Tesla has long been a powerhouse in the automobile world, pushing boundaries and advancing the future of passenger vehicle technology. Their advanced battery engine technology not only catapulted the electric engine to fame, but also contributed to the rise in positioning the electrical engine as desirable and something to be attained. However, the American automobile company will have to face competition, as automobile developers start looking at more futuristic developments, most pressing autonomous driving technology.
Tesla sets their sights on autonomous driving
Tesla has long been an advocate and pioneer for autonomous vehicle technology. Currently, Tesla’s autonomous driving technology on offer is between the following two technological additions:
- Autopilot
- Full Self-Driving (Supervised)
Both these technologies are not fully autonomous, and still require an active and present driver. However, they both offer numerous advantages, with Full Self-Driving being the more advanced of the two. Autopilot comes standard on every new Model S, Model 3, Model X and Model Y. Autopilot only offers traffic-aware cruise control and autosteer. Full Self-Driving on the other hand offers more sophisticated features, such as auto lane-change and autopark.
However, the technology often comes into friction with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Tesla is currently under an investigation from the NHTSA due to a variety of accidents which have occurred on the road between road users who made use of the technology. However, Tesla consistently iterates that using this technology still requires you to be an active participant in the driving process, and that you cannot treat is as a driverless experience.
“The currently enabled Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (Supervised) features require active driver supervision and do not make the vehicle autonomous. Full autonomy will be dependent on achieving reliability far in excess of human drivers as demonstrated by billions of miles of experience, as well as regulatory approval, which may take longer in some jurisdictions,” describes Tesla on their official website.
Competition from China’s BYD with this groundbreaking function
While Tesla continues to pivot their developments beyond just electrical vehicles and focus on autonomous driving solutions, they are also looking at competition. China’s BYD has been fast on the rise, surpassing Tesla in terms of global electrical vehicle sales since 2022. Additionally, the company is developing their own advanced autonomous vehicle technology which rivals Tesla’s.
Earlier this year, the company unveiled their autonomous technology dubbed ‘God’s Eye,’ an upgrade to their advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS). What is most groundbreaking about the technology is that is claims to be able to have a hand on not just driving on the highway, but also navigating the city. Additionally, the technology is set to be incorporated into all of their vehicles, with more expensive ones receiving more advanced technology.
“[We are] starting an era where autonomous driving is for everyone,” described BYD Founder Wang Chuanfu
Tesla continues Robotaxi service amidst competition
Not to be deterred by the emerging technology from China, Tesla has continued to develop their autonomous driving technology, recently releasing their pilot Robotaxi project in Austin, Texas last month. The project forms part of Tesla’s vision to offer an autonomous ride-hailing service. Currently, the pilot project is restricted to specific locations and is on offer for Tesla employees to get to work.
Additionally, as part of their plan to expand this service, the company also unveiled the Robovan last year. While not yet commercially available, the model is intended to transport up to twenty individuals and will contribute to the autonomous driving ecosystem Tesla is finetuning. On top of international competition, locally, Tesla is also competing with the likes of Alphabet-owned Waymo and Amazon-owned Zoox’s own autonomous driving projects also being demonstrated in Austin.
