Tesla CEO Elon Musk has provided an update on the beta release of the highly anticipated Autopilot Full Self-Driving update.
Responding to a tweet about Waymo today, Musk said, “Waymo is impressive, but a highly specialized solution. The Tesla approach is a general solution. The latest build is capable of zero intervention drives. Will release limited beta in a few weeks.”
Waymo is impressive, but a highly specialized solution. The Tesla approach is a general solution. The latest build is capable of zero intervention drives. Will release limited beta in a few weeks.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 8, 2020
During its Battery Day presentation on September 22, Musk detailed how a private beta release of Autopilot was set to launch in “a month or so”. Now, Musk is saying the “limited beta” is coming in a “few weeks”. It’s worth noting though, this is still on “Elon time” so there might be delays.
Musk said the Autopilot software stack has had a full rewrite, now labeling 3D video and entire video segments from all eight cameras on Tesla vehicles. The CEO said the sophistication of the car’s neural net and overall logic has “improved dramatically.”
In terms of this new Full Self-Driving Autopilot, Musk says no driver intervention is required and he has been testing an early beta himself on his personal Tesla.
Musk also later tweeted, “Our new system is capable of driving in locations we never seen even once.”
Exactly. We barked up that tree for way too long (sigh). Gives a false sense of victory being close — a tantalizing local maximum — but reality is just too messy & weird. Our new system is capable of driving in locations we never seen even once.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 8, 2020
Last month, Musk said a private beta would launch first, followed by a public beta, then a full U.S. rollout for all owners in mid-December.
