Tesla's response to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) directive has led to an update in their Autopilot system, impacting over 2 million vehicles. This development follows a meticulous two-year investigation by the NHTSA into incidents where Tesla vehicles, using the Autopilot feature, collided with stationary emergency vehicles.
The timing of the report is suspicious. It comes just days after the Washington Post published a scathing article against Autopilot. The story was so biased that Tesla took the rare step of responding directly to it.
The NHTSA's exhaustive probe centered on whether Tesla's safeguards within the Autopilot system were sufficient in preventing misuse. The inquiry, which scrutinized Tesla’s response to a series of collisions, concluded recently, leading to a recall notice without placing direct blame on the Autopilot system itself. Instead, the focus was on the potential inadequacy of feature controls to prevent driver misuse.
Tesla’s Response and Recall Details
Tesla initiated a voluntary safety recall affecting approximately 2,031,220 vehicles. All of the changes will be handled through an over-the-air update; this is not a physical recall and requires no hardware changes.
This recall includes specific Model S vehicles produced between October 5, 2012, and December 7, 2023, Model X vehicles from September 15, 2015, Model 3 vehicles from July 15, 2017, and Model Y vehicles from January 9, 2020. The recall involves the Autosteer feature of Tesla’s Autopilot system and addresses issues particularly relevant when misused by drivers who fail to maintain continuous and sustained responsibility for vehicle operation.
Addressing the Recall in Software Update 2023.44.30
The software update, version 2023.44.30 is scheduled to roll out shortly and is expected to introduce several key features. This update is also expected to include Tesla’s much anticipated Holiday Update, which will include various new features, such as Alternate Routes While Driving, Automatic Calls to 911, High Fidelity Park Assist, and more. According to NHTSA, these are the Autopilot changes:
Additional Controls and Alerts: Enhanced controls and alerts for Autosteer engagement are introduced to ensure drivers maintain continuous driving responsibility.
Visual Alert Prominence: Visual alerts on the user interface are made more prominent, improving driver awareness and compliance. These new improved alerts can be seen in the photo above, which moves Autopilot alerts to the top of the screen instead of toward the bottom.
Simplified Autosteer Engagement: Known as 'Single-Pull Autosteer', this feature was made available in a previous update, although it’s not available to everyone yet. The goal is to make the engagement and disengagement of Autosteer more intuitive.
Enhanced Checks and Limiting Use: The update includes additional checks during Autosteer engagement, especially when driving outside controlled access highways and approaching traffic controls. It’s unclear whether Tesla will limit the use of Autopilot on certain road types, although the recall document makes it sound like that may be a possibility here. An owner we’ve talked to who has the NHTSA changes, specifically said that Autosteer was not available at times, although it’s not clear whether these are additional limitations or whether Autopilot just didn’t have enough information to activate. FSD appears to be unaffected and the recall document by NTSHA does not refer to Tesla’s FSD specifically.
Suspension for Autopilot: In a move to enforce responsible use, drivers who repeatedly fail to adhere to continuous driving responsibility may face temporary suspension from using the Autosteer feature. In some images we’ve received, it appears that Tesla will apply its suspension system that’s used on FSD Beta to regular Autosteer as well.
This update reflects Tesla's dedication to addressing safety concerns while pushing the boundaries of autonomous driving technology. By collaborating with the NHTSA and proactively enhancing the Autopilot system, Tesla continues to set standards in the automotive industry. As autonomous technology evolves, Tesla's approach is a benchmark for integrating advanced safety features and balancing innovation and driver responsibility.
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Carscoops, which keeps a close eye on racetracks around the world for new models in testing, has spotted what appears to be the refreshed Model S at Nürburgring in Germany. Tesla is testing out the new Model S, which is likely a Plaid, on the track. Tesla was taking this new Model S for some laps around the track, which serves as an excellent testing ground for high-performance vehicles like the Model S Plaid.
The updated Model S was seen wearing some white and black camouflage over the front and rear, but from the photos that were provided, the changes appear to be relatively minimal and focused on aerodynamics, at least on the exterior.
Not a Juniper-Level Refresh
Tesla’s VP of Engineering, Lars Moravy, mentioned that Tesla was working on updating the Model S and Model X. However, he didn’t quite say just how much of a refresh was on its way. Lars’ comments were very general, and he didn’t mention any details.
Based on what we’ve observed at the ‘Ring,’ this Model S refresh doesn’t appear to be a full-blown Model Y Juniper level refresh, which included a light bar, new headlights, and other substantial changes to the rear and front of the vehicle.
New Front Bumper Camera
At first glance, the front fascia looks remarkably similar to the existing Model S, but there are a few key differences.
