Tesla Motors is abandoning the “fully self-driving” purchasing option on all of its vehicles. The option debuted in 2016 as a way to ensure your new car would be future-proofed and able to incorporate autonomous features. But those upgrades never really came — leaving customers who spent $8,000 angry enough to file a class-action lawsuit against the company for failing to deliver on its promises. At least they still got those EV tax credits and free access to the company’s fancy new Autopilot chip (which is also a bit of a mystery item).
The option appears to have been removed from Tesla’s website this week — prompting customers to ask CEO Elon Musk what was up after he announced a rejiggering of the Model 3 lineup. According to a tweet from Musk, the self-driving option was removed because it “was causing too much confusion.”
Well, whose fucking fault was that?
While we can praise Tesla for beating the odds and being the first automaker to make electric vehicles trendy and relatively easy to live with, it’s been pretty irresponsible about how it markets advanced driving aids. Autopilot may be one of the best driver-assistance packages on the market, but the name has encouraged some motorists to take a hands-off approach while using it. Likewise, the “fully self-driving” option turned out to be a flat-out lie — even if it was an unintentional one.
Consumer Watchdog and The Center for Auto Safety became noticeably upset about this, issuing a letter to the Federal Trade Commission on what they considered “deceptive and unfair practices in advertising and marketing” on the part of Tesla’s marketing team.
Tesla has had some understandable setbacks within its autonomous development team, stalling overall progress. But it had to know it wouldn’t be ready for quite some time and that consumer patience has limits when it introduced the self-driving option two years ago. While it may be a relatively fresh-faced automaker in the grand scheme of things, it’s not unreasonable to hold it to the same standard as established manufacturers on something like this. Tesla isn’t alone in over-promising autonomy right now. Still, no other automaker offered to charge customers for tech that didn’t yet exist in their vehicles.
According to Bloomberg, the option is likely only taking a temporary leave of absence. Last month, Elon notified employees that Tesla needed about 100 more staffers to join an internal testing program for full self-driving capabilities. We’ll have to see if that’s actually what happens, as rumors state Tesla would need additional hardware to achieve level 4 autonomy.
Let’s also not forget that Musk promised that Version 9 of Autopilot would “enable full self-driving features” last June. That update has already been launched via the company’s over-the-air updates. We know it stepped up road and sign recognition but has anyone out there noticed their Model S making solo trips to the store? Maybe you also have to buy the $5,000 chip when it comes out.
[Image: Tesla Motors]
Whoa Matt, can we ease up on the cursing please? I can go to jalopnik for that. Thank you!
Really?
Yes really.
At TTAC, the language is reflective of the feelings toward Tesla.
We all knew this already. Well, at least those of us that follow the technology advancements in real time and can forecast reality.
Auto pile it — the BS that is. It’s as though an entire segment of the population is finally coming out of a trance and realizing that this nonsensical autonomous vehicle stuff just doesn’t work in the real world. Tesla is just the first of many who will have to fess up and admit to investors that their claims and schedules were a bit optimistic.
Here in AZ several companies made outlandish claims that their AV fleets would be up and running — but the big rig trucks and cars are nowhere to be seen on roads and highways. Plenty of sharpies will be raking it in on shorting these overvalued plays on hype.
Yeah, I agree. But the main difference is that Tesla not only made claims that were not only baseless, but are false and they improperly and misleadingly named their system “Auto Pilot” which has caused a lot of people to be irresponsible while operating their vehicles, thinking the vehicle would drive itself.
Just thinning the herd. Maybe I’m one in a million, but falling asleep on a highway and letting my car drive me strikes me as a terrible idea. If it needs a driver, then I need to be awake and alert.
Yes, we need an thinner herd, much thinner.
I know there are a few folks on here that own a model 3. Question…how are the back seats and trunk space? I have a 6’2″ 17 year old and a 13 year old not far behind. My wife wants to downsize from her Santa Fe to a sedan or wagon and I want to jump before her mind changes. I want to at least consider the Tesla but havent yet seen a 3 in the flesh.
I’ve driven one, and the back seat is a bit tight. Some people have complained that you sit pretty low back there.
My passengers were 6’5″ (tight) and 5’9″ (OK).
Look for a used Model X. This is similarly sized to the Santa Fe.
iT’s iRrESPonsIBle tO mARkeT It aS aUtoPiLOt i’M goNNa sWEar WOrd aT EVerYOne
This doesn’t bode well for my rocket ride to Mars.
That ‘rocket’ will not have to deal with cross traffic, or people drifting into your lane, or the possibility of rear ending the rocket in front of you…
So I think you’ll be fine.
I heard Tesla also removed cold fusion and perpetual motion from their pay now, deliver later options list.
.
.
They only removed “cold fusion” because they were going to name their next model that, and didn’t want to confuse people into thinking it was a new Ford model.
This over-hyped self driving feature makes the car a death trap. It is that simple.