Tesla's Cybertruck Is Now Driving Autonomously, But There's A Catch

Tesla’s Cybertruck Is Now Driving Autonomously, But There’s A Catch

While Tesla prepares for public tests of its driverless technology later this year, newly built vehicles, including the Cybertruck, are already allegedly navigating its factory grounds without human intervention. The automaker claims it is using its “FSD Unsupervised” system to autonomously move cars from production lines to shipping lots at its facilities in Texas and California.

Tesla

Tesla, Inc. is an American electric vehicle manufacturer largely attributed to driving the EV revolution. Through the Model S and subsequent products, Tesla has innovated and challenged industry conventions on numerous fronts, including over-the-air updates, self-driving technology, and automotive construction methods. Tesla is considered the world’s most valuable car brand as of 2023, and the Model Y the world’s best-selling car in the same year, but the brand’s greatest achievement is arguably the Supercharger network of EV charging stations.

Founded: July 1, 2003
Founder: Martin Eberhard, Marc Tarpenning
Headquarters: Austin, Texas, USA
Owned By: Publicly Traded
Current CEO: Elon Musk

Tesla revealed that this autonomous factory operation is now fully implemented for all vehicles produced at its Gigafactory Texas near Austin. Freshly assembled Model Ys and Cybertrucks utilize the advanced driverless software to handle the journey to outbound logistics areas, sharing the space with human-driven vehicles, pedestrians, semi-trucks, and even construction equipment. The automaker says it has already accumulated over 50,000 miles of driverless operation across the two factories.

The Achievement Looks Impressive, But There Are Caveats

Videos shared by Tesla showcase the system in action, depicting Model Ys navigating a 1.4-mile route while Cybertrucks handle a 0.6-mile trip that includes traversing under a highway and ascending a steep 17 percent grade out of a tunnel – a path Tesla dubs the “birthing tunnel.” The system manages complex interactions, such as Cybertrucks yielding to autonomously driven Model Ys at intersections within the factory complex. It should be noted that while these vehicles do appear to be driving themselves, Tesla has previously staged a self-driving demonstration and had a dancer dress up as its Optimus robot during a presentation.

Tesla Makes More Questionable Claims About Its Autonomous People Mover

Engineering chief Lars Moravy says the Robotaxi will do “close to 300 miles” of range with a 50-kilowatt-hour battery.

It should also be noted that these vehicles are all driving a similar predefined route, and that’s a lot easier to manage than a public road where things can change in an instant.

Currently, Tesla’s angular pickup lacks many of the advanced driver-assistance features available to customers on other models, including “Actually Smart Summon”, the ability to initiate FSD from a parked state, autonomous reversing, or self-parking at a destination. Basic functions like lane keeping only arrive via software updates.

Thousands of Miles Logged Behind Factory Gates

This extensive use of driverless technology within factory confines possibly serves as a significant, real-world validation effort for Tesla’s ambitious autonomous driving program. Logging over 50,000 miles allows the company to gather vast amounts of data and refine the system’s performance in a complex but relatively controlled setting before attempting widespread public deployment.

It underscores the company’s major bet on achieving full self-driving capabilities, a push reportedly prioritized by CEO Elon Musk, potentially even delaying other new vehicle programs in favor of robotaxi development. While the impressive Cybercab unveiling event showcased Tesla’s vision, the underlying FSD system still requires human oversight on public roads.

Tesla plans to begin the first public trials of FSD Unsupervised as a paid service in Austin starting this June, pending regulatory approvals. The successful, large-scale internal deployment provides a foundation for that next step, demonstrating the system can handle intricate navigation tasks without a driver behind the wheel, at least within the familiar territory of its production facilities.