Elon Musk seems to have lost confidence that Tesla’s self-driven cars would get approval anytime soon, and also, a top company executive had excited the market when he talked of cheaper Tesla electric vehicles (EVs).
Tesla had earlier revealed that it would not require any driver and there is also no need to keep an eye on the road when its driverless cars are rolled out.
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| Model Y is the most popular Tesla car -- Photo: Tesla. |
When Tesla unveiled the Enhanced Autopilot Hardware 2.0 (HW 2.0) in 2016, Musk was bullish that it would finally come in four years.
Even as Tesla boss’s prediction was wrong, he was still upbeat till the recent past that the driverless car would soon be launched.
Now, Musk seems to have scaled down his pitch, claiming that the Full Self-Driving (FSD) software may not be given green light this year without a driver inside the car.
This is because the authorities fear that it could lead to accidents in case of any tech glitches.
Musk, for the first time since discussions on a driverless car started, claimed that the Tesla FSD isn’t ready yet to replace a human driver.
The Tesla chief had recently said that he expects another key FSD Beta update by the end of the year.
However, according to him, there’s still work to do on the system before it can finally be ready. Also, paving the way for hands-free driving requires separate approval.
He had earlier said that the car could take its passenger from home to work or even to the grocery store without touching the wheel. But his apprehension lay with approval from the authorities.
Moreover, the regulatory body that would give nod to Tesla for its driverless cars is the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
However, the body is currently probing Tesla for a slew of incidents that involved its cars, which were driven autonomously.
The NHTSA has been seeking data from Tesla, and a few months ago, it asked for direct access to FSD Beta.
Musk is, however, determined to go driverless as he firmly believes that this segment would contribute to a big chunk of the revenue in the years to come.
While pursuing this technology, Tesla is working to provide a mega update on the system next year in a bid to satisfy the regulator that progress is being made on the driverless front.
Cheaper Tesla cars soon?
A Tesla executive had recently said that the company is planning to roll out cheaper EVs ahead of launching its robotaxi service.
Owing to the rising cost of battery raw materials, high inflation as well as strong demand, Tesla’s car prices, across all its EVs have shot up in the last couple of years.
Nowadays, its cheapest car comes for a tad below $50,000, while its Model Y, the most popular Tesla car, is priced around $65,000.
Musk had talked about slashing prices once inflation falls and revealed plans for a cheaper $25,000 Tesla electric car.
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If Tesla’s driverless car gets delayed, it would do well to roll out cheaper cars as this move would help the EV giant sustain its leadership position for long.
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