Tesla is extending its “full self-driving” (FSD) beta software “to anyone in North America who requests it from the car screen,” according to CEO Elon Musk who tweeted out the news late Wednesday evening. The rollout of FSD across the continent comes as Tesla is potentially facing a criminal investigation from the U.S. Department of Justice over false claims relating to the company’s advanced driver assistance system Autopilot.
Autopilot comes standard on Tesla vehicles and performs automated driving functions such as steering, accelerating and automatic braking. FSD, which costs North American drivers $15,000, is an extension of Autopilot that includes features like assisted steering on highways and city streets, smart vehicle summoning, automatic parking and recognizing and reacting to traffic lights and stop signs.
Autopilot, and by extension FSD, have come under regulator scrutiny in recent years following a series of Tesla crashes, many of which were fatal. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened special investigations into 36 Tesla crashes involving Autopilot since 2016, five of which happened this year. Tesla has also come under fire from California’s Department of Motor Vehicles and drivers who claim the company falsely advertised the self-driving capabilities of Autopilot and FSD.
Some Tesla owners and enthusiasts predicted the company might allow FSD into all cars after Tesla appears to have dropped the requirement for 100 Autopilot...
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