First up is the addition of a new lower lip spoiler mounted at the very bottom of the front bumper. These spoilers help to improve aerodynamic efficiency and downforce at high speeds, which is entirely appropriate for a vehicle that thrives on tracks like the Nürburgring.
On the other hand, the distinctive headlights and eyeliner-style running lights appear to remain intact, keeping the overall look of the front relatively similar. Tesla has kept the black space with the Tesla logo at the front of the vehicle. While it’s difficult to tell on the front shots, you can tell it’s still there from the side shots.
Another little item was the return of the front bumper camera. Tesla is shipping both the refreshed Model Y and the Cybertruck with a bumper camera, so it isn’t surprising to see this, but it is one of the best indications that this is a new vehicle being tested.
Can you spot the little nub with the bumper camera?
CarScoops
Wheels & Brakes
The prototype was spotted sporting some new alloy racing wheels that bear a distinctive resemblance to the Photon wheels that ship with the Model 3. If you take off the aero covers from the Photon wheels, they look exceptionally similar. This seems relatively odd, as Tesla’s top-end performance wheels are usually distinctively different from other wheel options.
We also saw the currently-available Arachnid wheels on the same Model S being tested, on the way to and from the track. Tesla likely switched out to these new wheels to test their performance and handling characteristics on the track.
The original Arachnids on this Model S tester
CarScoops
Rear End
From the available images, the rear end of this new test vehicle appears to be largely unchanged. The tail light design, bumper shape, and overall profile look essentially the same as today’s Model S, which means that Tesla’s work has likely focused on the front of the vehicle.
The rear diffuser looks a bit different, but seems essentially the same.
Not a Tesla App
What Else?
With the exterior changes appearing to be relatively minimal, it’s plausible that more significant updates could be found within the cabin. Tesla could be working on interior updates that help bring the new Model S more in line with the new Model 3 and Model Y.
A focus point for Tesla may be the Model S Plaid’s powertrain. The S Plaid used to hold several records, at least until the Lucid Air Sapphire and Rimac Nevera came along to steal the trophies. Tesla could be improving both the front and rear motors, as well as the other portions of the drivetrain needed to grab a podium finish once again, which would be just as exciting as Plaid+ being announced again.
Given the minimalistic changes to the exterior, it seems unlikely that Tesla has made drastic changes to the vehicle as a whole, though. We don’t expect this updated version of the Model S to launch with Steer-by-Wire or any of the other new technologies pioneered by the Cybertruck. Although Tesla says they will be used in future vehicles, even Juniper launched without these Cybertruck upgrades.
Tesla could still surprise everyone, as is their habit with vehicle announcements, but we’re expecting a slightly faster, slightly cooler-looking Model S at this point.
In a live two-part interview with CNBC’s David Faber yesterday, Elon Musk laid out his ambitious near-term plans for Tesla’s Robotaxi Network and the broader rollout of Unsupervised FSD. Speaking from Giga Texas, Elon confirmed that Tesla will be launching its initial Robotaxi pilot service on Austin’s roads by the end of June 2025.
Tesla Already Testing Robotaxi With Safety Drivers
The upcoming Austin launch is the start of Tesla’s long-stated Robotaxi ambitions. After promising true FSD for years, it appears that Tesla is finally ready to debut it, albeit it’ll be closed to the public initially, and it will only be available on Tesla-owned vehicles for now.
Elon expressed confidence in that end-of-June timeline, revealing some of the extent they’ve gone to behind the scenes. Tesla has had test vehicles driving in Austin 24/7, currently with drivers in the cars. However, they’ve seen essentially no interventions required from the safety drivers during the testing phase, which is good news.
The initial deployment in Austin will be deliberately small to ensure that everything operates as expected.
"So we want to be very careful with the first introduction of unsupervised full self-driving, meaning that there’s the cars driving around with no one in it... Well, yes, and sometimes no one in it at all. Just going to pick someone up. So the car obviously has to be incredibly safe." - Elon Musk on CNBC
How the Robotaxi Network Will Operate
Musk said that Tesla intends to launch with just 10 Robotaxis for the first week and then slowly increase it to 20, 30, 40, and higher. All of that is to be done without a safety driver. Tesla will still have teleoperators supervising the vehicles remotely if they get stuck, but other than that, they will be in motion without an occupant in the driver’s seat.
The goal is to hit 1,000 active Robotaxis within a few months and then focus on expansion towards San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Antonio. While Tesla could start with 1,000 or 10,000 - given that the initial vehicles are just Model Ys, Tesla wants to keep a tight leash on the fleet and make sure that both the safety and experience are up to snuff.
