full self-driving put the company at risk for these types of stories. Whenever a Tesla breaks down, the first thing that is stuck in people’s minds is the possibility that the car may have used the semi-autonomous driving features. Why? Human beings are still responsible for driving the car even when the vehicle uses advanced technology. It is by no means the car’s fault that the driver is still responsible for the ultimate operation of the vehicle. It’s like blaming a fork for obesity, in my eyes.

While it is unfortunate that there have been autopilot fatalities, there are cases where gross driver negligence is really the cause of an accident. For example, in a case where speed and reckless driving are really the factor, there must be immediate clarification by investigators. Perhaps Tesla could provide clarification to authorities in a type of system where officers could give the VIN of a vehicle involved, and Tesla could immediately determine if the car was working using its power assist functions. conduct. Obviously, there may be a better way. But in the short term, especially in the early days of FSD Beta, the credibility of vehicle systems is extremely important for future deployments.


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Statistically, Tesla vehicles are much safer than human drivers, to begin with. Recent statistics from Tesla’s Q4 2020 Safety Report show that an autopilot crash has occurred every 3.45 million miles. The national average is 484,000 miles. Isn’t that enough to prove that autopilot is a better option than human driving? By the way, it is getting more and more precise and precise with every mile traveled thanks to its neural networks reaching new data.

The exposure Tesla receives after one of these tragic accidents is probably what is most frustrating. Immediately people jump to conclusions and assume that the car was responsible for the problems. It’s interesting though because I never remember a single instance of media skipping over an issue with SuperCruise or any of the many other driver assistance systems that are on the market today. I’m sure there was coverage, I can’t recall a case where this was a national title like Tesla seems to be included on a regular basis.

In all fairness, it’s extremely frustrating to know that the focus is as much on Tesla’s shortcomings as it is on its big hits. I’m a TSLA investor, but I’m also extremely critical of the company at times, and I think it’s because of my holdings. There are times when I would do things differently. I expressed my distaste for not telling any Model Y LR RWD reservation holder that their cars were not going to be made. I am upset that there is relatively no communication with Model S Plaid reservation holders regarding their steering wheels. I’m not a fan of being told that Semi / Roadster production is imminent many times, but we’re still sitting here with none of those vehicles. I have bottlenecks, but I think these things have frustrated me personally.

However, I will also admit that things are just plain unfair, and Tesla falls victim to this time and time again. I don’t know if this has to do with the oil money lining the pockets of MSM, or it’s just an attempt to derail a company that has really disrupted the auto industry. I will not speculate. There is, of course, a reason for the surveys that could be beneficial. It could simply be an attempt to learn from Tesla’s mistakes and pass them on for future instances. Unfortunately, there will be more accidents with autonomous driving software, and it will go way beyond Tesla. However, Tesla is the only company that has a robust autonomous driving program, so the microscope almost has to be on them sometimes, but this is where this whole situation gets really tricky.

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I use this newsletter to share my thoughts on what’s going on in the Tesla world. If you want to talk to me directly, you can email me or reach me on Twitter. I don’t bite, be sure to reach out!



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