Elon Musk almost runs the red light live streaming Tesla software
Tesla CEO Elon Musk nearly ran a red light on Friday while testing the electric car’s new self-driving software across the Bay Area — the latest in a long-running string of glitches related to the company’s Autopilot feature.
Musk livestreamed the test drive on his social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
In the 45-minute clip, which has been viewed more than 11 million times, Musk can be seen exiting Tesla headquarters in Palo Alto.
Musk uses his finger to plan a route via a new version of Full Self-Driving (FSD) software, v12, which the mogul has described as “stunning” and hasn’t been released to the public yet.
For nearly 20 minutes, Musk brags about not having to intervene: “The ride was smooth.”
When he was stopped at an intersection, Musk then admitted that “we didn’t program the traffic light concept into the software.”
He also said Tesla engineers didn’t teach the software to navigate speed bumps, stop signs or roundabouts.
Twenty minutes into the video, Musk pauses the vehicle’s self-driving mode and takes control of the steering wheel after the software accelerated the car at a red light.
“This is our first intervention because the car should go straight,” Musk said during the live stream.
“For that reason, we haven’t released it to the public yet,” he said.
During the rest of the ride, the software seemed to work without glitches.
Later in the clip, Musk did a Google search for rival tech billionaire Mark Zuckerberg’s address.
“Maybe we meet Zuckerberg and we can challenge him to a fight… spice it up,” Musk quipped during the clip, adding, “Just a polite request if you’d like to engage in a hand-to-hand combat.”
Musk and Zuckerberg have been bickering back and forth for the past few weeks, accusing the other of dropping out of a planned mixed martial arts cage fight.
Google didn’t seem to have the correct address for Zuckerberg.
Musk has told investors that Tesla is banking on FSD to generate significant revenue for the company.
Tesla is selling the FSD software, which makes the vehicle non-autonomous, for $15,000.
That’s almost a third of the base Model Y’s current starting price in the US of around $47,000.
The beta version of the software, which has been made available to 400,000 Tesla owners since its release in 2020, enables Tesla vehicles to drive autonomously through most environments, including intersections with traffic lights.
However, the beta software still requires frequent intervention and oversight by drivers.
Musk, who is aiming to get FSD out of beta with the release of version 12, has fallen short of his goals set years ago of achieving autonomous driving capability.
The technology in its current form has drawn legal and regulatory scrutiny following crashes.
Tesla said the technology doesn’t make the car autonomous and requires driver supervision.
With post wires
