History of Tesla Autopilot in Timeline
Tesla Autopilot is an advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) by Tesla, Inc., offering Level 2 automation. Standard since April 2019, it includes Autosteer and Traffic-Aware Cruise Control. An optional "Full Self-Driving (Supervised)" package adds semi-autonomous navigation, self-parking, and summon capabilities. MotorTrend cited FSD as the best ADAS on the market as of January 2026.
3 hours ago : Tesla Autopilot faces DUI arrest, Las Vegas crash, and lawsuit challenges.
Tesla Autopilot incidents include a DUI arrest of a passed-out driver and a Las Vegas crash leading to a lawsuit alleging Autopilot malfunction. These incidents raise safety concerns.
2013: Elon Musk discusses Autopilot
In 2013, Elon Musk publicly discussed the Tesla Autopilot system, drawing parallels to autopilot systems in aircraft.
2013: Elon Musk purchases Lotus Esprit submersible
In 2013, Elon Musk purchased the Lotus Esprit submersible prop from the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me.
2013: Elon Musk predicts fully autonomous driving
Since 2013, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has repeatedly predicted that the company would achieve fully autonomous driving (SAE Level 5) within one to three years. These goals are still to be met.
September 2014: Vehicles manufactured after September 2014 included Hardware 1
In September 2014, Tesla vehicles manufactured after September included Hardware 1 (HW1), which supported Autopilot.
October 2014: Tesla offers pre-purchase of Autopilot
In October 2014, Tesla offered customers the ability to pre-purchase Autopilot, which was not designed for self-driving.
2014: Autopilot initially introduced
In 2014, Autopilot was initially introduced referring to automatic parking and low-speed summoning on private property, using hardware developed by Mobileye.
October 2015: Musk advises drivers to keep hands on wheel
In October 2015, Elon Musk advised drivers to keep their hands on the wheel when Autopilot is engaged. Despite this advice, many videos surfaced showing drivers using Autopilot hands-free.
October 2015: Tesla Releases Software Version 7.0 with Autopilot
In October 2015, Tesla released software version 7.0, claiming Autopilot would "[relieve] drivers of the most tedious and potentially dangerous aspects of road travel".
October 2015: First Autopilot software release
The first Autopilot software release came in October 2015 as part of Tesla software version 7.0.
2015: Autopilot price on a Model S
In 2015, Autopilot cost $2,500 on a Model S.
2015: NHTSA states autonomous vehicles must meet federal safety standards
In 2015, the NHTSA said that any autonomous vehicle would need to meet applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards.
January 2016: First Fatal Autopilot Crash in China
In January 2016, the first fatal crash involving Autopilot occurred in China.
April 2016: Musk Claims Autopilot Reduces Accident Probability
In April 2016, Elon Musk claimed that the probability of an accident was at least 50% lower when using Autopilot, without citing specific references, estimating 47 million miles had been driven in Autopilot mode.
May 2016: Fatal Crash in the United States
In May 2016, a fatal crash involving Autopilot occurred in the United States.
May 2016: First Fatal Autopilot Crash
In May 2016, the first widely publicized fatal crash involving Autopilot occurred in Williston, Florida, marking a turning point in the discussion around the safety of self-driving technology.
June 30, 2016: NHTSA Announces First Autopilot-Related Fatality
On June 30, 2016, the NHTSA announced the first Autopilot-related fatality in the US after a crash in May 2016, which was widely reported. Tesla had informed the NHTSA about the US crash in May.
July 2016: Mobileye ends partnership with Tesla
In July 2016, Mobileye ended its partnership with Tesla because Tesla "was pushing the envelope in terms of safety".
September 2016: Tesla Improves Autopilot After Fatal Crash
Following the first Autopilot death in the US, Musk reported that improvements to Autopilot in September 2016 would "[make] much more effective use of radar" and "very likely" would have prevented the fatal accident.
