Tesla's Full Self-Driving suite seems to get better with every single release. However, it is also making it more seamless and easier than ever to use for passenger travel, thanks to a recent feature that has flown under the radar. Tesla started rolling out its v14 iteration of the Full Self-Driving suite a few weeks ago to Early Access Program (EAP) members, and it finally started making its way to the public for the first time earlier this week.
In Las Vegas, the Boring Company operates the Vegas Loop, an underground tunnel system that uses Teslas to drop people off at various hotspots on the strip. It's been active for a few years now and is expanding to other resorts, hotels, and destinations. Currently, there are stops at three resorts: Westgate, the Encore, and Resorts World. However, there will eventually be "over 100 stations and span over 68 miles of tunnel," the Vegas Loop website says.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened an investigation into more than 2.8 million Tesla vehicles with the company's Full Self-Driving (FSD) system. As reported earlier by Reuters, the investigation will probe the traffic violations that occur with FSD, including driving through red lights and traveling the wrong way down the street. NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation is looking into 58 traffic safety incidents involving FSD, including 14 crashes and 23 injuries.
The rising popularity of self-driving cars has caused many to question just how safe these vehicles are. These concerns were highlighted when one woman posted a video of her dancing in her self-driving Tesla with no hands on the steering wheel. On Sept. 25, San Francisco resident Vanessa Lim (@vanesssalim) posted a video of herself dancing in a Tesla, with text overlay that says, when you can have solo dance parties bc your car drives itself.
Two Tesla influencers were riding in a brand new Model Y "Juniper," a refreshed version of the automaker's most popular car. Sitting in the driver's seat was the content creator "Bearded Tesla Guy," who'd just begun a coast-to-coast road trip with his friend to put the vehicle's "Full Self-Driving" tech to a continent-spanning test.