Tesla's Full Self-Driving technology is still in beta release and in its current state, only a select group of users are testing the company's autonomous driving service. But the FSD status will improve quickly in the months to come and by the latest projection made by Elon Musk, the system will achieve Level 5 autonomy by yearend.
Musk's promise of rapid progression for FSD means the technology is lined up to reach near-perfection in the latter months of 2021. The Tesla boss claimed that when the system becomes Level 5 autonomous, it will be "100% safer to drive," when the feature is running.
Tesla envisions FSD to take full control of the driving duties and free of any form of human supervision. With the perfect stage realized by the end of the year, Musk said autonomous driving on Tesla EVs will be totally reliable under any driving conditions.
Musk gave the heads up during Tesla's earnings call on Wednesday and it is believed, per the report by CNET, that the fully functional FSD will be governed by the automaker's supercomputer known as Dojo. This AI system will be the brain to process FSD's real-time functions that will be made possible by the exchanges between Tesla's neural network and an EV's set of smart cameras.
In the same event, the Tesla CEO said FSD's roadmap includes expanding the service's coverage and the same applies to the Autopilot feature. This is a window for other automakers to access the AI-powered technology as Musk indicated that licensing the services to other industry players is an active discussion within the company.
And this in keeping with the earlier characterization of Tesla by Musk - that the innovative company is far from being a "walled garden."
If outsiders will be permitted to experience Tesla's cutting-edge technology, the company is also making it easier for Tesla EV owners to the full serving of FSD. This will be done through a subscription service that Musk had hinted earlier will be implemented soon and the chief executive said it is happening within the next two months.
FSD via subscription will permit Tesla users to enjoy the service without having to pay the asking price of $10,000. If the planned rollout is not delayed, Teslarati said the automaker will start offering the package by the end of March 2021 at the latest.
This is welcome news for many Tesla fans unwilling to fork out the full amount to get the key for FSD to be activated. Also, since Musk confirmed on the same occasion that FSD is not transferable between Tesla EVs, subscription is a good option for those with multiple Tesla vehicles.
