You’ve been misled about Tesla’s Self-driving all along

Imagine sitting in a car that drives itself without any intervention and makes you feel safe, just like today, we’re so used to riding elevators. What if I told you that, for all the buzz around Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” (FSD) technology, the reality might not match the hype? The vision of autonomous cars has captivated our imaginations, but Tesla’s FSD might not be as “autonomous” as many think. So, in this blog post, let’s take a look at where we are and common misconceptions about Tesla’s self-driving. You’ve been misled about Tesla’s Self-driving all along!

The Reality of Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” Today

When people think of “self-driving,” they often envision a vehicle navigating roads entirely on its own, perhaps even without a steering wheel. However, Tesla’s FSD, as it stands, requires constant human oversight. The current system operates at SAE Level 2, which is categorized as driver assistance rather than full autonomy. This means the driver must always remain engaged and prepared to intervene at any moment. While Tesla’s advancements are impressive, the vehicle still relies heavily on human input.

Tesla has set ambitious goals for autonomous driving and transformed what we expect from our vehicles. The FSD package promises full autonomy, yet the technology remains classified as Level 2 autonomy ,  a far cry from true driverless capability. So why has the public perception strayed from the current reality? Let’s break down what’s really going on with Tesla’s self-driving features and how they differ from the hype.

Despite FSD’s name, the technology can’t handle all driving situations alone. You see, Tesla’s FSD Beta allows the car to perform a variety of functions, such as stopping at intersections, navigating urban city streets, and reacting to other vehicles on the street. However, it may not work in unpredictable and complex real life. For now, even at the lab, the vehicle still struggles with unexpected obstacles or unclear lane markings, where human intervention is still necessary. So, the true self-driving is still a dream, at least, for now.

Why the Public Perception is Skewed

Part of the confusion stems from Tesla’s marketing, which uses terms like “Autopilot” and “Full Self-Driving”. Those terms sound like a greater level of autonomy, which is misleading, compared to what’s currently possible in real life, let alone Tesla’s marketing efforts.

In my view, terms like “Full Self-Driving” suggest a feature that allows a car to operate without human intervention. However, at the current stage, this terminology can lead consumers to overestimate the system’s true capabilities and even cause disruptions to the market, not in a good way.

In comparison, other car manufacturers use more conservative language to describe their driver-assist features. For example, General Motors refers to its system as “Super Cruise,” which explicitly states that it only works on pre-mapped highways with constant driver engagement. Tesla, on the other hand, has taken a more assertive approach, suggesting that the future of self-driving is already here ,  even though the system still relies on drivers to be fully attentive.

Drama and the Safety Concerns Surrounding FSD

Safety is at the core of the self-driving conversation. As Tesla continues to develop FSD, it remains in a “beta” testing phase, meaning that customers who opt into the system are essentially test drivers. While Tesla uses data collected from these drivers to improve the system, it also raises ethical questions. How safe is it to deploy beta software for real-world use?

Statistics on Tesla’s FSD safety are still under review, with some incidents of Tesla vehicles involved in accidents while using Autopilot or FSD. Tesla points to data showing reduced crash rates for vehicles using Autopilot in highway conditions, but this doesn’t account for the full scope of driving environments. Autonomous driving becomes far more complex in urban settings, where unexpected variables like pedestrians, cyclists, and complex intersections come into play. These scenarios reveal the limitations of FSD, where human-like adaptability and decision-making are still needed.

For context, Waymo, the autonomous vehicle company backed by Alphabet, has developed a robotaxi service in certain parts of Phoenix, Arizona, that operates without a driver. However, even Waymo’s system has geographic limitations and carefully selected service areas to ensure safety. Tesla, by contrast, is aiming to bring autonomous driving to the general public without restricting its use to specific, carefully mapped areas. While this ambition is bold, it also makes achieving full autonomy a much more challenging goal.

Tesla’s “Robotaxis”: The Future or Just a Dream?

Tesla’s ultimate goal is to reach Level 5 autonomy that’s a stage where cars can drive entirely on their own without needing a steering wheel or pedals. Sounds like Robotaxi and RobotVan revealed at the recent ‘We Robot’ event, right ?

The concept of having an AI Robot + Taxi or Van is super intriguing and eye-catching. But, no. Because the event was discretely planned in a venue that is relatively safer and less challenging zone, this wouldn’t mean Teslas Robotaxi or Robotvan could handle any road, weather, or complex driving scenario independently in real world.

Elon Musk has also mentioned a future where Tesla’s full self-driving (FSD) capabilities could work as a robotaxis, picking up fares while their owners aren’t using them, like a rental fleet. This helps Tesla owners to generate extra income while they are on vacation and have no need for their cars. While it’s an exciting idea, it’s still highly speculative.

For this vision to become a reality, Tesla would need to achieve a more advanced level of autonomy than it currently has, and regulatory approval for such services would be essential.

In 2019, Musk predicted that Tesla would have a fleet of a million robotaxis by 2020, but we’re still far from that vision. The technology, legal hurdles, and safety concerns mean that a future filled with Tesla robotaxis could still be years ,  if not decades   away.

Tesla’s Path Forward: What Does the Future Hold?

There’s no denying that Tesla’s work on self-driving technology is groundbreaking, and the company’s bold goals have ignited a race among automakers to reach autonomy first. However, the road to full autonomy could still be complex and challenging. Even after all the technology side of things improves, we still have challenges around regulations, safety, and risks to deal with.

At this stage, with each software update, the company seems only inches closer to making FSD more reliable and capable. For a second, Tesla drivers forgot what FSD really entails.

Tesla’s approach to FSD demonstrates both the possibilities and limitations of our current technology, but one thing is clear: Tesla’s Full Self-Driving journey (FSD) is still on the road, and the technology we have today is only a stepping stone toward the truly autonomous future that Elon Musk envisions just as he envisioned his Mars colonization.

Until then, Tesla’s FSD was still merely an advanced driver-assist feature rather than a fully self-driving system, and they were just selling a dream.

Looking forward

Despite self-driving cars being one of the most transformative innovations of our time , but sometimes, the hype can drive us to believe we’re further along than we actually are, but I believe we’re witnessing the early stages of a technology that could one day change the world and our way of living in particular with the rise of AGI. 

If you enjoy similar topics, such as this one regarding the impact of AI recruiting and hiring or this one about why AI is a hard sell, you can follow me here on Medium or sign up for my Medium updates and stay tuned to my newsletter. Life happens; sometimes, things just get in my way, but I’m writing weekly to train my tech entrepreneurship muscle! Leave your thoughts in the comments below because I’m curious: what do you think of Tesla’s self-driving dream? Stay tuned, and see you in the next one!