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 few 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 let go of the wheel, Tesla is seeking regulatory approval for its current level of self-driving capabilities. The company has been promoting FSD in North America and is now focusing on left-hand drive markets, which account for approximately 80% of global car sales. Tesla has also begun discussing its self-driving technology with the United Nations Economic Commission and has launched subscriptions for enhanced autopilot in China, indicating a move towards full self-driving in that market. The company's supercomputer is processing vast amounts of data from edge cases, allowing the self-driving system to learn and improve rapidly. If Tesla's FSD gains widespread approval, it could significantly disrupt the transportation industry, potentially doubling the company's stock price and posing a major challenge to competitors like Uber.

Takeaways

  • 🚗 Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) is now operational in Germany and is awaiting approval from regulators.
  • 🌍 FSD is expected to be available in other left-hand drive countries within the next one to two weeks.
  • 🚀 Tesla believes that version 12 of its software is ready for supervised self-driving in left-hand drive countries, with right-hand drive to follow later.
  • 🔍 German regulators have approved Mercedes' autonomous driving system under certain conditions, which suggests that Tesla's FSD may also be approved.
  • 💰 Tesla has been offering FSD at a lower price in North America, and Elon Musk has indicated that left-hand drive availability is imminent.
  • 🛣️ Tesla's focus has been on left-hand drive markets, which account for about 80% of global car sales, including Europe, China, and North America.
  • 🤖 Tesla is using its supercomputer to learn from edge cases and improve its self-driving technology at a rapid pace.
  • 📈 If Tesla's FSD is approved in Europe, China, and North America within the next two years, it is predicted that Tesla's stock price could double.
  • 🚖 The approval of FSD could pose a significant challenge to companies like Uber, as the main cost of an Uber ride is the driver, which would be eliminated with a self-driving car.
  • 🔧 Tesla has been testing self-driving technology in other countries for years and has recently discussed this technology with the United Nations Economic Commission.
  • 🔄 Tesla China has launched subscriptions for enhanced autopilot, which is seen as a precursor to the launch of full self-driving in China.

Q & A

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

    -Tesla's Full Self-Driving is now operational in Germany, and the company is demonstrating it to regulators to get approval for left-hand drive countries.

  • What does Elon Musk believe about the readiness of Tesla's FSD version 12?

    -Elon Musk believes that version 12 of Tesla's FSD is ready for supervised full self-driving in left-hand drive countries.

  • How does the approval process for Tesla's FSD compare to that of Mercedes' self-driving system?

    -The German regulators have approved Mercedes' self-driving system, which has limitations, suggesting that Tesla's FSD, which is more advanced, is likely to be approved as well.

  • What is the price for Tesla's supervised self-driving in North America?

    -Tesla is offering its supervised self-driving at a reduced price, currently set at $88,000.

  • What is the significance of Tesla focusing on left-hand drive regions?

    -Left-hand drive regions, including Europe and China, account for approximately 80% of worldwide car sales, making it a priority for Tesla to focus on these markets.

  • What is the current state of Tesla's discussions with the United Nations Economic Commission regarding self-driving technology?

    -Tesla has recently begun discussing its self-driving technology with the United Nations Economic Commission, indicating a move towards international recognition and standardization.

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

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

  • How is Tesla utilizing its supercomputer to improve self-driving technology?

    -Tesla is using its supercomputer to process and learn from edge case scenarios, allowing the self-driving system to improve and adapt quickly.

  • What is the potential impact on Tesla's stock price if full self-driving is approved in major markets within the next two years?

    -If Tesla's full self-driving is approved in Europe, China, and North America within the next two years, the stock price is expected to at least double.

  • How does the advancement of Tesla's self-driving technology affect competitors like Uber?

    -The advancement threatens the business model of companies like Uber, as the removal of the need for a driver significantly reduces operational costs, making it difficult for traditional ride-sharing services to compete.

  • What additional use case is Tesla exploring for its self-driving software?

    -Tesla is also using its self-driving software to train its robots, indicating a broader application of the technology beyond just automotive use.

  • What is the general sentiment towards the rapid advancements in self-driving technology as expressed in the script?

    -The script expresses a mix of excitement and apprehension about the rapid changes in self-driving technology, with the presenter personally embracing the change due to its potential and interest.

Outlines

00:00

🚗 Tesla's Full Self-Driving in Germany and Beyond

The video discusses the recent development of Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) system being operational in Germany and the anticipation of its expansion to other left-hand drive countries in the near future. Sam Evans, the host, highlights Tesla's ongoing demonstrations to German regulators to secure approval for FSD, comparing the situation to the approval of Mercedes' autonomous driving system with its limitations. The summary emphasizes the current state of FSD, which still requires driver supervision, and the distinction between supervised self-driving and the憧憬 (aspirational) full self-driving where a driver could potentially take their hands off the wheel. The host also touches on Tesla's strategy, focusing on left-hand drive markets, which represent approximately 80% of global car sales, and the company's recent discussions with the United Nations Economic Commission. Additionally, the video mentions Tesla's use of its supercomputer to analyze edge-case scenarios and the rapid improvement of FSD technology.

