Tesla appears to be walking a fine line between transparency and deception in its pursuit of autonomous vehicle technology. The company's latest move, which involves removing safety monitors from Robotaxis, has been touted as a major step forward for its self-driving capabilities.
However, it seems that the company may have been overly optimistic in its announcement. Insiders claim that Tesla hasn't actually ditched the safety monitors altogether, but instead has merely moved them into trail cars that follow the Robotaxis during their journeys. This setup appears to be more of a public relations stunt than a genuine leap forward in autonomy.
Videos obtained by social media users appear to show Tesla vehicles tailing its own Robotaxis, raising questions about the level of automation in place. While Elon Musk hasn't confirmed whether trail cars are indeed being used, the fact remains that the company's autonomous driving capabilities still seem woefully inadequate compared to those of rival firm Waymo.
Despite Musk's claims that self-driving cars have been "solved," the reality on the ground appears to be more nuanced. The fact that safety monitors are still involved in every ride undermines the notion that Tesla has achieved true autonomy. As one observer noted, this setup amounts to a "trail car" rather than a genuine autonomous system.
The implications of this move are significant. If Tesla's Robotaxis are indeed being followed by trail cars at all times, it could have serious consequences for traffic congestion and safety on the roads. And yet, despite this, Musk is still touting the company's progress as nothing short of miraculous.
It remains to be seen whether Tesla can actually deliver on its promises of widespread adoption, but one thing is clear: the company needs to do a lot more than just move a safety monitor from one car to another if it wants to achieve true autonomy.
However, it seems that the company may have been overly optimistic in its announcement. Insiders claim that Tesla hasn't actually ditched the safety monitors altogether, but instead has merely moved them into trail cars that follow the Robotaxis during their journeys. This setup appears to be more of a public relations stunt than a genuine leap forward in autonomy.
Videos obtained by social media users appear to show Tesla vehicles tailing its own Robotaxis, raising questions about the level of automation in place. While Elon Musk hasn't confirmed whether trail cars are indeed being used, the fact remains that the company's autonomous driving capabilities still seem woefully inadequate compared to those of rival firm Waymo.
Despite Musk's claims that self-driving cars have been "solved," the reality on the ground appears to be more nuanced. The fact that safety monitors are still involved in every ride undermines the notion that Tesla has achieved true autonomy. As one observer noted, this setup amounts to a "trail car" rather than a genuine autonomous system.
The implications of this move are significant. If Tesla's Robotaxis are indeed being followed by trail cars at all times, it could have serious consequences for traffic congestion and safety on the roads. And yet, despite this, Musk is still touting the company's progress as nothing short of miraculous.
It remains to be seen whether Tesla can actually deliver on its promises of widespread adoption, but one thing is clear: the company needs to do a lot more than just move a safety monitor from one car to another if it wants to achieve true autonomy.
... like they're trying to pass off their new setup as autonomous but honestly who really knows what's going on? 
the fact that trail cars are still being used is so sketchy, it's like they're just trying to save face after getting roasted by waymo 
anyway, if they keep using safety monitors in every ride then how can we trust their self-driving tech? i mean, i get that they want to move forward and all but this feels like a major PR stunt 
. It's like they're saying, "Hey, we've got this under control... until you actually get behind the wheel and stuff happens 
." I'm all for innovation, but if Tesla can't even nail down a basic safety system, how are we supposed to trust them with our lives? 
. And if Elon Musk isn't even confirming whether or not this is happening... come on, dude! Be transparent with us already 
. It's one thing to say you've got autonomy figured out, but another thing entirely when it seems like you're just winging it 
.
. The fact that it can be replicated by a trail car kinda kills the whole autonomy thing for me 
.
, while Tesla's is around 80-90% 
.
I just want to see some solid proof that Tesla is on the right track before I start getting my hopes up 
. Maybe we should get a dashboard view of their systems and see how the trail cars are integrated?