I tried the new self-driving Tesla — here’s what I thought

I tried the new self-driving Tesla — here’s what I thought

As we hurtle along Interstate 10 at 65mph, our Tesla is alarmingly blasé about the rear brake lights of the Chevrolet 4×4 in front.

The Model Y has full self-driving (FSD) technology engaged so should, in theory, stop in good time. And yet, as the Chevrolet looms larger, the Tesla’s electronic brain fails to respond to the column of traffic in the Los Angeles evening commute.

Finally, a millisecond before I lose my nerve and slam on the brakes, the FSD kicks in and we slow dramatically, a few feet from the Chevrolet’s rear bumper. This was not the only hair-raising moment during a three-hour drive to test Tesla’s much-vaunted autonomous technology, which the chief executive Elon Musk hails as the future of urban transport.

Far from a relaxing commute as promised by Tesla’s many boosters, it was an unnerving experience that suggests FSD requires significant upgrades before achieving Musk’s lofty ambitions. Perhaps next month’s expected rollout of autonomous Tesla taxis in Austin, Texas will herald a leap forward in the technology.

The stakes are high: Musk is arguably lagging behind Waymo, Google’s well-funded self-driving cab company, while there are doubts that his offering can deliver.

He and Tesla could do without another setback.

Musk’s association with President Trump has caused his reputation among millions of Americans to plummet while sales have dropped sharply in Europe. From a high of almost $480 in December, Tesla’s share price is presently hovering around $276.

White Tesla driving through a Los Angeles underpass using FSD mode.

This 2023 Model Y has been fitted with the latest FSD software

TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JUSTIN L STEWART

This month the company denied a report from The Wall Street Journal that it was searching for a replacement for Musk as chief executive.

The world’s richest man has placed a lot of faith in FSD, but the technology is divisive. The software available in North America — though not yet the UK — is “FSD (supervised)”, which warns drivers to be ready to take over at all times. It costs $8,000 or a $99 a month as a subscription.

Critics say advertising is misleading and many motorists mistakenly believe they can take their eyes off the road while the software is engaged.

Joe Rogan and the billionaire investor Chamath Palihapitiya have heralded FSD in recent weeks, while other users say it nearly killed them with erratic behaviour. Phantom braking is a common complaint, as are reports of swerving into oncoming traffic. US regulators, meanwhile, are investigating accidents involving Tesla’s autonomous technology.

Tesla sold only 512 cars in the UK in April

The Times’s test this week found FSD was at times impressive, smartly navigating tricky situations and easily dealing with bumper-to-bumper traffic. There were moments of panic, however, and an instance where the car froze after attempting a U-turn at a tight junction.

Beginning in downtown Los Angeles, not far from the Walt Disney Concert Hall, our 2023 Model Y with the latest FSD software installed sets off in “hurry mode”, prompting a more urgent drive. There are no problems weaving through traffic and the Tesla smartly merges on to the 10 freeway, quickly edging into the left lane.

The software is easy to manage. A camera near the rear-view mirror monitors the driver to ensure they are paying attention to the road. If it detects a distracted motorist, a warning sounds. Failure to heed the alert results in a “strikeout’; five of those and FSD is disabled for a week.

We are heading west towards Santa Monica when the traffic inevitably builds and the Model Y shows an alarmingly lax attitude to the Chevrolet in front. From then on it is a constant battle to resist taking over from the FSD, which is not a recipe for a relaxing drive.

As the 10 meets Interstate 405, I give in as the Tesla is driving too fast for rush-hour traffic. Perhaps hurry mode was a mistake.

After arriving in Santa Monica, FSD is re-engaged. The car deals well with busy traffic, packed bike lanes and tourists zipping into the road on electric scooters. However, a major mistake is imminent. The car is now in standard mode, promising a smoother ride, driving south in Santa Monica on Neilson Way.

Tesla FSD navigating Los Angeles.

The Tesla uses cameras to create a 2D map of its surroundings

TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JUSTIN L STEWART

At a set of traffic lights, the Tesla attempts an ill-fated U-turn despite the road being obviously too narrow. Midway through the manoeuvre, with the car pointed at the pavement and blocking the junction, FSD gives up. The Tesla freezes, seemingly unable to work out how to fix itself.

To add insult to injury, a Waymo taxi is immediately behind waiting to turn with a front-row seat to the Tesla’s embarrassment. I take control, reverse and turn back the way we came.

I was scolded by my driverless Uber taxi

Musk, the controversial visionary, has made it clear that he views fully autonomous vehicles as the future of Tesla. “It’s really the difference between Tesla being worth a lot of money or worth basically zero,” he declared in 2022.

Musk has repeatedly made what turned out to be overambitious promises about the company’s autonomous capabilities, assuring customers that self-driving was just around the corner.

It is a vow, his critics say, that remains unfulfilled. Meanwhile, rivals have raced ahead.

Waymo, the self-driving taxi company owned by Google’s parent company Alphabet, operates in four cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco and Austin, with the promise of Miami and Atlanta to come. Despite this success, Musk has been dismissive.

He argues that Waymo’s technology is cumbersome and expensive and that Tesla will ultimately dominate the self-driving market. Musk is certainly correct that his rival’s cars cost more.

Elon Musk and Donald Trump standing by a Tesla Cybertruck at the White House.

Elon Musk has divided the American public through his association with President Trump

MANDEL NGAN/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

Waymo uses Lidar technology, with the sensors placed around its Jaguar I-Paces emitting millions of laser pulses per second to map out its surroundings.

Cameras add to the car’s 360-degree view. Waymo must extensively map out a city before operating there, ensuring a substantial preparation period.

The company has clocked millions of miles on the road and has the statistics to back up its claim that its cars are significantly safer than human-driven rivals.

Mob smashes up Waymo driverless taxi in Los Angeles

Tesla, meanwhile, relies on a series of cameras for its FSD system. The cameras capture 2-D images which are then processed by a powerful neural network to map out the surroundings.

Teslas have completed more than four billion supervised FSD miles, according to a running estimate from the community-sourced FSDMiles.com website. However it is classified as a level-2 system requiring constant driver supervision, while Waymo is level-4, meaning it can operate without intervention in specific areas.

Whoever wins the technological tug-of-war may well dominate the market.

Dan O’Dowd is among the most prominent critics of Musk and FSD. A software billionaire, he runs the Dawn Project advocacy group and wants FSD banned, believing it puts people at risk.

“It will try to kill you,” he said of the software. “Not every day, but if you drive regularly it will do something completely insane, like turn in front of an oncoming car.”

Following the U-turn debacle, we set the Tesla back on a course for downtown Los Angeles. FSD deals easily with bumper-to-bumper traffic and the hour-long journey goes quickly — perhaps this is the smooth commute promised by Tesla fans.

Yet the earlier mistakes have me on edge. Relaxing is not possible. If Tesla taxis are indeed operating in Austin next month, I will not be whistling for one.

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