Tesla Engineers Tell California Regulators Full Self-Driving May Not Arrive This Year
Tesla's director of Autopilot software admits that Elon Musk's optimistic tweets about achieving Level 5 autonomy do not match the company's current engineering reality. California DMV regulators are warning the automaker to clearly communicate the limits of its driver assistance features.
Tesla engineers tell California regulators that Elon Musk's public promises about achieving full self-driving technology this year do not align with engineering reality. During a March meeting with the California Department of Motor Vehicles, Tesla's director of Autopilot software, CJ Moore, confirms that the company currently operates at Level 2, which requires continuous human supervision.
Musk repeatedly states on social media and during public events that Tesla vehicles achieve true Level 5 driverless capability by the end of 2021. However, Tesla employees, including Moore and an associate general counsel, refuse to confirm this ambitious timeline to the DMV, creating a stark contrast between the CEO's bold predictions and the actual state of the technology.
Following this meeting, the California DMV sends a formal caution letter to Tesla, emphasizing the importance of accurately describing the capabilities and limits of its Full Self-Driving beta program. Regulators warn that public misunderstandings about the technology's limitations pose a serious safety risk as Tesla expands the testing pool for its driver assistance software.