October 2016: Autopilot transitions to Hardware 2
In October 2016, Autopilot sensors and computing hardware transitioned to Hardware 2 (HW2) for new cars. The upgraded hardware was called Autopilot 2.0. HW2 vehicles initially had fewer features than HW1 vehicles.
November 2016: Autopilot 8.0 updated to encourage drivers to grip the steering wheel
By November 2016, Autopilot had operated for 300 million miles. That same month, Autopilot 8.0 was updated to encourage drivers to grip the steering wheel.
December 2016: Enhanced Autopilot feature announced
In December 2016, Tesla announced that the signature Enhanced Autopilot (EAP) feature would be "Navigate on Autopilot", which allows machine-controlled driving on controlled-access highways from on-ramp to off-ramp.
2016: Tesla hires employees for data labeling in San Mateo, California
By 2016, Tesla started hiring employees for data labeling in San Mateo, California, due to quality concerns with outsourced data labeling.
2016: Mobileye-based Autopilot adds features and partnership dissolves
By 2016, the Mobileye-based Autopilot had added automatic emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control (ACC), and lane centering capabilities. In July 2016, Tesla and Mobileye dissolved their partnership.
2016: Teslas operate Autopilot in "Shadow Mode"
From 2016, even when Autopilot is not actively providing controls, Teslas operate Autopilot in "Shadow Mode". When the control inputs generated by the shadow mode Autopilot do not match those of the human driver, the vehicle may record a snapshot.
2016: Autopilot computer stores images and videos
From 2016, the Autopilot computer started storing images (for all vehicles) and video (for model years 2016 and later) along with driving data and uploading these to Tesla periodically.
2016: Enhanced Autopilot and FSD pricing
In 2016, Enhanced Autopilot (EAP) was priced at $5,000, with Full Self-Driving (FSD) available as an add-on for $3,000.
2016: FSD acknowledged to be 'some way off in the future'
In 2016, coinciding with the release of the "Paint it Black" video, Full Self-Driving (FSD) was acknowledged to be "some way off in the future."
2016: Autopilot software cost $5,000 to equip
In 2016, owners paid $5,000 (equivalent to $6,708 in 2025) to equip their cars with the updated Autopilot software.
January 2017: NHTSA Preliminary Report on Tesla Crash Rate
In January 2017, following the Williston crash, the NHTSA released a preliminary report stating that "the Tesla vehicles' crash rate dropped by almost 40 percent after Autosteer installation."
February 2017: HW2 vehicles updated with software version 8.0
In February 2017, Hardware 2 (HW2) vehicles were updated with software version 8.0, which included Traffic-Aware Cruise Control and Autosteer on divided highways and 'local roads' up to speeds of 45 miles per hour.
March 2017: Software version 8.1 provides HW2 cars features on par with HW1 cars
In March 2017, software version 8.1 for Hardware 2 (HW2) arrived, providing HW2 cars features on par with Hardware 1 (HW1) cars, but did not include "Navigate on Autopilot".
August 2017: Tesla announces Hardware 2.5
In August 2017, Tesla announced Hardware 2.5 (HW2.5), which upgraded the on-board processor and added redundant systems.
2017: Autopilot computer records trail data for vehicles built after mid-2017
For Tesla vehicles built after mid-2017, the Autopilot computer also records "trail" data, including the car's route via GPS, speed, road type, and Autopilot status. These data are uploaded to Tesla.
2017: Class action suit brought against Tesla over Autopilot system
In 2017, a class action suit was brought claiming the second-generation Enhanced Autopilot system was "dangerously defective".
October 2018: Software version 9.0 released in preparation for 'Navigate on Autopilot'
In October 2018, software version 9.0 was released in preparation for the release of "Navigate on Autopilot" for HW2/HW2.5 vehicles with EAP, which was implemented later that month. Simultaneously, Tesla removed the option to purchase the "Full Self-Driving" upgrade.
