A Tesla engineer confirms that the video showing the merits of Tesla’s autonomous driving would have been faked. A statement that could damage the reputation of the company and change the course of the investigation following the death of Walter Huang in an accident aboard a Model X, under Autopilot, in 2018.
Tesla has been working on developing its self-driving technology, dubbed Autopilot, for many years. A system that arrived on the brand’s vehicles in 2015 and came as standard in 2019 on all the brand’s new cars. If it was one of the first to have proposed this device, it was also under fire from critics on many occasions. Last October, American justice also launched an investigation, accusing Elon Musk of misleading his customers about the real capabilities of Autopilot.
A punchy revelation
But this is not the first time that Tesla has been targeted by the authorities. And for good reason, in 2021, an investigation had already been opened by the NHTSA following a series of crashes, including one fatality, that occurred while Autopilot was on. However, in 2016, Elon Musk asserted loud and clear that the FSD (full self-driving) system, still a little more advanced, was “ probably better than a human driver and that the person in the driver’s seat is only there for legal reasons. She does nothing at all. The car drives itself“.
Words then supported by a 3 minute 46 video showing this device in action. We then see images of the interior and exterior of the car, which seems to behave perfectly, whatever the situation. Except that this would all be completely wrong. It is in any case that this declares Ashok Elluswamy, director of the division in charge of Autopilot. In a statement relayed by The Vergethe engineer indeed claims that this video would not show the real capabilities of the car, but rather all that would be possible with this system in the future.
A doctored video?
Thereby, the route route would have been pre-recorded and mapped in advance, the car then not being able to plan its own journey. As explained Bloomberg, Elon Musk would have supervised the operations closely, and would have written in an email that it was normal to exaggerate the capacities, since it is a demonstration. Remote OTA updates were then planned, to bring these capabilities later, for customers. Moreover, Elluswamy specifies that at the time when the images were shot, the car was not able to analyze traffic lightscontrary to what was shown.
Already in 2021, former employees of the brand claimed that the video was not entirely authentic. Indeed, the brand would have concealed an accident that would have taken place during the filming by deleting the images. Proof that the Autopilot would not be as efficient as the brand wants you to believe? Especially since for several years, the engineers in charge of the project have reservations about the certainty of Elon Musk on how this technology works.
Another alarming problem
Moreover, Mahmood Hikmethead of the research and development department within the company Ohmio Automation highlights another concern. In his testimony, Elluswamy claims to have never heard the acronym SDG (Operational Design Domain). However, this is a key element in the development of an autonomous car, since it defines the limits of the use of the autonomous driving system, and limits its use at night or in the rain, for example, such as on the Mercedes EQS. Which probably means that Autopilot and FSD don’t have ODDs and were meant to be used anywhere, anytime.
However, there are currently laws governing the use of this technology. In Europe, level 3 of autonomous driving can only be used on the highway, at 60 or 130 km/h depending on the country. It is for this reason that the Mercedes Drive Pilot, although at level 3, is less advanced than the Tesla FSD, at level 2.
However, Tesla clears itself in the manual, which specifies that ” Heading Assist is designed for use on highways with limited access ” and “Failure to follow these instructions may result in serious damage and injuryeven fatal“. Thus, the brand cannot be accused of offering a 100% autonomous system and of misleading customers.
The main criticism I’ve received from Tesla defenders has been that Ashok Elluswamy, Head of Autopilot Software at Tesla, not knowing the term “ODD” is a “gotcha”.
I’m going to tell you why this is SO MUCH worse than you think.https://t.co/TYuxgoAjIy
— Mahmood Hikmet (@MoodyHikmet) January 18, 2023
For the time being in any case, there is no question of offering level 3 autonomous driving to its customers, while the FSD is still in beta test. Proof that the brand is not really sure of its abilities? However, according to a recent report, Autopilot is increasingly secure. But certifying the system at level 3, as on the EQS, involves many constraints. Because in this case, it is the manufacturer who is responsible in the event of an accident, and the limits of level 3 autonomous driving must be respected, with in particular the maximum speed. Tesla does not seem ready to take on these aspects yet.
But if Tesla’s systems don’t have ODDs, it’s probably because the brand foresees that they can be used everywhere. In an interview with the researcher Lex Fridman Three years ago, Elon Musk mocked the acronym SDGs and claimed he was ” pretty crazy to let humans drive cars instead of machines.
Nevertheless, the Autopilot therefore seems to have a long way to go, even if this system would prevent 40 accidents per day. For its part, the FSD (Full Self-Driving) may have to change its name, as California has just introduced a law prohibiting Tesla from referring to this technology as autonomous driving.
According to former employees of Tesla, the Californian manufacturer would have concealed an accident which occurred during a promotional video… of the autopilot. Serious accusations, especially since the supposedly altered content is still live on…
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