Tesla reveals FSD Beta and Autopilot accident rates
Tesla
Tesla's latest Impact Report, which focuses on the company's sustainability and safety initiatives, has provided updated data on the performance of its Full Self Driving (FSD) Beta and Autopilot systems. The new numbers illustrate the significant improvements in road safety when these advanced technologies are utilized.
New Numbers Reveal Significant Safety Improvements
According to the Impact Report, FSD Beta users now have 0.31 accidents per 1 million miles, showcasing the effectiveness of Tesla's ADAS technology. In addition, Teslas with Autopilot engaged demonstrate even better safety performance, with only 0.18 accidents per 1 million miles. These impressive statistics highlight the potential for autonomous systems to drastically reduce accident rates compared to the industry average of 1.53 accidents per 1 million miles.
The report also confirms that Tesla's vehicles remain safer than conventional cars even when the advanced driving features are not in use, thanks to their passive safety systems. These technologies help reduce accidents, making Tesla vehicles safer for drivers and passengers.
The Future of Autonomous Driving and Accident Reduction
As Tesla continues to innovate and develop its FSD Beta and Autopilot systems, the company is setting a new standard for road safety in the age of autonomous driving. This progress is expected to inspire other automakers to adopt similar technologies, leading to a widespread reduction in accidents and improved road safety for everyone.
The data from Tesla's Impact Report demonstrates the potential of autonomous driving technology to save lives and reduce the strain on emergency services. As more drivers embrace these advanced systems and other car manufacturers follow suit, we can anticipate a significant decline in accident rates, making our roads safer for all users.
Tesla's Impact Report Showcases Commitment to Road Safety
The recent Impact Report reflects Tesla's ongoing commitment to improving road safety and reducing the number of accidents involving its vehicles. By continuously refining its autonomous driving technology, Tesla aims to protect its customers and other road users, including pedestrians and cyclists.
These safety advancements are part of Tesla's broader sustainability initiatives, which include reducing carbon emissions, promoting renewable energy, and minimizing waste. By prioritizing safety alongside environmental concerns, Tesla takes a comprehensive approach to create a better future for all.
For the first time in quite a while, Tesla has increased the price of one of its vehicle offerings. The Model S Long Range and the Model S Plaid have both received a hefty price increase. However, not all is bad - as Tesla also added a new benefit for buyers.
Price Increase
The price increase for the Model S is $5,000 - currently only in the United States. This price increase will likely impact other markets, including Canada, in the coming days.
The Model S Long Range now starts at $79,990, while the Model S Plaid now starts at $94,990. The Model S and Model X now have the same starting price. Interestingly, that’s also the same pricing point for the Cybertruck AWD and Cyberbeast Trimotor non-Foundation Series.
The vehicle configuration does not appear to have changed, so the new pricing is simply an increase rather than the addition or removal of features. Tesla previously cut the price of the Model S and Model X by 15% in 2023, so this could simply be an adjustment to ensure that the vehicle pricing stays in line with inflation and other factors.
Free Lifetime Supercharging
For those on the fence about ordering a Model S, Tesla has brought back Free Lifetime Supercharging when you order a new Model S on or after December 13, 2024. As always, Free Lifetime Supercharging is restricted to the buyer’s Tesla account and to that specific vehicle. It cannot be transferred to another vehicle or another owner after ownership transfer. It’s worth noting, that it also doesn’t exclude the owner from receiving Supercharger idle fees or congestion fees. There is currently no end date for this promotion.
There are currently no changes to the Model X, neither a price increase nor the addition of Lifetime Superchargering. However, when Tesla makes changes to one of their premium vehicles, it usually affects the other one as well. So be on the lookout for potential changes to the Model X offering in the coming days.
We’ve seen Tesla value Lifetime Supercharging at $5,000, so this falls in line with the price increase we’re seeing. It’s possible that Tesla will begin to bring back Lifetime Supercharging as a perk for buying into their more premium Model S and Model X cars, or this could be another temporary promotion to get buyers who are on the fence to go ahead and make their purchase while this promotion lasts.
Tesla recently showed off a demo of Optimus, its humanoid robot, walking around in moderately challenging terrain—not on a flat surface but on dirt and slopes. These things can be difficult for a humanoid robot, especially during the training cycle.
Most interestingly, Milan Kovac, VP of Engineering for Optimus, clarified what it takes to get Optimus to this stage. Let’s break down what he said.
Optimus is Blind
Optimus is getting seriously good at walking now - it can keep its balance over uneven ground - even while walking blind. Tesla is currently using just the sensors, all powered by a neural net running on the embedded computer.
Essentially, Tesla is building Optimus from the ground up, relying on as much additional data as possible while it trains vision. This is similar to how they train FSD on vehicles, using LiDAR rigs to validate the vision system’s accuracy. While Optimus doesn’t have LiDAR, it relies on all those other sensors on board, many of which will likely become simplified as vision takes over as the primary sensor.
Today, Optimus is walking blind, but it’s able to react almost instantly to changes in the terrain underneath it, even if it falls or slips.
What’s Next?
Next up, Tesla AI will be adding vision to Optimus - helping complete the neural net. Remember, Optimus runs on the same overall AI stack as FSD - in fact, Optimus uses an FSD computer and an offshoot of the FSD stack for vision-based tasks.
Milan mentions they’re planning on adding vision to help the robot plan ahead and improve its walking gait. While the zombie shuffle is iconic and a little bit amusing, getting humanoid robots to walk like humans is actually difficult.
There’s plenty more, too - including better responsiveness to velocity and direction commands and learning to fall and stand back up. Falling while protecting yourself to minimize damage is something natural to humans - but not exactly natural to something like a robot. Training it to do so is essential in keeping the robot, the environment around it, and the people it is interacting with safe.
We’re excited to see what’s coming with Optimus next because it is already getting started in some fashion in Tesla’s factories.
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