Musk wanted to use Tesla cameras to spy on drivers and win autopilot lawsuits
Elon Musk pushed to use Tesla’s internal driver monitoring camera to record video of drivers’ behavior, primarily for Tesla to use this video as evidence to defend itself from investigations in the event of a crash, according to Walter Isaacson’s new biography of the Tesla CEO.
Walter Isaacson’s biography of Elon Musk is out, resulting in several revelations about Tesla’s past, present, and future. One of these revelations is a potential use for the Tesla internal driver monitoring camera that is included on current Teslas.
Many cars have a camera like this to monitor driver attentiveness and warn a driver if they seem to be paying too little attention to the road, though other automakers typically use infrared cameras and the data never leaves the car.
Teslas have had these cameras for many years, first showing up on the Model 3 in 2017 and later on the S/X, but they weren’t activated until 2021. Before that, Tesla determined attention by detecting steering wheel torque (a safety that was pretty easy to defeat).
Nowadays, the camera is used to ensure that drivers are still watching the road while Autopilot or FSD are activated, as both systems are “Level 2” self-driving systems and thus require driver attention. The hope, though, was to potentially use the camera for cabin monitoring if Tesla’s robotaxi dream is ever realized.
But that wasn’t the only thing Tesla wanted to use the cameras for. According to the biography, Musk pushed internally to use the camera to record clips of Tesla drivers, initially without their knowledge, with the goal of using this footage to defend the company in the event of investigations into the behavior of its Autopilot system.
Musk was convinced that bad drivers rather than bad software were the main reason for most of the accidents. At one meeting, he suggested using data collected from the car’s cameras—one of which is inside the car and focused on the driver—to prove when there was driver error. One of the women at the table pushed back. “We went back and forth with the privacy team about that,” she said. “We cannot associate the selfie streams to a specific vehicle, even when there’s a crash, or at least that’s the guidance from our lawyers.”
– Walter Isaacson, Elon Musk
The first point here is interesting because there are indeed a lot of bad drivers who misuse Autopilot and are certainly to blame for what happens while it’s activated.
As mentioned above, Autopilot and FSD are “Level 2” systems. There are six levels of self-driving – 0 through 5 – and levels 0-2 require active driving at all times, whereas with levels 3+, the driver can turn their attention away from the road in certain circumstances. But despite Tesla’s insistence that drivers still pay attention, a study has shown that driver attention does decrease with the system activated.
We have seen many examples of Tesla drivers behaving badly with Autopilot activated, though those egregious examples aren’t entirely the issue here. There have been many well-publicized Tesla crashes, and in the immediate aftermath of an incident, rumors often swirl about whether Autopilot was activated. Regardless of whether there is any reason to believe that it was activated, media reports or social media will often focus on Autopilot, leading to an often unfair public perception that there is a connection between Autopilot and crashing.
But in many of these cases, Autopilot eventually gets exonerated when the incident is investigated by authorities. Oftentimes, it’s a simple matter of the driver not using the system properly or relying on it where they should not. These exonerations often include investigations where vehicle logs are pulled to show whether Autopilot was activated, how often it had to remind the driver to pay attention, what speed the car was driving, and so on. Cameras could add another data point to those investigations.
Even if crashes happen due to human error, this could still be an issue for Tesla because human error is often a design issue. The system could be designed or marketed to better remind drivers of their responsibility (in particular, don’t call it “full self-driving” if it doesn’t drive itself, perhaps?), or more safeguards could be added to ensure driver attention.
The NHTSA is currently probing Tesla’s Autopilot system, and it looks like safeguards are what they’ll focus on – they’ll likely force changes to the way Tesla monitors drivers for safety purposes.
But then Musk goes on to suggest that not only are these accidents generally the fault of the drivers, but that he wants cabin cameras to be used to spy on drivers, with the specific purpose of wanting to win lawsuits or investigations brought against Tesla (such as the NHTSA probe). Not to enhance safety, not to collect data to improve the system, but to protect Tesla and his ego – to win.
In addition to this adversarial stance against his customers, the passage suggests that his initial idea was to collect this info without informing the driver, with the idea of adding a data privacy pop-up only coming later in the discussion.
Musk was not happy. The concept of “privacy teams” did not warm his heart. “I am the decision-maker at this company, not the privacy team,” he said. “I don’t even know who they are. They are so private you never know who they are.” There were some nervous laughs. “Perhaps we can have a pop-up where we tell people that if they use FSD [Full Self-Driving], we will collect data in the event of a crash,” he suggested. “Would that be okay?”
The woman thought about it for a moment, then nodded. “As long as we are communicating it to customers, I think we’re okay with that.”