05:00

📈 The Impact of Tesla's FSD Approval on the Market

This paragraph speculates on the potential impact of Tesla's Full Self-Driving technology gaining regulatory approval in major markets such as Europe, China, and North America within the next two years. The host, Sam Evans, suggests that if Tesla achieves this milestone, its stock price could potentially double, posing a significant challenge to competitors like Uber. The summary points out that the main cost for ride-sharing services like Uber is the driver, and removing this cost through autonomous technology could disrupt the business model of such services. The video also contemplates Tesla's future strategies, including the use of its self-driving software to train other technologies, like robots, indicating a transformative and rapidly evolving future for transportation and technology. The host expresses enthusiasm for these changes and the opportunities they present.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Full Self Driving (FSD)

Full Self Driving (FSD) refers to the capability of a vehicle to navigate and drive autonomously without requiring active input from a human driver. In the context of the video, Tesla's FSD is a significant focus as it is now operational in Germany and is expected to be rolled out in other left-hand drive countries soon. The FSD system is a core component of Tesla's technology, aiming to provide a safer and more convenient driving experience.

💡Left-hand Drive Countries

Left-hand drive countries are those where vehicles are designed to have the driver's seat on the left side, and drivers drive on the right side of the road. The video mentions that Tesla's FSD is about to be introduced in these countries, which include most of Europe and China. This is significant because it covers approximately 80% of car sales worldwide, indicating the broad potential market for Tesla's technology.

💡Regulators

Regulators in this context are government agencies responsible for overseeing and approving the safety and legality of new technologies, such as autonomous driving systems. The video discusses how Tesla is demonstrating its FSD technology to regulators in Germany to obtain approval, which is a crucial step for the technology to be legally used on public roads.

💡Supervised Self-Driving

Supervised self-driving is a term used to describe a level of vehicle automation where the car can drive itself under certain conditions, but a human driver must remain attentive and ready to take control if necessary. Tesla has been promoting its supervised self-driving in North America and is seeking to expand this to left-hand drive countries, as mentioned in the video.

💡Mercedes Autonomous Driving

The video makes a comparison to Mercedes' autonomous driving technology, which has been approved by German regulators despite having limitations and only functioning under specific conditions. This serves as a point of reference to discuss the potential approval of Tesla's FSD, suggesting that if a less capable system has been approved, a more advanced one like Tesla's may also be approved.

💡Tesla Full Self Driving Stack

The Tesla Full Self Driving Stack refers to the collection of hardware and software that enables Tesla vehicles to perform self-driving functions. The video states that this stack is now running in Germany and is a key technology for Tesla's FSD. It includes various systems such as cameras, sensors, and artificial intelligence algorithms that work together to allow the car to navigate without human intervention.

💡Right-hand Drive Countries

Right-hand drive countries, such as Australia and the United Kingdom, have vehicles designed with the driver's seat on the right side and drivers drive on the left side of the road. The video notes that Tesla's FSD is not yet ready for these countries, as the software needs additional training and adjustments to accommodate right-hand drive configurations.

💡Enhanced Autopilot

Enhanced Autopilot is a feature offered by Tesla that provides more advanced driver assistance capabilities than the standard Autopilot system. The video mentions that Tesla China has launched subscriptions for Enhanced Autopilot, which is seen as a precursor to the full self-driving technology. This feature is part of Tesla's strategy to incrementally introduce autonomous driving capabilities to its customers.

💡Supercomputer

In the context of the video, a supercomputer refers to Tesla's use of high-performance computing to process and learn from vast amounts of data generated by its vehicles. This data includes edge cases, which are unusual or extreme situations that the self-driving system may encounter. Tesla's supercomputer allows the company to rapidly improve the FSD system by learning from these scenarios.

💡Cumulative Miles

Cumulative miles refer to the total distance traveled by Tesla vehicles equipped with Autopilot or FSD systems. The video mentions that Tesla has surpassed 1.3 billion cumulative miles, which is an important metric for demonstrating the real-world experience and reliability of Tesla's self-driving technology.

💡Earnings Call

An earnings call is a conference call held by public companies to discuss their recent financial performance with investors and analysts. The video references an earnings call where Tesla executives suggested that the company is close to launching full self-driving in other markets, indicating that this is a significant and imminent milestone for the company.

Highlights

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

Tesla is demonstrating FSD to German regulators to gain approval, with version 12 believed to be ready for supervised self-driving.

Right-hand drive countries will see FSD approval later, as the software needs additional training and adjustments.

Mercedes has received approval for its self-driving system with limitations, suggesting Tesla's FSD may also get approved.

Tesla has been offering FSD at a reduced price of $88,000 in North America.

The current state of FSD requires driver supervision and does not allow for hands-off driving.

Tesla is focusing on left-hand drive markets, which account for approximately 80% of global car sales.

Tesla executives suggest that full self-driving in other markets is imminent, though not yet for right-hand drive countries.

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

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

Tesla's supercomputer is used to process data from edge cases, allowing the FSD system to learn and improve rapidly.

The approval of FSD in major markets could potentially double Tesla's stock price within the next two years.

The success of FSD could pose a significant challenge to companies like Uber, which rely heavily on driver costs.

Tesla's advancements in self-driving technology also benefit their development of robotic systems.

The rapid pace of change in self-driving technology is both exciting and daunting for different segments of society.

The host expresses enthusiasm for the future of self-driving technology and its potential impacts.