Tesla has temporarily paused the rollout of its Full Self-Driving (FSD) beta program, which allows some Tesla owners to test the latest self-driving features before they are released to the general public. The pause is due to issues related to an over-the-air (OTA) software update and a recent recall issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The FSD beta program has been a subject of controversy and criticism, with some experts and regulators warning that Tesla’s self-driving technology is not yet safe enough for public use. However, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has repeatedly defended the program, saying that it will ultimately lead to safer roads and that Tesla’s self-driving technology is already better than human drivers in many cases.
The OTA update that caused the pause in the FSD beta program was intended to fix a bug that was causing some Teslas to suddenly accelerate while in Autopilot mode. However, some Tesla owners reported issues with the update, including a loss of functionality in the FSD beta program. Tesla has since stopped the update and is working on a fix.
The NHTSA recall is related to a separate issue involving the rearview camera display on some Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles. The recall affects nearly 135,000 vehicles and requires Tesla to replace the camera display unit on affected vehicles.
In a statement, Tesla said that it was taking the issues seriously and working to resolve them as quickly as possible. The company also emphasized that the FSD beta program is still in the testing phase and that drivers should always be alert and ready to take control of their vehicle if necessary.
The pause in the FSD beta program comes as Tesla faces increasing scrutiny from regulators and safety advocates over the safety and reliability of its self-driving technology. In addition to the NHTSA recall, Tesla is also under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) over several crashes involving Tesla vehicles using Autopilot or FSD.
