A limited number of Tesla Cybertrucks equipped for hands-free highway driving received an update this morning, making them the first vehicles in the Tesla lineup to feature “end-to-end highway driving.” Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla’s AI chief, announced the update on X, explaining that it utilizes a “neural net” technology to manage all aspects of driving on highways.
In response to Elluswamy’s announcement, Tesla CEO Elon Musk expressed his approval with a simple message: “Nice work.”
Currently, this advanced driving feature is in an “early access” phase, restricted to select Cybertruck owners who opted to purchase it. The rollout of the feature to a broader audience remains uncertain, and Tesla, which disbanded its public relations team in 2021, did not comment when approached by WIRED.
Tesla’s documentation emphasizes that the full self-driving feature (referred to as “FSD (Supervised)”) is meant to be used only when drivers remain attentive to the road. Reports suggest that the feature deactivates if it detects the driver’s gaze elsewhere. Critics contend that the way Tesla markets FSD may mislead drivers into believing the feature can operate independently and assert that the company has not adequately addressed potential driver misuse.
Early purchasers of the base model Cybertrucks paid $7,000 for access to this driving feature, with some waiting nearly a year for it to be available. Tesla owners can also subscribe to the FSD (Supervised) feature for $99 per month.
One Cybertruck owner shared their experience on X, stating that the feature “is working well” based on their morning drive.
The introduction of this feature comes as positive news amid the Cybertruck’s tumultuous launch. The electric truck faced multiple delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic and various engineering challenges, including serious braking and handling issues revealed in leaked documents.
Additionally, the Cybertruck has been subject to several safety recalls, including one involving stuck accelerator pedals that needed to be repaired or replaced.
As competition in the electric vehicle market intensifies, and Tesla’s once-significant lead diminishes, Musk and his team are counting on AI-powered “self-driving” features to reclaim their competitive advantage. “The value of Tesla overwhelmingly is autonomy,” Musk told investors earlier this summer.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found that Tesla’s Autopilot system—a less advanced version of the FSD—failed to adequately prevent driver misuse, resulting in 13 fatal accidents between 2018 and 2023. Following a lengthy investigation, Tesla recalled 2 million vehicles equipped with Autopilot last year, although the company did not agree with the NHTSA’s conclusions.
Earlier this year, Tesla settled a lawsuit related to a fatal 2018 crash involving a Model X using Autopilot, brought by the family of the deceased driver in Northern California.
Moreover, Tesla is currently facing a class-action lawsuit that alleges the company misled customers about the capabilities of their vehicles with promises of full autonomy. While Tesla has made notable advancements to its self-driving technologies over the past eight years and aims to generate significant revenue from these features, it has yet to achieve true self-driving capabilities.
However, that landscape may shift soon. Musk has announced plans to reveal a self-driving taxi, dubbed “Cybercab,” during an event in Southern California set for October 10..
