The uncut footage of a Tesla Full Self-Driving beta-test shows just how stressful this software can be

Marques Brownlee gave Tesla’s Full Self-Driving Software a spin in a YouTube video.
Marques Brownlee uploaded an uncut video of his commute using Tesla Full Self Driving.

YouTuber drives 23 minutes to work. This video highlights the anxiety Tesla Full Self-Driving beta testers may experience on their daily commute.

Marques Keith Brownlee (also known as MKBHD) posted an uncut video on YouTube last week of his journey to work using FSD. The YouTuber stated that he has been using beta software for two weeks but is still not comfortable with it.

He said that he finds himself “hovering above the brake pedal”, waiting to intervene in the event of a car going off-course while using the feature.

Brownlee, who has more than 16 million YouTube subscribers, stated that his heart rate was significantly higher after the car safely delivered him to the studio. It’s amazing.

FSD was first released by Tesla in 2020 for select drivers. Since then, more than 100,000 US cars have been equipped with the software. Autopilot is available as a subscription and costs $15,000 or $199 per month. FSD allows Teslas to change lanes, enter or exit highways, recognize traffic lights and stop signs, and park. Beta testing is ongoing and requires a licensed driver monitoring it at all time.

Brownlee disconnected the software three times during the drive after it failed to recognize construction zones and traffic cones. Then, the software struggled to maneuver around semi-trucks with their hazards on.

YouTuber stated that he took over the software from time to time out of embarrassment rather than fear for safety. He also said that the software can sometimes be “very cautious” and drive “like an elderly lady.”

Brownlee, who was taking over the expressway to avoid a bunch of construction cones, said that he wasn’t embarrassed and that he could have let it figure this out for a few seconds more. “I would rather let it do its job on roads it is comfortable with.”

Brownlee stated that FSD is safe to be used on highways, but not much else, and that he would not use FSD in a robotaxi.

However, he did mention that the software has some advantages such as the ability to see up to five vehicles ahead and that it even has some human characteristics, like giving bikers more room in a lane.

Brownlee is not the only one to show Tesla FSD in action. Last year, YouTubers shared videos showing bugs in the software. These ranged from the software not recognising pedestrians to trying to turn into traffic.

Tesla informed drivers that the system doesn’t replace licensed drivers. They instruct them to stay on the wheel and to be ready to take over when it is running.

Brownlee was repeatedly reminded by the Tesla software to touch the wheel during the video. According to YouTubers, the car is equipped with a camera that records drivers’ eyes and reminds them to be attentive.

Beta testers of the software have also found it stressful. A 2020 FSD tester claimed that the software was like “monitoring a 15-year old student driver behind the wheel wearing an eyepatch.”

Business Insider has the original article.
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By: gkay@insider.com (Grace Kay)
Title: Unedited footage of a Tesla Full Self-Driving beta test shows just how stressful the software can be to use
Sourced From: www.businessinsider.com/tesla-full-self-driving-fsd-beta-test-drive-video-stressful-2022-12
Published Date: Wed, 21 Dec 2022 14:27:53 +0000