An incredible time-lapse video captured a self-driving Tesla traveling from Los Angeles to Silicon Valley with almost no human intervention.
The Tesla Model 3 Performance’s 358 mile drive did have a human backup driver on board to take over during emergencies and to charge the car along the way.
Tesla enthusiast YouTuber Whole Mars Catalog (WMC), who posted the six hour journey compressed into a 15 minute clip, said the fact there was no intervention proved ‘that this is more than just luck.’
‘The software is getting better,’ he added. WMC explained that he had to stop once to charge the car in Kettleman City.
Tesla aficionado Whole Mars Catalog used the carmaker’s still-beta Full Self-Driving (FSD) tech to take a Model 3 from Los Angeles to Silicon Valley
The WMC video starts at SpaceX’s headquarters in Hawthorne and drone to San Jose making just one stop at a charging station.
‘The fact that it made it all the way down to Los Angeles and then back up with zero intervention suggests that this is more than just luck,’ the video caption reads.
‘The software is getting better. This drive was even better than the last one, although there were still many mistakes and areas for improvement that didn’t require a disengagement.’
A select number of Tesla owners have been invited to test the technology and are sharing results of using the new system.been sharing the results.
Introduced in October, FSD is billed as an ‘advanced driver assistance system’ that uses external cameras, radar, ultrasonic sensors and a powerful onboard computer to steer, change lanes, park, navigate on and off highways, and slow and stop at traffic lights.
The Tesla Model 3 Performance’s 358 mile drive did have a human backup driver on board to take over during emergencies and to charge the car along the way
Last fall, YouTuber Dan Markham and SpaceX enthusiast Eli Burton filmed their ride down Las Vegas Boulevard on a Tesla Model S outfitted with FSD.
Tesla fell just shy of hitting CEO Elon Musk’s goal of delivering 500,000 vehicles in 2020, the company announced Saturday.
It missed the goal by less than 500 cars, but, with the final numbers still being tallied, it might cross the threshold after all.
The vow was made well before the global coronavirus pandemic closed factories worldwide and threw established resource channels into chaos.
Tesla introduced its FSD technology in beta in October and has allowed select users to test it out (stock photo)
The electric vehicle only relied on its human occupant briefly on the 380-mile trek, to avoid road debris and recharge its batteries
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‘So proud of the Tesla team for achieving this major milestone! At the start of Tesla, I thought we had (optimistically) a 10% chance of surviving at all,’ Musk tweeted Saturday. ‘Tesla is responsible for 2/3 of all the personal & professional pain in my life combined. But it was worth it.’
In November, Consumer Reports removed Tesla’s Model S sedan and Model Y crossover SUV from its ‘recommended’ list due to a number of reliability concerns.
The ratings organization dropped the cars due to problems in the Model S’ air suspension and main computer and touch screens, and the crossover lost support because of problems with its body hardware and paint, CNBC reported.
Consumer Reports continues to recommend the Tesla Model 3, used by Whole Mars Catalog on the SF/LA road trip.
Tesla’s Model S sedan (seen here) and Model Y crossover SUV are no longer ‘recommended’ by Consumer Reports due to a number of reliability concerns. The ratings organization dropped the cars due to problems in the Model S’ air suspension and main computer and touch screens
Many owners of the Model S Sedan and Model Y crossover SUV have reported issues with their vehicles over the years – claims which lowered Tesla’s overall ratings.
In 2015, the Model S was listed as the top-rated vehicle, but Jake Fisher, senior director of auto testing at Consumer Reports, told CNBC that the group has seen a number of problems arise from drivers of the vehicle.
‘It’s wavered throughout its life cycle,’ he said highlighting the fact it was first introduced in 2012.
In November, Tesla notified some owners by email that their warranties would be expanded to cover various problems, such as memory-card failure.
The move may have been an attempt to head off lawsuits or even a mandatory recall.
Shortly after the email was sent, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched a safety probe into Model S and Model X vehicles built between 2012 and early 2018 — about 159,000 vehicles.
‘The data show failure rates over 30 percent in certain build months and accelerating failure trends after three to four years in service,’ the agency said.
Last month, Tesla’s Freemont, California, factory abruptly stopped producing the Model S and the Model X SUV.
No details were given about why production lines on those cars were closed between December 24 and January 11, but a revamped Model S was reportedly seen cruising around Palo Alto last week.
‘This previously unseen design looks like it has a wider body than the Model S, updated headlights and wheels, a new rear diffuser, and a more pronounced fender,’ Gizmodo reported.
It’s not known if the car was indeed a redesign or if it addresses the issues raised by Consumer Reports.
