After the automaker rolled out an update to the cars, a number of Tesla Cybertrucks can now drive hands-free on US highways.
Tesla’s head of artificial intelligence Ashok Eluswamy writes in X that the Cybertruck will be the first Tesla cars to get the “end-to-end highway” driving feature, which the company says uses a “neural network” to navigate all parts of the road.
“Good job,” Tesla CEO (and X owner) Elon Musk replied to his AI chief.
The feature appears to be in “early access,” meaning it’s only available to some owners who have paid for it. It’s unclear when the automaker will roll out the extra on a wider scale.
Tesla owner’s manuals state that the Full Self-Drive, or “FSD (Supervised)” feature, should only be used if drivers are paying attention to the road. The feature reportedly turns off if it detects that drivers are looking elsewhere.
Critics argue that Tesla’s marketing incorrectly misleads drivers into believing that the FSD can actually drive on its own and that the automaker has not been proactive in preventing abuse by drivers.
Customers who bought the base Cybertruck earlier in the pre-order paid $7,000 to access the feature, with some waiting almost a year to get it in their cars. Tesla owners in the US can now subscribe to the FSD (Supervised) feature for $99 per month.
One owner of the model commented in a X that, based on driving this morning, the feature “works well.”
The introduction of self-driving is much-needed good news for the Cybertruck, which has faced a difficult performance in Tesla’s lineup. The electric car was delayed for years due to the pandemic and quite a few engineering problems.
The all-electric pickup has also been the subject of several safety recalls, including one in which the company had to repair or replace gas pedals that stuck.
As more manufacturers rush into the electrification race and Tesla’s huge lead is eroded by other companies, Musk and his team believe that AI-enabled “self-driving” features will help them regain their edge. Wired.
“Tesla’s value is overwhelmingly autonomy,” Musk told investors this summer.