Geofenced and Avoid Certain Intersections
To further increase safety during the early phases, Elon confirmed that Tesla will geofence the Robotaxis' operational areas within Austin, limiting them to parts of the city where Tesla has the highest confidence in the system's performance. He stated they would avoid intersections unless the system is proven to handle them well, or route around them. While the goal is for the cars to operate without safety drivers, there will be rigorous remote monitoring of the fleet's activities.
Looking at the broader regulatory picture, Elon acknowledged the current complexities, with rules varying by state and even by city. He reiterated his call for a "unified set of national regulations" for self-driving vehicles in the U.S. to ensure consistency and prevent a confusing patchwork of differing rules as vehicles travel across jurisdictions.
This seems to be a great idea, at least initially. Autonomous cars will be safer if they adhere to the same rules everywhere rather than having different rule sets based on the state. However, one issue is that pedestrians and human-driven vehicles may expect the vehicles to either perform or refrain from certain actions, such as not turning right at red lights, and having different rules for self-driving vehicles could cause confusion.
During the interview, Elon painted a picture of a rapidly expanding fleet of privately owned Teslas capable of unsupervised FSD. He offered a bold prediction for the near future:
"My prediction is that probably by the end of next year [end of 2026] we will have probably hundreds of thousands, if not—... Over a million Teslas doing self-driving in the U.S. ... Unsupervised full self-driving, where you do not need to pay attention." - Elon Musk on CNBC
Tesla eventually plans to allow vehicle owners to add or subtract their cars from the Robotaxi fleet, creating a model he likened to a combination of Uber and Airbnb. This would allow owners to generate revenue when their vehicle isn’t being used, with Tesla receiving a portion of the revenue.
He also mentioned that Tesla owners will likely even make more from their cars participating in the fleet than their lease costs. Elon seemed confident in Tesla's ability to manage the logistics, stating, "Tesla has all the ingredients necessary to offer a vast self-driving fleet overnight."
Elon on Vision-Only and Licensing FSD
Elon also took the opportunity to emphasize that Tesla’s approach to autonomy, based on vision, is the ideal approach. The road system is designed for humans with eyes, so using neural nets with cameras is the ideal solution.
"Because the way that the road system is designed is for AI. It’s basically, I should say, it’s for intelligence, biological neural net, and eyes. That’s how the whole road system is designed. So what will actually work best for the road system is artificial intelligence, digital neural nets, and cameras... And what we found is that, when you have multiple sensors, they tend to get confused. So do you believe the camera or do you believe lidar? - Elon Musk on CNBC
While Tesla previously included radar in its vehicles, the disagreements between the radar and camera data led to uncertainty, prompting Tesla’s engineers to turn the radars off instead. The decision wasn’t about the expense, as per Elon’s comments, but rather on the reducing utility of other sensor types when camera vision becomes more accurate.
Elon also confirmed that Tesla is "very much open" to licensing its FSD technology to other major automakers and is currently in discussions with several. "The more we demonstrate the capability of self-driving, the more that they will want to license it, and we’re happy to help," he added.
Optimus and Learning
While the interview primarily focused on Tesla’s ambitions for autonomy, Elon also touched on other key aspects of Tesla’s business and future. He reiterated that Optimus and autonomy will “overwhelmingly” dominate the future financial success of Tesla. At multiple Earnings Calls, Elon has said much the same, so it's not surprising to see him stick to this belief.
Elon provided more color on Optimus's development, noting that while achieving the goal of billions of humanoid robots is at least a decade away, even with insatiable demand. He reaffirmed that the target of producing a million robots by 2030 was still reasonable. The training process is evolving; currently, human operators in motion capture (MOCAP) suits perform basic tasks (picking up objects, opening doors, dancing) to bootstrap the robot's intelligence.
The next threshold, Elon explained, is for Optimus to learn from watching videos, like YouTube "how-to" guides, enabling dramatic "task extensibility." Following that, "self-play," where robots learn by interacting with objects, like a child with toys, guided by a reward function, will be key.
Within five years, Tesla envisions Optimus being capable of household chores like doing dishes, walking the dog, and even proactively understanding and fulfilling user needs. This level of AI advancement requires immense compute. Elon confirmed Tesla's own Dojo training program, based in New York, is contributing, though Tesla will continue to buy many GPUs from Nvidia.
Watch the CNBC Interview
FULL ELON INTERVIEW ON CNBC (PARTS I & II)
Here's the complete, consolidated interview of Elon Musk with David Faber, recorded yesterday in two parts at Giga Texas. (The second part starts at 23:54)
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