Tesla has been accused of exaggerating the level of automation in their vehicles. Now a piquant detail has become known.
A Tesla promotional video overseen by Musk exaggerated the car’s capabilities. The 2016 video advertised the driver assistance system’s capabilities. Musk is said to have even dictated the opening text of the video, after which the car can drive itself. Bloomberg reports.
This dictation was emailed to the team at 2:00 am (California time). He wanted to emphasize the importance of a demonstration to promote the system, which was announced a week later. In a media call and blog post October 19 announced Tesla, that after that provide the hardware for a complete autonomy. Musk announced he will say the autonomous driving car is powerful.
That, according to the media interpretation, clarifies his way of thinking. He made claims that are still not possible today. There were new names for autopilot, which is even more exaggerated: Full Self Driving (FSD). However, the system remains at level 2. This is fuel in the fire for investigations misleading advertising.
Musk communicated to the advertising department that it had to feel like one continuous shot and that there were too many visible cuts in the video, which was already in the fourth version. In a previous email he wrote that he was aware that he represented the future. Nevertheless, it should appear as if the car is already capable of driving itself. So the video in question started with the note that the person in the driver’s seat was only there for legal reasons, but that they were not doing anything. Shortly thereafter, a person who takes his hands off the steering wheel while driving climbs up. The car then parks itself.
This video is now playing a role in several court cases. Also in that which is the death of Walter Huang negotiated in March 2018. A Tesla employee said the video only shows possibilities, not actual availability. That a digital map of the site was previously created, although years later Musk said HD maps were not relied on. Yes, that would not be necessary at all. Above all, the car had an accident during the demonstration.
Meanwhile, examines the NHTSA Tesla’s system in relation to accidents, including fatalities.