Elon Musk reveals Tesla Full Self Driving is close in Europe & China

The Electric Viking
28 Apr 202406:27

TLDRElon Musk has announced that Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology is now operational in Germany and is awaiting approval in other left-hand drive countries within the next couple of weeks. Tesla is demonstrating the FSD stack to regulators to gain approval, with version 12 believed to be ready for supervised self-driving in these regions. Although not yet fully autonomous, where drivers can completely relinquish control, Tesla's FSD is being regulated and approved based on its current capabilities in North America. The technology is also being prepared for left-hand drive regions, including China and Europe, which account for approximately 80% of global car sales. Tesla's advancements in self-driving are attributed to the use of its supercomputer to process vast amounts of data, learning rapidly from edge cases. If FSD is approved in Europe, China, and North America within the next two years, it could significantly impact companies like Uber, as the main cost of their service, the driver, would be eliminated. The potential approval of FSD highlights the rapid pace of change in the automotive industry and the challenges it poses to traditional business models.

Takeaways

  • ๐Ÿš— Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) is now operational in Germany and is awaiting approval from regulators.
  • ๐ŸŒ FSD is expected to be available in other left-hand drive countries within the next one to two weeks.
  • ๐Ÿš€ Tesla believes that version 12 of their FSD stack is ready for supervised self-driving in left-hand drive countries.
  • ๐Ÿ•’ Right-hand drive countries will take longer to implement FSD due to the need for additional software training and adjustments.
  • ๐Ÿ” German regulators have approved Mercedes' autonomous driving features under certain conditions, which may indicate a positive outlook for Tesla's FSD approval.
  • ๐Ÿ’ฐ Tesla has been offering FSD at a reduced price of $88,000 in North America to promote adoption.
  • ๐Ÿ“ˆ Tesla is focusing on left-hand drive markets, which account for approximately 80% of global car sales, including Europe, China, and North America.
  • ๐Ÿค– Tesla's supercomputer is continuously learning from edge cases and improving the FSD software at a rapid pace.
  • ๐Ÿง  The company has passed 1.3 billion cumulative miles of data, which is being used to enhance the FSD system.
  • ๐Ÿš€ If Tesla's FSD is approved in Europe, China, and North America within the next two years, it could significantly impact the stock price and disrupt the ride-sharing industry like Uber.
  • โฐ Tesla has been in discussions with the United Nations Economic Commission and has launched subscriptions for enhanced autopilot in China, indicating progress towards full self-driving in international markets.

Q & A

  • What is the current status of Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) in Germany?

    -Tesla's Full Self-Driving is now running in Germany, and the company is giving demonstrations to regulators to get it approved. It is expected to hit other left-hand drive countries within the next one or two weeks.

  • What is the difference between left-hand drive and right-hand drive countries in terms of Tesla's FSD?

    -Tesla's FSD is focusing on left-hand drive countries, which account for about 80% of car sales worldwide, including Europe and China. Right-hand drive countries, which are a smaller market, will take longer to implement FSD as the software needs additional training and adjustments.

  • What is the current price for Tesla's FSD in North America?

    -Tesla has recently been offering its FSD at a lower price, which is now set at $88,000.

  • How does Tesla's FSD compare to Mercedes' autonomous driving system?

    -Tesla's FSD is considered more advanced and likely to be approved, despite some skepticism. In contrast, Mercedes' autonomous driving system has been approved but with significant limitations and only works under very specific conditions.

  • What is the significance of Tesla's supercomputer in improving FSD?

    -Tesla's supercomputer allows the company to process massive amounts of data from edge cases, enabling the FSD system to learn and improve rapidly. This has accelerated the development and refinement of the FSD technology.

  • What is the potential impact on Uber if Tesla's FSD is approved in major markets?

    -If Tesla's FSD is approved and operational in major markets, it could significantly disrupt Uber's business model, as the main cost for Uber is the hourly cost of the driver. A car that needs no driver could make Uber's service less competitive.

  • What is the current cumulative mileage for Tesla's FSD testing?

    -Tesla has surpassed 1.3 billion cumulative miles in testing its FSD technology.

  • What is the timeline for Tesla to potentially launch full self-driving in other markets?

    -Tesla executives have suggested that the company is close to launching full self-driving in other markets, with a timeline of being 'very, very soon' for left-hand drive countries, but it will take longer for right-hand drive countries.

  • What is the current state of Tesla's discussions with the United Nations Economic Commission regarding FSD?

    -Tesla has recently begun discussing its FSD technology with the United Nations Economic Commission, indicating a move towards international recognition and potential regulation.

  • What is the precursor to Tesla launching full self-driving in China?

    -Tesla China has launched subscriptions for enhanced autopilot, which is seen as a precursor to the company eventually launching full self-driving in the country.

  • How does the script suggest the future of autonomous driving technology might affect society?

    -The script suggests that the future of autonomous driving technology is both exciting and potentially disruptive, with rapid changes that could be unsettling for some but offer significant advancements in transportation and technology.

  • What is the current requirement for drivers using Tesla's FSD in North America?

    -As of the current state described in the script, drivers are not allowed to remove their hands from the steering wheel while using Tesla's FSD. The system is designed for supervised self-driving, requiring driver attention and intervention when necessary.

Outlines

00:00

๐Ÿš— Tesla's Full Self-Driving Stack in Germany and Expansion Plans

The video discusses the recent developments in Tesla's full self-driving technology, highlighting its current operation in Germany and the imminent rollout in other left-hand drive countries. The host, Sam Evans, provides insights into Tesla's ongoing demonstrations to German regulators for approval, comparing the situation with Mercedes' approved self-driving system. The summary also touches on the limitations of current self-driving capabilities, emphasizing that it is not yet a fully autonomous system where drivers can completely relinquish control. Furthermore, the video mentions Tesla's strategy to focus on left-hand drive markets, which represent approximately 80% of global car sales, and the company's progress in testing and discussions with the United Nations Economic Commission. It concludes with Tesla's use of a supercomputer to analyze edge-case scenarios and the rapid improvement in full self-driving technology.

