Despite the information that we see circulating here and there following the release of the film The World After Us on Netflix, it is false to say that driving assistance on a Tesla depends on the mobile network or GPS. Let’s see why.
The recent release of Netflix’s dystopian film “The World After Us” caused quite a stir, particularly because of the mass of Teslas that we can see going crazy. The CEO Elon Musk also reacted on remembering that in the event of an apocalypse, electric cars could be charged using solar energy, making them potentially more suitable vehicles than thermal counterparts.
In any case, during a debunking attempt by Le Parisien, relayed repeatedly by several media, it seems that the experts moved a little too quickly by asserting that without GPS, Teslas would be almost unusable.
An Autopilot that does not depend on the network or GPS
Driving assistance on a Tesla is completely independent of the cellular network and GPS. The basic Autopilot consists of heading assist and adaptive cruise control. Either of these aids can be activated without any network of course, but even without GPS.
What would not work without any localization would of course be navigation, and therefore it would not be possible to make a Tesla follow a route. However, there have already been cases where even the brand’s more advanced autonomous driving mode, FSD beta, continued to work with difficulty connecting to a GPS network.
Without any navigation data, the vehicle would simply follow the lines on the ground, and possibly read road signs to adapt its speed or stop at a Stop sign. However, contrary to what has been indicated and repeated, we are categorical: without GPS, all driving aids continue to function.
The scene from the Netflix film could therefore take place, even without a GPS or mobile network. You still have to succeed in sending orders to Teslas remotely. And difficult (if not impossible) to do so without a mobile network. And even with a mobile network, this seems technically impossible to us.