Tesla Delays Roll Out of Full-Self Driving Software Update Due to Last Minute Concerns

Sophie Webster, Tech Times 09 October 2021, 03:10 pm

Tesla has delayed the release of its software rollout for the self-driving feature called the Full Self-Driving Beta 10.2 or FSD. This is because of some last-minute concerns that were not revealed.

Tesla Delays Software Rollout

The delay was posted by Tesla's CEO Elon Musk on Twitter on Oct. 9. The billionaire apologized for the delay, stating that the release would happen on Oct. 10 or on Oct. 11.

The software was supposed to roll out on Oct. 8 to 1,000 Tesla owners with a safety score of 100. The automaker picked the selected owners. The users with a safety score of 99 and below will receive the software in the next couple of weeks.

Tesla has been testing the beta version of the Full Self-Driving software for a year now, despite the serious concerns raised by the head of the National Transportation Safety Board regarding the software's safety. according to The Verge.

Tesla even plans to roll out the Full Self-Driving software to other countries like Japan.

Also Read: Tesla Self Driving Taxis Will Be On Dubai Roads By 2020

Tesla began expanding the software's access to more drivers in September. Before a driver could access the software, the automaker determines their safety score using criteria that evaluate the likelihood that their driving could result in an accident.

The score is tabulated using the data collected by sensors in the driver's vehicle.

The automaker has required drivers who opt into the beta version of the software to sign non-disclosure agreements. They are asked not to share video clips online of the system's mistakes.

Keep in mind that the software does not make the Tesla vehicles fully autonomous. Musk stated that the complete version of the software would only be able to drive someone from their home to their work without any human intervention, and it will still need supervision.

Safety Concerns

The National Transportation Safety Board or NTSB, Jennifer Homendy, told The Wall Street Journal that the automaker should address the safety issues before expanding the FSD software.

Musk said last month that Tesla was aiming for a wider release of the software, making a public button available to more customers.

The upgrade to the software, which was built mainly for driving on highways, is expected, and it should make the cars ready for driving on city streets.

However, Homendy was not happy with the distribution and called the software irresponsible and misleading. She also said that the automaker had misled numerous people to misuse and abuse the technology.

The NTSB can conduct investigations, but it has not enforced authority over the automaker yet.

According to PlainSite, Tesla's director of Autopilot software had stated that Musk overstated the capabilities of Tesla's advanced driver assist system. Musk did it in from of California Department of Motor Vehicles.

In 2020, the NTSB found the Autopilot driver assistance system as one of the causes of a fatal 2018 car crash. The board stated that the driver was on Autopilot while playing a mobile game because he was confident in its capabilities.

The board has said that the automaker ignored its 2017 safety recommendations about the Autopilot system.

The board told Tesla and other automakers that they need to add safeguards to advance the driver assistance systems to avoid being misused. It also recommended that Tesla limits where and when the driver assistance systems can be used.