05:00

๐Ÿ“ˆ Potential Impact of Tesla's Full Self-Driving Approval on the Market

This paragraph delves into the potential market implications if Tesla's full self-driving technology is approved in major markets like Europe, China, and North America within the next two years. The host speculates that Tesla's stock price could double, considering the transformative effect on transportation and ride-sharing services like Uber. The video outlines the competitive advantage Tesla would have by eliminating the need for a driver, which is a significant cost for services like Uber. It also briefly mentions Tesla's plans to use the self-driving software to train their robots, adding another dimension to the company's future capabilities. The host expresses excitement about the rapid pace of change in the industry and the opportunities it presents.

Mindmap

Keywords

๐Ÿ’กFull Self-Driving

Full Self-Driving (FSD) refers to a feature in Tesla vehicles that allows the car to operate autonomously without the need for driver intervention under most conditions. In the video, it is discussed that FSD is being tested and is close to being approved in Europe and China, which is a significant development for the future of autonomous driving technology.

๐Ÿ’กGermany

Germany is mentioned as the location where Tesla's Full Self-Driving is currently running and where the company is seeking regulatory approval. It is significant because it is a major market and a leader in automotive technology, and its approval could pave the way for FSD in other European countries.

๐Ÿ’กRegulators

Regulators are government officials or agencies responsible for overseeing and enforcing rules within a particular industry. In the context of the video, they are crucial as they need to approve Tesla's Full Self-Driving technology before it can be widely used in various regions, including left-hand drive countries.

๐Ÿ’กLeft-Hand Drive Countries

Left-Hand Drive Countries are regions where vehicles are designed to be driven on the left side of the road, with the driver's seat on the left. The video highlights that Tesla is focusing on these countries, which represent about 80% of car sales worldwide, making it a priority for the deployment of their Full Self-Driving technology.

๐Ÿ’กRight-Hand Drive Countries

Right-Hand Drive Countries are places where vehicles are driven on the right side of the road, and the driver's seat is on the right. The video mentions that Tesla's Full Self-Driving technology will take longer to be available in these countries, as it requires additional training and adaptation of the software.

๐Ÿ’กSupervised Self-Driving

Supervised Self-Driving is a term used to describe a level of autonomous driving where the car can handle most driving situations, but a driver must still be present and ready to take control if necessary. The video discusses Tesla's progress in offering this technology in North America and its potential expansion to other regions.

๐Ÿ’กMercedes Autonomous Driving

Mercedes Autonomous Driving is mentioned as an example of another company's self-driving technology that has been approved with certain limitations. It serves as a comparison to Tesla's Full Self-Driving, illustrating the regulatory landscape and the potential for approval of Tesla's technology.

๐Ÿ’กTesla Stock Price

Tesla Stock Price refers to the value of Tesla's publicly traded shares on the stock market. The video suggests that if Tesla's Full Self-Driving technology is approved and successfully deployed, it could significantly increase investor confidence and potentially double the stock price, reflecting the company's leading position in autonomous driving technology.

๐Ÿ’กUber

Uber is mentioned in the context of the competitive landscape for transportation services. The video posits that if Tesla's Full Self-Driving technology becomes a reality, it could disrupt Uber's business model, which relies heavily on drivers, by offering a more cost-effective alternative without the need for human drivers.

๐Ÿ’กnull

๐Ÿ’กEnhanced Autopilot

Enhanced Autopilot is a feature offered by Tesla that provides advanced driver-assistance systems. It is mentioned as a precursor to the full self-driving capabilities that Tesla is developing. The video notes that Tesla China has launched subscriptions for this feature, indicating a step towards the broader rollout of self-driving technology.

๐Ÿ’กSupercomputer

A Supercomputer, in the context of the video, refers to Tesla's use of high-performance computing to process and learn from vast amounts of driving data. This technology is crucial for improving the edge cases in autonomous driving and is highlighted as a key factor in the rapid advancement of Tesla's Full Self-Driving capabilities.

Highlights

Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) is now operational in Germany and awaiting approval in other left-hand drive countries.

Tesla is demonstrating FSD to German regulators for approval, suggesting version 12 is ready for supervised self-driving.

German regulators have previously approved Mercedes' self-driving system, indicating a potential approval for Tesla's FSD.

Tesla is offering FSD at a lower price of $88,000 in North America.

Elon Musk indicates that left-hand drive regions will soon have access to Tesla's FSD.

Tesla's FSD is not yet fully autonomous, as drivers must still keep hands on the wheel.

Left-hand drive regions, including Canada, Europe, and China, account for approximately 80% of global car sales.

Tesla executives suggest that full self-driving in other markets is imminent, excluding right-hand drive countries for now.

Tesla has been in dialogue with the United Nations Economic Commission regarding self-driving technology.

Tesla China has launched subscriptions for enhanced autopilot, a precursor to full self-driving in the country.

Tesla has accumulated over 1.3 billion miles of data to improve its self-driving system.

Tesla's supercomputer is used to process edge-case data, rapidly improving the self-driving technology.

If Tesla's FSD is approved in Europe, China, and North America within two years, the stock price could double.

The main competition for Uber could come from Tesla's self-driving technology, which could eliminate the need for drivers.

Tesla's self-driving software can also be used to train their robots, indicating a broader application of the technology.

The rapid advancement of self-driving technology signifies a transformative and exciting future for the automotive industry.

Some people may struggle with the rapid pace of change in self-driving technology, but it presents opportunities for innovation.