October 2018: FSD upgrade option removed from Tesla website
In October 2018, the option to purchase the Full Self-Driving (FSD) upgrade to Enhanced Autopilot (EAP) was removed from Tesla's website due to confusion. Technology analyst Rob Enderle criticized the removal, calling it "incredibly stupid".
November 2018: NHTSA Releases Data on Tesla Crash Rate
In November 2018, the NHTSA released the data on Tesla's crash rate.
November 2018: Test drive of Navigate on Autopilot beta
In a November 2018 test drive, The Verge reporter Andrew J. Hawkins called the beta of Navigate on Autopilot "the feature that could give Tesla an edge as it grows from niche company to global powerhouse".
2018: NHTSA orders discontinuation of device defeating torque sensor
In 2018, the NHTSA ordered a company to stop selling a device designed to defeat Tesla's Autopilot torque sensor. The torque sensor is meant to detect if the driver's hands are on the steering wheel.
2018: NTSB Criticizes Tesla's Lack of System Safeguards
In 2018, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) criticized Tesla's lack of system safeguards in a fatal Autopilot crash in California, and for failing to foresee and prevent "predictable abuse" of Autopilot.
2018: Settlement reached in class action suit over Autopilot system
In 2018, the class action suit against Tesla's Autopilot system was settled. Owners were compensated between $20 and $280 for the delay in implementing Autopilot 2.0.
2018: Navigate on Autopilot delayed
In 2018, the key distinguishing feature for EAP, "Navigate on Autopilot", which uses the new hardware suite to guide the vehicle on controlled-access roads, from on-ramp to off-ramp, was delayed.
2018: Tesla Begins Publishing Safety Statistics
Starting in 2018, Tesla began publishing safety statistics on a quarterly basis to demonstrate decreased accident rates while using Autopilot, though the data was difficult to interpret due to lack of specific details.
January 2019: Elon Musk reiterates full self-driving capability
During a January 2019 earnings call, Elon Musk reiterated that "full self-driving capability is there", referring to "Navigate on Autopilot", an Enhanced Autopilot (EAP) feature limited to controlled-access highways.
February 2019: Analysis Finds NHTSA Conclusion on Autosteer Not Well-Founded
In February 2019, Quality Control Systems released a report analyzing NHTSA data and concluding the NHTSA's conclusion on Autosteer was "not well-founded" as data showed crash rate increased after Autosteer installation.
March 2019: Tesla transitions to Hardware 3
In March 2019, Tesla transitioned to Hardware 3 (HW3) for new cars.
April 2019: First Mention of Dojo
In April 2019, Elon Musk mentioned Dojo for the first time.
April 2019: All Tesla vehicles include Autopilot
In April 2019, all Tesla vehicles started including Autopilot as a standard feature. Autopilot included autosteer and traffic-aware cruise control.
April 2019: Basic Autopilot included in every Tesla
In April 2019, basic Autopilot was included in every Tesla car, and FSD was $5,000.
May 2019: Another Fatal Crash Involving Tesla Autopilot
In May 2019, another fatal crash occurred when a Tesla underrode the side of a trailer, despite improvements and updates to Autopilot, highlighting persistent safety concerns.
2019: Tesla drivers using Autopilot had been involved in 736 crashes since 2019
According to updated data, by June 2023, Tesla drivers using Autopilot had been involved in 736 crashes and 17 fatalities cumulatively since 2019; 11 fatalities had occurred since May 2022.
2019: Consumer Reports notes Tesla's automatic lane-change feature is "far less competent than a human driver"
In 2019, Consumer Reports noted that Tesla's automatic lane-change feature is "far less competent than a human driver".
2019: Lawsuit against Tesla for violating advertising regulations with Autopilot marketing
In 2019, The Center for Combating Unfair Competition brought a lawsuit against Tesla for violating advertising regulations with its marketing of Autopilot.
