Tesla’s ‘Full Self-Driving’ promotional videos were faked – report
The electric vehicle manufacturer produced fraudulent advertising material and compromised safety for vehicle aesthetics, former employees have sensationally claimed.
Electric vehicle specialist Tesla produced promotional videos fraudulently suggesting its ‘Full Self-Driving’ technology was more advanced than real-world testing had previously shown, according to a new report from The New York Times.
Citing interviews with 19 current and former employees, the newspaper claims the US-based manufacturer routinely made promises to customers and investors it knew it could not keep, and compromised safety to improve aesthetics and reduce costs.
“The video [referenced above, and first published in 2016] did not provide a full picture of how the car operated during the filming,” the article notes.
“The route taken by the car had been charted ahead of time by software that created a three-dimensional digital map, a feature unavailable to drivers using the commercial version of Autopilot.
“At one point during the filming of the video, the car [crashed into] a roadside barrier on Tesla property while using Autopilot and had to be repaired.”
The video in question is still available on Tesla’s website, and can be viewed by clicking here.
A spokesperson for Tesla Australia did not respond when approached by Drive for comment.
Last week the manufacturer launched a $50 sports whistle modelled on the silhouette of the Cybertruck (shown above), and some have speculated this may represent a thinly-veiled jab at the ‘whistleblowing’ sources who spoke to journalists for this story.
In 2020
Trevor Milton – the CEO and founder of electric vehicle start-up Nikola – was forced to resign after it was revealed his company had produced promotional material fraudulently suggesting vehicles were moving under their own power, when, if fact, they were rolling-chassis vehicles pushed down a hill.The post Tesla’s ‘Full Self-Driving’ promotional videos were faked – report appeared first on Drive.