Full Self-Driving (FSD)

Tesla has engaged in a pattern of taking credit for the successes of its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software, even though the car still relies on an attentive driver, and yet blaming the driver rather than the software whenever things go badly.

But new moves towards allowing more distracted driving could make it harder for the company to blame drivers when its software fails.

Tesla will continue to extend its “one-time” FSD transfer scheme for at least another quarter, according to CEO Elon Musk at today’s Tesla shareholder meeting.

Tesla no longer promises that all of its cars have the hardware onboard for Full Self-Driving, instead now saying that its cars are “designed for autonomy.”

The change happens amidst a growing call for Tesla to upgrade old cars, sold with the promise of complete autonomous operation, but whose hardware is increasingly becoming incapable of running the latest versions of Tesla’s driver assist software.

A recent AAA poll shows that just 13% of Americans trust self-driving cars, leaving 87% either unsure about, or “too afraid” to give up the controls. At the same time, it seems like Stellantis is giving up on its highly-publicized AutoDrive Level 3 ADAS.

Is this the beginning of the end of self-driving hype?

Chinese media outlet Dongchedi conducted another massive test of driver assist systems, testing many of the same cars as it did in the highway test we we reported on this weekend.

This time, the test covers various urban driving scenarios, where much more human carnage is possible due to the presence of vulnerable road users like pedestrians and two-wheelers. And given how poorly the cars did on the last test, you can guess how they might have done on this one – although, once again, Tesla fared rather well, but was not without issue.

Chinese media outlet Dongchedi closed down a real highway for a multi-day test of 36 different car driver assist systems in complicated, dangerous real-world driving situations, and most came up severely lacking – though Tesla escaped the tests relatively unscathed.

(Update: Dongchedi released another test, this time of city driving, which you can read about here)

Tesla is starting to experience some consequences for misleading Full Self Driving customers – at least that’s the finding of one arbitration ruling that has Tesla refunding one customer $10,000 plus legal fees for failing to deliver on their promises. Find out more on today’s legally challenging episode of Quick Charge!

The French Ministry of the Economy has found that Tesla violated the law in several ways related to “deceptive business practices,” and has ordered the company to comply in 4 months or face a fine for every day it does not.

It was a rough weekend for TSLA as public protests of CEO Elon Musk and his actions at DOGE overwhelm Tesla showrooms as calls from shareholders to fire America’s most powerful immigrant grow louder. Plus, solid-state batteries and a brand-new, affordable EV from Kia on today’s rapidly escalating episode of Quick Charge!

Tesla will “go ballistic” next year on the back of its autonomy efforts says Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who said the same thing last year about this year – and many years before.

The big news this week is the new Model Y being available for order in the US, but it doesn’t stop there – a new ECU photo inspired Fred to vent about Tesla’s FSD transfer policy, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe announced plans to get into the self-driving business himself, and solar had a very, very big year. All this and more on today’s thrilling episode of Quick Charge!

On today’s episode of Quick Charge, we look into a new study revealing that Toyota outspends all other automakers when it comes to funding climate change denying politicians and Fred accuses Elon of misrepresenting the data behind Full Self Driving (again).

Tesla will once again allow current owners to transfer Full Self-Driving to a new vehicle purchase, even though it previously said that this program would never return after it ended for the third time 11 days ago.

Some Cybertrucks can finally use Tesla’s Supervised Full Self-Driving software, almost exactly ten months after the vehicle was first released.

Tesla has considered an arrangement that would license AI models from CEO Elon Musk’s AI startup, xAI, according to WSJ.

It would be the latest in a number of conflicts of interest that have cropped up related to Musk’s channeling of resources from Tesla, a public company, to xAI, his own privately-held company, though Musk denied the report without reading it.

Tesla has cleaned up its website’s blog section, deleting all posts prior to 2019. This includes the post titled “All Tesla Cars Being Produced Now Have Full Self-Driving Hardware,” which was originally published October 19, 2016.

On today’s episode of Quick Charge, Tesla launches a new “Supervised” Full Self Driving update, a rare, carbon-bodied Tesla Roadster goes on sale, there’s an all-new Ford Capri EV, and the great State of Michigan tells your HOA to stuff it when it comes to home solar and EV charging!

Tesla’s third instance of its ‘one-time-only’ Full Self-Driving transfer scheme is in full effect now, allowing owners to transfer their purchase of FSD capability to a new vehicle on purchases before August 31.

Tesla is using this as an opportunity to boost demand, rather than doing the right thing by letting owners transfer the still-unreleased software they spent thousands of dollars on.

After repeatedly claiming that Tesla will not allow owners to transfer Full Self-Driving capability to new vehicles, Tesla CEO Elon Musk agreed today that Tesla will allow them to do so for “one more quarter.”

A case in California court over whether Tesla deceived customers with its statements about full self-driving technology will go forward, bucking Tesla’s attempts to get the case to be thrown out before trial, a California judge ruled today.

Prepare to get your minds blown, because Tesla has announced that every Tesla in the US will get a free trial of FSD for one month starting later this week.