2019: Fatal crash in Delray Beach
In 2019, a fatal crash in Delray Beach, Florida, prompted the NTSB to recommend that NHTSA develop a method to verify that manufacturers of vehicles equipped with Level 2 incorporate system safeguards that limit the use of automated vehicle control systems to the conditions for which they were designed.
2019: Tesla owners report dangerous Autopilot behaviors
In 2019, hundreds of Tesla owners reported dangerous behaviors with Autopilot, including phantom braking, veering out of lane, and failing to stop for road hazards.
2019: Lidar Viewed as Essential for Self-Driving
In 2019, news reports indicated that lidar was viewed by practically everyone as an essential ingredient for self-driving cars, adding depth and vision where cameras and radar fall short.
February 2020: Tesla's Head of AI Provides Autopilot Usage Statistics
In February 2020, Andrej Karpathy, Tesla's head of AI, reported that Tesla cars had driven 3 billion miles on Autopilot, performed 200,000 automated lane changes, and initiated 1.2 million Smart Summon sessions, also stating Tesla cars were avoiding pedestrian accidents at a high rate.
August 2020: Musk Mentions Dojo
In August 2020, Elon Musk mentioned Dojo.
September 2020: Tesla reintroduces Enhanced Autopilot term
In September 2020, Tesla reintroduced the term Enhanced Autopilot (EAP) to distinguish the existing subset of features, which included high-speed highway travel and low-speed parking and summoning, from FSD, which would add medium-speed city road travel.
October 2020: FSD beta released in the United States to EAP testers
In October 2020, Tesla released a "beta" version of its FSD software (which extended "Navigate on Autopilot"-like machine-controlled driving and navigation to 'local roads') in the United States to EAP testers.
October 2020: FSD beta testing started
In October 2020, Tesla started beta testing Full Self-Driving (FSD).
October 2020: FSD cost increases to $10,000
In October 2020, the price of Full Self-Driving (FSD) increased to $10,000.
December 2020: NHTSA publishes Framework for Automated Driving System Safety
In December 2020, the NHTSA published its "Framework for Automated Driving System Safety" for comment.
2020: German court rules Tesla violated advertising regulations with Autopilot marketing
In 2020, a German court ruled that Tesla had violated advertising regulations with its marketing of Autopilot in a lawsuit brought in 2019 by The Center for Combating Unfair Competition.
February 1, 2021: NTSB recommends user monitoring to NHTSA
On February 1, 2021, the NTSB recommended that NHTSA include user monitoring as part of the safety framework for automated driving systems, citing concerns about Tesla's safeguards.
May 2021: Driver-facing cameras enabled for monitoring driver attentiveness
In May 2021, Tesla enabled driver-facing cameras inside new Model 3 and Model Y vehicles to monitor driver attentiveness while using Autopilot. This feature was part of the switch to Tesla Vision.
May 2021: Tesla Ranked Last in Autonomous Driving Sector
In a May 2021 study by Guidehouse Insights, Tesla was ranked last for both strategy and execution in the autonomous driving sector, indicating concerns about their self-driving approach.
June 2021: NHTSA Orders Automakers to Report ADAS Crashes
In June 2021, following criticism and increased regulatory scrutiny, the NHTSA announced an order requiring automakers to report crashes involving vehicles equipped with ADAS features in the United States.
June 29, 2021: NHTSA announces Standing General Order 2021–01
On June 29, 2021, NHTSA announced Standing General Order (SGO) 2021–01, requiring manufacturers and operators of vehicles equipped with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) or automated driving systems (ADS) to report crashes.
July 2021: Data from SGO 2021-01 reported from July 2021 to May 15, 2022
Data from SGO 2021-01 was collected from July 2021 to May 15, 2022 and released in June 2022.
August 12, 2021: Amended Standing General Order 2021-01 becomes effective
On August 12, 2021, the amended Standing General Order 2021-01 became effective, outlining specific crash reporting requirements for vehicles with ADAS or ADS.
