It is unclear how many drivers have withdrawn access to the beta software. Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the number of drivers who lost access to the program.
The beta version of ‘Complete Self-Government’ was released in October last year. Tesla’s use of the term ‘full self-driving’ has long been controversial and has been criticized by autonomous vehicle experts. For most experts, full self-driving means a car in which a person can fall asleep safely behind the wheel. An attentive human driver is not necessary.
The news comes after reports that a letter was sent in February from the National Council on Transport Safety to the National Traffic Safety on the highway demanding strict requirements for autonomous driving tests on public roads.
In the letter, NTSB chairman Robert Sumwalt says Tesla is testing on public roads, but with ‘limited oversight or reporting requirements’.
“While Tesla contains an indemnity that ‘features currently activated require active driver supervision and do not make the vehicle autonomous, NHTSA’s practical approach to monitoring AV testing poses a potential risk to motorists and other road users,” he said. Sumwalt added.
Earlier this month, Musk tweeted his plans to double the size of Tesla’s beta test program with version 8.2 and about ten times the number of testers with version 8.3.
He then added Friday that the software’s “next major release” will be next month.
“Go with pure vision – not even with radar,” Musk tweeted. “It’s the way to get real AI.”
CNN’s Matt McFarland contributed to this report.