Report: Tesla is bleeding talent from its Autopilot division

Tesla’s trumpeted solar shingles are a flop

 

After posting a $702 million loss in the first quarter, a recent stock offering will give Tesla another 10 months to break even.

 

Rather than providing a real advantage, autopilot - as observed by independent evaluation - is a disadvantage, a distraction, and worse than nothing at all.

Consumer Reports knocks Tesla’s Navigate on Autopilot feature
Kirsten Korosec@kirstenkorosec / 5 days ago
https://techcrunch.com/2019/05/22/c...ature-far-less-competent-than-a-human-driver/

"Consumer Reports is calling the automatic lane-change feature on Tesla’s Navigate on Autopilot “far less competent” than a human driver and cautioned it could pose safety risks."

And, the EU is taking control of automated driving systems:

Tesla Limits Autopilot In Europe Due To New UN/ECE Regulations
Update notes show that Tesla's Autopilot has indeed run afoul of UN/ECE Regulation 79, forcing the company to limit functionality in a number of countries.
BY EDWARD NIEDERMEYER, MAY 16, 2019

"When reports surfaced a few months ago suggesting that newly-delivered European-market Tesla Model 3s didn't have Autopilot activated, The Drive's Bertel Schmitt investigated and found that a possible culprit was the UN/ECE Regulation 79. Now, thanks to the Autopilot hacker GreenTheOnly's reveal of the release notes for the latest Autopilot update we can confirm that Regulation 79 is indeed affecting the functionality of the driver assistance system in Europe.
...
Regulation 79 has wreaked havoc on the automated driving aspirations of other automakers, including Audi who were said to be seeking an exemption from related rules for its Level 3 system as far back as 2017. Last year the German premium brand canceled plans to roll out its system, called "Traffic Jam Pilot," in Europe due at least in part to regulatory challenges.

As Schmitt noted in his earlier story, changing rules around automated driving systems could become increasingly challenging in the "type approval" regulatory schemes used in Europe and elsewhere, although at least Tesla's remote over-the-air update capability gives it some ability to keep up with these changes."

 

Finally, the reality is sinking in, autonomous driving technology development delivery into a "real product" is nowhere in sight. The CBC does a good job finding reactions from real industry movers besides Elon's Tesla.

Why Don’t We Have Self-Driving Cars Yet?
Nov 27, 2019
CNBC
More companies are trying to bring self-driving cars to the masses than ever before, but a truly autonomous vehicle still doesn’t exist. It’s not clear if, or when, our driverless future will arrive. Where exactly are we with self-driving cars, and when can we expect them to be a part of our daily lives?