August 2021: Study Finds Variability in Tesla Autonomy Performance
An August 2021 study by Missy Cummings et al. found significant variation in the performance of Tesla Model 3 cars related to driver monitoring, alerting, and safe operation, suggesting variability in the AI and computer vision systems.
August 2021: Tesla struck stationary emergency vehicle in Orlando.
In August 2021, an incident occurred in Orlando where a Tesla struck a stationary emergency vehicle. This was one of 16 accidents being investigated by NHTSA where a Tesla struck stationary emergency vehicles.
August 2021: Tesla AI-Training Center Specs
In August 2021, it was reported that Tesla's pre-Dojo AI-training center used 720 nodes of eight Nvidia A100 Tensor Core Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), totaling 5,760 GPUs, for up to 1.8 exaflops of performance.
August 16, 2021: US auto safety regulators open a formal safety probe into Tesla's Autopilot
On August 16, 2021, US auto safety regulators opened a formal safety probe (PE 21-020) into Tesla's Autopilot after reports of 17 injuries and one death in crashes involving emergency vehicles.
August 19, 2021: Dojo Officially Announced at Tesla's AI Day
On August 19, 2021, Elon Musk officially announced Dojo at Tesla's AI Day.
September 2021: MIT Study Finds Autopilot Not As Safe As Claimed
An MIT study published in September 2021 found that Autopilot is not as safe as Tesla claims and led to drivers becoming inattentive, raising safety concerns about the system's effectiveness.
September 2021: Tesla issues "Emergency Light Detection Update" for Autopilot in September 2021.
In September 2021, Tesla issued an "Emergency Light Detection Update" for Autopilot, designed to detect flashing emergency vehicle lights in low light and respond with alerts and speed changes. NHTSA questioned why the update wasn't done as a recall.
September 2021: Tesla Dojo Whitepaper Released
In September 2021, Tesla released a whitepaper about Dojo.
September 2021: Legal Scholars Argue Tesla's FSD Advertising is Misleading
In September 2021, legal scholars William Widen and Philip Koopman argued that Tesla's advertising of FSD as an SAE Level 2 system was misleading, suggesting it should be classified as SAE Level 4 due to risky driving behavior observed in beta testing.
October 2021: Tesla recalls vehicles due to false forward-collision warnings from FSD beta software 10.3.
In October 2021, Tesla recalled 11,728 vehicles due to a communication error in Full Self-Driving beta software version 10.3 that caused false forward-collision warnings or unexpected emergency braking. The error was reversed with an over-the-air update, reverting vehicles to version 10.2, then updating to 10.3.1.
2021: SGO 2021-01 also applied to manufacturers of vehicles equipped with ADS
In 2021, SGO 2021-01 also applied to manufacturers of vehicles equipped with ADS (Levels 3 through 5).
2021: Tesla begins transitioning to Tesla Vision
In 2021, Tesla began transitioning from using radar to only using Tesla Vision.
2021: Higher court reverses decision on Autopilot advertising with condition
In 2021, a higher court reversed the 2020 decision against Tesla regarding Autopilot advertising under the condition that Tesla clarify the capabilities of Autopilot on its website.
2021: Recall issued for false activation of AEB system
In 2021, a recall was issued due to a software error causing false activation of the automatic emergency braking (AEB) system.
2021: Statistical Analysis Criticizes Tesla Crash Rate Data
In 2021, a statistical analysis criticized Tesla's self-reported crash rate data for not accounting for owner demographics or road types, finding Autopilot crash rates similar to "active safety features" when adjusted.
2021: Decline of FSD purchase rate
In 2021, the fraction of buyers who purchased FSD declined to 12%.
2021: Company offers FSD subscription
Starting in 2021, Tesla offered a subscription for Full Self-Driving (FSD) for $199 per month, or $99 per month if the customer had already purchased Enhanced Autopilot (EAP).
January 2022: Negative coverage of 'Assertive' driving profile due to rolling stops.
