Tesla's self-driving cars unlikely to get regulatory approval this year
Tesla will have to wait longer to unlock the "Full Self-Driving" or FSD capabilities on its range of EVs, as it is awaiting approval from the safety regulatory authorities in the US. The brand claims that its 'Autopilot' function is absolutely safe as it can prevent accidents generally caused by human negligence. However, the recent accidents related to self-driving technology have raised safety concerns.
Why does this story matter?
We have all seen autonomous vehicles in various sci-fi movies but thanks to recent improvements in radar-based technology, self-driving cars are slowly becoming a reality. Tesla was one of the earliest promoters of autonomous driving. The company released the Autopilot system publicly in 2013. However, the system was criticized by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) after a fatal 2019 Autopilot crash in California.
Everything to know about the 2019 Autopilot accident in California
In 2019, a Tesla Model S ran a red light and slammed into a Honda Civic, killing the occupants of the latter, in the Los Angeles suburb of Gardena. Local authorities claimed that the Model S was moving at a high speed during the crash. An investigation confirmed that the Autopilot system was being used in the EV at the time of the incident.
Tesla's new FSD system will rollout this year
After several incidents with the Autopilot system, Tesla has upgraded both the hardware and software in its latest models. According to Elon Musk, all existing FSD users in North America will get an upgraded version toward the end of the year. He added that with the new FSD, drivers would rarely have to touch the controls but a regulatory approval won't come by year-end.
'The car will take you to places without any intervention'
"The car will be able to take you from your home to your work, your friend's house, the grocery store without you touching the wheel," said Musk. "It's separate matter as to will it have regulatory approval. It won't have regulatory approval at that time."
Authorities are in no rush to approve fully autonomous driving
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration appears to be in no rush to approve fully autonomous driving as of now. Recent accidents highlighted the fact that drivers were not paying complete attention on the road when using self-driving technology. Most members of the NHTSA believe that it is still early to completely rely on technology and that human intervention is a must.
