- Sandy Munro, an expert carmaker, praised Tesla’s latest self-driving technology after a test drive.
- During an interview with Elon Musk, Munro said that the system should come on the market as soon as possible.
- Tesla last year unveiled a beta version of its “full self-driving” mode, which does not yet make cars autonomous.
- Visit the Insider Business Department for more stories.
One of the leading car manufacturing experts in the country is very much hoping for Tesla’s long-awaited “full self-driving” mode.
During a one-on-one interview with Elon Musk for his YouTube channel on February 2, Sandy Munro, an industry consultant who has come down hard on Tesla’s build quality in the past, released the beta version of FSD praised. This comes after he had a chance to experience during a ride with one of the few Tesla owners who have access to the new software.
“[I’ve] has never seen anything like the new self-management thing, “Munro told Tesla’s CEO. This is absolutely brilliant. It should come on the market as soon as possible. ‘
Munro, known for his in-depth ripping videos of cars, particularly Teslas, on Monday posted a video of the ride in which he praised the system for its accuracy and ‘aggressive’ way of driving.
“I’m very impressed right from the bat. Actually, my best hope was less than what I just saw,” Munro said during the ride. “I’m an aggressive driver – it drives aggressively.”
In his conversation with Musk, Munro said he thinks FSD will be a huge development in car safety when it hits the market, claiming that it will ‘save more lives than airbags, seat belts and anything else’, to which Musk agreed has.
Read more: It is unclear whether anyone – even Tesla – can make a successful business out of a boom in the electric car market
But Tesla’s automated management software – at least in the early stages – does not come without potential risks. Transportation experts and politicians criticized Tesla’s Autopilot feature, which can automatically brake, accelerate and drive but not make cars autonomous, as a misleading brand.
The U.S. National Road Safety Administration claims that no vehicle on the market can drive itself, and has investigated the role of Autopilot in several accidents with inattentive drivers. Tesla says on its website that Autopilot and FSD currently need full attention from the driver.
During Munro’s video, the FSD system found only minor hiccups, such as stopping in the middle of a block rather than at an intersection. However, since Tesla released the beta software last fall, numerous tracks surfaced online from owners who had to step in at the last minute to avoid collisions.
FSD is currently a $ 10,000 option, and Musk said in December that it would be available as a subscription in early 2021.