In January 2022, the 'Assertive' driving profile, part of FSD 10.3, received negative coverage for potentially performing rolling stops, changing lanes frequently, and decreasing following distance. This garnered negative press.
May 15, 2022: ADAS crash data reported until May 15, 2022
As of May 15, 2022, initial data from SGO 2021-01 showed that 12 manufacturers reported 392 crashes involving ADAS (Level 2).
May 2022: 11 fatalities involving Autopilot since May 2022
By June 2023, 11 fatalities had occurred since May 2022 in Tesla crashes involving Autopilot, for a total of 17 fatalities since 2019.
June 2022: EAP option tier made available to all buyers
By June 2022, the Enhanced Autopilot (EAP) option tier was made available to all buyers.
June 2022: San Mateo office closed and labeling team moved to Buffalo, New York
In June 2022, Tesla closed the San Mateo office, and the labeling team moved to Buffalo, New York, where Tesla has a total of 675 employees, hundreds of whom are labelers.
June 2022: Initial data from SGO 2021-01 reported
In June 2022, initial data from SGO 2021-01 indicated that 25 ADS manufacturers reported 130 crashes in total. In most cases, these crashes involved the ADS vehicle being struck from the rear.
July 2022: German court awards plaintiff damages due to unreliable Autopilot
In July 2022, a German court awarded a plaintiff most of the €112,000 that she had paid for a Model X, based on a technical report that demonstrated Autopilot did not reliably recognize obstacles and would unnecessarily activate its brakes.
August 2022: NHTSA requests information from Tesla regarding Autopilot.
In August 2022, the NHTSA sent a second letter to Tesla requesting information about the driver-facing camera, lawsuits related to Autopilot, and explanations for design decisions regarding driver engagement and attentiveness.
September 2022: FSD price grows to $15,000
In September 2022, the price of Full Self-Driving (FSD) grew to $15,000, and the fraction of buyers who purchased it steadily declined.
October 2022: Tesla cites safety as reasoning for using Tesla Vision
In October 2022 Tesla provided its reasoning for transitioning to Tesla Vision, citing "safety."
November 2022: FSD beta extends to all owners in North America
In November 2022, the Full Self-Driving (FSD) beta was extended to all owners in North America who had purchased the option.
2022: Tesla Stops Publishing Safety Statistics
In 2022, Tesla stopped publishing safety statistics.
2022: Hacker discovers undocumented mode disabling driver monitoring
In 2022, a hacker discovered that FSD Beta had an undocumented mode which disables all driver monitoring. Later, on July 26, 2022, the NHTSA wrote a letter to Tesla noting this could lead to greater driver inattention.
January 2023: Tesla Resumes Publishing Safety Statistics
In January 2023, Tesla resumed publishing safety statistics.
January 2023: Tesla starts shipping cars with HW4
In January 2023, Tesla started shipping cars with Hardware 4 (HW4), beginning with the refreshed Model S and Model Y; however, FSD was not available initially.
January 2023: Update promised to allow disabling of steering wheel nag
In January 2023, Tesla was expected to release an update allowing users with over 10,000 miles on FSD Beta to disable the steering wheel nag, as per a proposal agreed to in 2022.
February 16, 2023: Tesla issues a recall notice for vehicles equipped with the Full Self-Driving beta software.
On February 16, 2023, Tesla issued a recall notice for all vehicles equipped with the Full Self-Driving beta software, including 2016–23 Model S and X; 2017–23 Model 3; and 2020–23 Model Y, covering 362,758 vehicles in total.
March 2023: Software update released for FSD Beta recall.
In March 2023, Tesla performed the recall for all versions of FSD Beta by pushing out a software update.
March 2023: Tesla Releases First Comparable FSD Safety Statistics
In March 2023, Tesla released the first comparable safety statistics using Full Self-Driving, stating vehicles operating under FSD experienced a crash with airbag deployment approximately every 3.2 million miles, compared to every 0.6 million miles for all police-reported crashes with airbag deployment.
