Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently stated that the company's "Full Self-Driving" Beta, or FSD Beta, which has been released in stages over the previous couple of years, is now accessible to anybody who has paid for it in North America.
Musk tweeted, "Tesla Full Self-Driving Beta is now available to anyone in North America who requests it from the car screen, assuming you have bought this option."
Tesla Full Self-Driving Beta is now available to anyone in North America who requests it from the car screen, assuming you have bought this option.
Congrats to Tesla Autopilot/AI team on achieving a major milestone!— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 24, 2022
'Safety Score' Restriction
According to a recent report by The Verge, the beta software was first made accessible to a select set of customers in 2020. Since then, its availability has steadily grown to include almost 160,000 drivers since around October of this year.
Traditionally, users have had to record 100 miles using Tesla's sophisticated driver-assist technology Autopilot and achieve a certain Safety Score on the company's in-car safety rating system before being granted entry to the beta.
In the last few weeks, there have been claims that these restrictions have been eased for drivers. Teslerati has reported that Tesla owners have been allowed to enter the full self-driving beta without meeting any specific prerequisites.
In light of Musk's claim that everyone in North America who wants the function now has access to it, it seems likely that these restrictions are no longer in place.
The Verge tried to approach Tesla for comment. However, rumors have it that the company's publicity team has been terminated as of 2020.
See Also: Tesla Giga South Korea? Here's What Elon Musk and SoKor President Discussed
FSD Beta
Full-Self Driving is a combination of capabilities that, in essence, takes Tesla automobiles very close to fully autonomous driving, as Mashable explains.
The driver enters a destination into the GPS device, and the car drives itself there; nevertheless, the driver must be prepared to take control of the vehicle at all times.
When purchasing a Tesla vehicle, customers have the option of purchasing the company's FSD Beta software for an extra charge of $15,000.
The website advertises its vehicles' capacity to autonomously steer on city streets to recognize and react to traffic lights and stop signs.
The "Autopilot" feature in Tesla vehicles comes standard and includes traffic-aware cruise control and other driver-aid capabilities, while the "Enhanced Autopilot" feature costs an additional $6,000 and includes an auto park and smart summon.
Despite how it is marketed, Tesla's FSD software is more comparable to a "Level 2" advanced driver assistance system, which requires constant and vigilant oversight from a human driver.
Issues on Driver-Assist Tech
Just recently, authorities have been looking very closely at Tesla's driver-assist technology and how the firm is selling it.
The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is looking into reports of Tesla cars colliding with parked emergency vehicles while in Autopilot mode. The Department of Justice (DOJ) is apparently doing the same.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has also claimed that Tesla has made "untrue or misleading" statements regarding the level of self-driving capability enabled by its vehicles.
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Trisha Kae Andrada
