Netflix's latest apocalyptic thriller, "Leave the World Behind," has stirred some fears about cars that are too technologically advanced, which means Tesla takes a starring role. Spoiler alert: if you haven’t watched it, I will give away some details.
The film portrays a world teetering on the brink of technological collapse. Amidst this chaos, a memorable scene has the characters dodging a fleet of Model 3s. The cars have been hacked, and operating under full self-driving (FSD) are now smashing into one another, causing traffic jams along all major freeways. Netflix used the scene starring Julia Roberts to promote the movie on Elon Musk’s social media platform, X.
Elon Musk, always one to engage directly with public discourse about his companies, responded to this portrayal on social media. Rather than addressing the depicted nightmare scenario head-on, Musk highlighted the resilience of Tesla vehicles in extreme conditions. He emphasized their ability to charge from solar panels, even in a dystopian, fuel-deprived world. While not directly tackling the depicted misuse of Tesla's FSD capabilities, this response subtly reassures the public of Tesla's utility and foresight in dire circumstances.
It is doubtful that many of you predicted that Model 3s would show up in an end-of-day movie, considering Tesla just started rolling out Cybertruck, a vehicle that would do well in a movie like that. After the bulletproof video demonstration during the delivery event, Musk said, “Sometimes you get these late civilization vibes, you know the apocalypse could come along at any moment, and here at Tesla, we have the finest in apocalypse technology.”
Community Notes Strikes Again
The Netflix post was ‘community noted’ on X. A user, likely a big Tesla fan, pointed out that Tesla's website clearly states that while their vehicles possess FSD capabilities and the necessary hardware, FSD currently operates as a Level 2 assistant feature. This means a driver must always be present and ready to take control. The system is designed to disengage if it detects no driver interaction. This safeguard starkly contrasts the autonomous anarchy depicted in the film. Where is the fun in that?
The Reality of the Situation
While sensational, Netflix's portrayal echoes public fears about the reliability and security of autonomous vehicles. The scene from "Leave the World Behind" taps into anxieties about smart technology and its potential misuse. In reality, accidents involving Teslas potentially with Autopilot engaged are under investigation. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is seemingly in constant contact with Tesla about autonomous driving. It's a potent reminder that as technology evolves, so must our understanding and regulations governing it.
For Tesla and Elon Musk, the movie provides an opportunity to reassess public perceptions and address concerns head-on. As "Leave the World Behind" shows, the road ahead is as much about managing fears and perceptions as it is about advancing technology.
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Tesla has begun to reach out to customers in the United States and is offering demo drives of the Cybertruck on an invite-only basis. @brandonhd on X shared the first invite image, and it looks like it's going out quite quickly to multiple locations that have Cybertrucks on display.
Up until now, display vehicles have been for just that – looking, but no touching. Some Tesla delivery centers and showrooms have also allowed viewers to take a seat inside and open it up, but most are still locked away behind the velvet rope.
It’s exciting to see that Tesla has begun to demo them – and it can only be so long until demo drives open up to everyone.
Advisor-led Demo
This Demo Drive is led by a Tesla Advisor – while you’re driving, the advisor will be in the passenger seat, walking you through the experience. They’ll explain steer-by-wire, off-road controls, and will introduce new-to-Tesla buyers to all the features that are currently available.
The list of locations so far for demo drives appears to be fairly limited, but we will hopefully see demo drives roll out throughout the United States, and eventually Canada too. Here is the current list of city/state locations that have seen demo drive invites.
Actually Smart Summon, the successor to Tesla’s Smart Summon feature, has been confirmed to be coming as soon as next month as per Elon Musk. Colloquially known as “ASS”, Actually Smart Summon is supposed to improve on the regular Smart Summon capabilities, which have historically used ultrasonic sensors (USS) to navigate parking lots.
We’re looking forward to Actually Smart Summon, and we’re quite excited about what other features will be unlocked once it finally shows up at our doorstep.
Vision-based Improvements
ASS is supposed to bring Smart Summon to vehicles that don’t have USS – using Tesla Vision. Most recently, Tesla has brought Autopark to vehicles without USS, and Vision-based Autopark has been a huge success. It is faster, more reliable, and smoother than the older USS-based solution. It can also park and maneuver in tighter locations.
Today, Smart Summon is sometimes useful at best, usually a party trick, or downright dangerous at worst. It’s excellent and best used in straight lines, where you have a clear line of sight of the vehicle, and can stop it if doesn’t see an obstacle.
I used Smart Summon today, just before writing this article – my 2022 Model Y (with USS) – did manage to show up just fine – in a straight-line location from where I was parked, after exiting the parking spot fairly cleanly. However, I’ve previously used Smart Summon and have had the vehicle turn towards obstacles, such as cart returns or curbs. Overall, it’s a sometimes-useful feature that has a lot of drawbacks right now.
Smart Summon is also restricted to a certain distance – and it's pretty small. The max distance is shorter than most parking lots, being only about 215 ft (65m). If you’re lucky enough to park close, it's very useful to bring your car right to you.
Actually Smart Summon
ASS will bring FSD V12-like capabilities to Smart Summon – the vehicle will primarily use Vision to drive toward you (or the location you’ve indicated). ASS has been supposed to be coming since about September 2022 and has seen many delays – we’re almost at the 2-year point today.
We’re looking forward to Actually Smart Summon being able to bring the vehicle – safely – right to you. ASS is also one of the key steps towards bringing some other cool features that Elon Musk has previously mentioned – Park Seek and Banish Autopark.
We’re also hopeful that Actually Smart Summon will increase the maximum range a vehicle can be summoned, because the current range is fairly small. Alongside Park Seek and Banish Autopark, we’re closing in on a Robotaxi-based future.
Park Seek and Banish Autopark
When the FSD v12.4 showed up, Elon also mentioned that going forward, vehicles would automatically park themselves when arriving in a parking lot – Park Seek – and that if you got out of the car at the entrance to a business, you could get it to automatically park itself in the parking lot – Banish Autopark. These are two features that are needed for Robotaxi to work – which itself is delayed to October 10th of this year. We’re looking quite forward to them – as in combination with Actually Smart Summon, Tesla has reached the cusp of vehicle autonomy.
A vehicle that arrives, driverless, at the location you’re at, then drives somewhere, parks itself there, and waits for you – is the definition of a Robotaxi.
While we’re likely to have to wait for Banish Autopark and Park Seek just a bit longer, Actually Smart Summon being around the corner is exciting! Gone will be the days of having to run out to your car when you forgot your umbrella – your car will just come right to you instead.
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