April 2023: San Mateo labeling employees shared clips internally
In April 2023, it was revealed that San Mateo labeling employees had shared clips internally among themselves, including recordings of privately owned areas and crashes.
June 2023: Updated data indicates 17 fatalities in Tesla crashes involving Autopilot since 2019
According to updated data, by June 2023, Tesla drivers using Autopilot had been involved in 736 crashes and 17 fatalities cumulatively since 2019; 11 fatalities had occurred since May 2022.
July 2023: NHTSA requests updated data from Tesla regarding Autopilot.
In July 2023, the NHTSA submitted a follow-up letter to Tesla, requesting current data and updates to Tesla's prior response regarding Autopilot.
August 2023: Tesla Begins Production Use of Dojo
In August 2023, Tesla announced that it started production use of Dojo, which was configured with 10,000 Nvidia chips.
September 2023: FSD price reduced to $12,000
In September 2023, Tesla reduced the price of Full Self-Driving (FSD) to $12,000.
October 2023: NHTSA conveys preliminary conclusions to Tesla regarding Autopilot.
Starting in October 2023, the NHTSA conveyed its preliminary conclusions to Tesla during several meetings regarding Autopilot.
December 5, 2023: Tesla conducts voluntary recall with software update for Autopilot.
On December 5, 2023, Tesla conducted a voluntary recall to provide an over-the-air software update for Autopilot, incorporating additional controls and alerts to encourage driver responsibility. Tesla did not concur with NHTSA's analysis but acknowledged Autopilot's system controls might be insufficient.
December 12, 2023: Tesla issues a wider recall on all vehicles equipped with any version of Autosteer.
On December 12, 2023, Tesla issued a wider recall on all vehicles equipped with any version of Autosteer, covering 2,031,220 vehicles in total. The NHTSA concluded that Autosteer's controls were not sufficient to prevent misuse.
December 2023: ODI opens investigation into the effectiveness of the December 2023 recall.
In December 2023, ODI opened a second investigation into the effectiveness of the December 2023 recall, citing concerns from post-remedy crash events and preliminary NHTSA tests. There were also concerns about Tesla deploying non-remedy updates.
December 2023: Tesla files Defect Information Report associated with the December 2023 recall.
In December 2023, Tesla filed a Defect Information Report associated with the December 2023 recall, concluding that Autopilot's system controls may be insufficient for a driver assistance system requiring constant supervision.
December 2023: Tesla Autopilot design deemed insufficient by ODI prior to December 2023 recall.
Prior to the December 2023 recall, ODI concluded that Tesla Autopilot's design was not sufficient to maintain drivers' engagement based on crash data and telemetry showing hazards visible and inadequate warnings.
2023: HW4 cars have high definition radar hardware
A tear down of a Hardware 4 (HW4) Model S and Model X car in 2023 revealed that they have high definition radar hardware, but the software did not use radar.
2023: Report on Camera-Only Approach
In 2023, The Washington Post reported that Musk had pushed for a camera-only approach over the objections of Tesla engineers.
2023: Statistical Analysis Criticizes Tesla Crash Rate Data
In 2023, a statistical analysis criticized Tesla's self-reported crash rate data for not accounting for owner demographics or road types, finding Autopilot crash rates similar to "active safety features" when adjusted.
February 2024: Consumer Reports claims Tesla's Autopilot recall update did not fully address safety concerns.
In February 2024, Consumer Reports claimed that its testing of Tesla's Autopilot recall update did not fully address the safety concerns raised by the NHTSA.
April 2024: EA 22-002 was closed in April 2024.
In April 2024, EA 22-002 was closed. ODI concluded that, prior to the December 2023 recall, Autopilot's design was not sufficient to maintain driver engagement.
April 2024: EAP removed from North American design pages
In April 2024, Enhanced Autopilot (EAP) was removed from the North American design pages, though it remained available for purchase in other markets.
April 2024: NHTSA Releases Findings of Tesla Autopilot Investigation
In April 2024, the NHTSA released findings of a 3-year investigation of 956 vehicle collisions where Tesla Autopilot was thought to be in use, finding that the system contributed to at least 467 collisions, including 13 fatalities.
April 2024: Tesla reduces FSD subscription and purchase prices
In April 2024, with the removal of Enhanced Autopilot (EAP), Tesla reduced the Full Self-Driving (FSD) subscription price to $99 per month and the purchase price to $8,000, angering existing FSD users who paid higher prices.
June 2024: Musk announces Hardware 5 (AI5)
During the Tesla annual meeting in June 2024, Elon Musk announced Hardware 5 (HW5), renamed AI5.
October 2024: FSD version 12.5.6 released exclusively to HW4-equipped vehicles
In October 2024, Full Self-Driving (FSD) version 12.5.6 was released exclusively to Hardware 4 (HW4)-equipped vehicles, featuring a model trained on HW4 data.
October 2024: Fatalities Involving Tesla's Autopilot Function
As of October 2024, there have been fifty-one reported fatalities involving Tesla's Autopilot function, forty-four verified by NHTSA or expert testimony, and two verified as involving FSD.
2024: Redesigned Autopark released
In 2024, Tesla released a redesigned Autopark, which uses the vehicle's cameras and introduced a "tap-to-park" system.
March 2025: Mark Rober Conducts Tesla Autopilot Safety Test
In March 2025, YouTuber Mark Rober conducted a test to see if a Tesla would avoid hitting a child mannequin in various conditions, including fog, heavy rain and behind a wall, revealing failures compared to a LiDAR-equipped vehicle. The vehicle tested had older hardware and was using Autopilot rather than FSD.
June 2025: Protest Against Tesla's Robotaxi Service
In June 2025, protestors against Tesla's deployment of its trial robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, attended a demonstration of the limitations of FSD (Supervised) hosted by Tesla Takedown and The Dawn Project.
July 2025: Goal of full autonomy remains unmet
As of July 2025, Tesla's goal of full autonomy remains unmet despite hardware and software enhancements to Autopilot over the preceding decade.
2025: Autopilot software cost equivalent to $6,708 in 2025
In 2016, owners paid $5,000 (equivalent to $6,708 in 2025) to equip their cars with the updated Autopilot software.
January 2026: MotorTrend praises Tesla FSD
In January 2026, MotorTrend said FSD was the best ADAS on the market.
January 2026: Tesla announces new vehicles sold would not include Autosteer
In January 2026, Tesla announced that new vehicles sold would not include Autosteer.
January 2026: HW5 release schedule revised
In January 2026, the release schedule for Hardware 5 (HW5) was revised to early 2027.
February 2026: Customers can subscribe to FSD
In February 2026, Tesla customers can subscribe to an optional Level 2 "Full Self-Driving (Supervised)" package, also known as "FSD", which adds semi-autonomous navigation, self-parking, and the ability to summon the car from a parking space.
March 19, 2026: NHTSA finds FSD fails in low visibility
On March 19, 2026, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) stated that the Full Self-Driving system fails to detect hazards in low-visibility conditions.
2026: Waymo Founder Criticizes Tesla's Camera-Only Approach
In 2026, Waymo founder John Krafcik criticized Tesla's camera-only approach, stating their limited resolution and wide field of view gave the system myopia, making it worse than a human driver.
2027: New release schedule for HW5
In 2027, the new release schedule for Hardware 5 (HW5), renamed AI5, said it would be ten times more powerful than HW4 and use up to 800 watts when processing complex environments, versus a maximum of 300 watts for HW3 and HW4.
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Eric Swalwell is an American lawyer and politician currently serving...
Melania Trump a Slovenian-American former model has served as First...