-WALTER ISAACSON, ELON MUSK
Here, it’s notable that Musk says he is the decision-maker and that he doesn’t even know who the privacy team is.
In recent years and months, Musk has seemed increasingly distracted in his management of Tesla, recently focusing much more on Twitter than on the company that has catapulted him to the top of the list of the world’s richest people.
It might be good for him to have some idea of who the people working under him are, especially the privacy team, for a company that has active cameras running on the road, and in people’s cars and garages, all around the world, all the time – particularly when Tesla is currently facing a class action lawsuit over video privacy.
In April, it was revealed that Tesla employees shared videos recorded inside owners’ garages, including videos of people who were unclothed and ones where some personally identifiable information was attached. And in Illinois, a separate class action lawsuit focuses on the cabin camera specifically.
While Tesla does have a dedicated page describing its data privacy approach, a new independent analysis released last week by the Mozilla Foundation ranked Tesla in last place among car brands – and ranked cars as the worst product category Mozilla has ever seen in terms of privacy.
So, this blithe dismissal of the privacy team’s concerns does not seem productive and does seem to have had the expected result in terms of Tesla’s privacy performance.
Musk is known for making sudden pronouncements, demanding that a particular feature be added or subtracted, and going against the advice of engineers to be the “decision-maker” – regardless of whether the decision is the right one. Similar behavior has been seen in his leadership of Twitter, where he has dismantled trust & safety teams, and in the chaos of the takeover, he “may have jeopardized data privacy and security,” according to the DOJ.
While we don’t have a date for this particular discussion, it does seem to have happened at least post-2021, after the sudden deletion of radar from Tesla vehicles. The deletion of radar itself is an example of one of these sudden demands by Musk, which Tesla is now having to walk back.
For its part, Tesla does currently have a warning in the car that describes what the company will do with the data from your internal camera. This is what it looks like currently in a Model 3:
Tesla’s online Model 3 owner’s manual contains similar language describing the use of the cabin camera.
Notably, this language focuses on safety rather than driver monitoring. Tesla explicitly says that the camera data doesn’t leave the vehicle unless the owner opts in and that the data will help with future safety and functionality improvements. But also says that the data is not attached to a VIN, nor is it used for identity verification.
Beyond that, we also have not seen Tesla defend itself in any autopilot lawsuits or investigations by using the cabin camera explicitly – at least not yet. With driver monitoring in focus in the current NHTSA investigation, it’s entirely possible that we might see more usage of this camera in the future or that camera clips are being used as part of the investigation.
But at the very least, this language in current Teslas does suggest that Musk did not get his wish – perhaps to the relief of some of the more privacy-interested Tesla drivers.
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What would you get if you created the illegitimate love child of a Mercedes G-Wagon and a Brinks armored truck (and perhaps if the Mercedes chain-smoked through the pregnancy)? I think you’d wind up with something like the wacky-looking electric cart that has earned the dubious honor of being named this week’s Awesomely Weird Alibaba Electric Vehicle of the Week!
I’m not sure this is exactly an armored golf cart, so I wouldn’t invite any unnecessary potshots while cruising your hood, but I’m at a loss of how else to describe it.
It’s definitely not a “real” car, as evidenced by its US $6,999 price tag and the 30 km/h (18 mph) top speed. If you ask me though, that speed goes in the ‘advantages’ column. When you drive something that looks this good, you want to be going slow enough to give people a good, long look.
A vehicle like this is designed to send a statement. Unfortunately, I think that statement might be, “I wanted a Jeep but my spouse wanted to remodel the kitchen.”
So if it’s not a real car, then what is it?
Measuring a stubby 306 cm long (an entire half inch over 10 feet), this four-seater mini-SUV is less G-Wagon and more “Oh, gee” wagon. It can supposedly carry up to 370 kg (815 lb) in passengers or cargo, but there’s no telling how much of a dent that puts in the already challenged top speed.
Safety might also be a passing concern. It doesn’t have any seatbelts, but the tires look like they just about extend out past the front and rear, so at least you’ve got some nice shock-absorbent bumpers built into the design.
The advertisement claims a maximum range of up to 80 km (50 miles) per charge, which seems like several more miles than anyone needs from something like this.
There’s no word on battery technology, which means I’m assuming either features older lead acid tech or there’s a frunk full of lemons and a bunch of loose wires running through the firewall.
I’m glad to see that the roof rack is at least equipped with enough LED lights to make an airport runway jealous, just in case I find myself stuck in the wilds of my backyard after dark. And that roof rack even looks pretty heavy-duty, though since the cart is considerably taller than it is wide, tight turns with a heavily-loaded roof rack should probably be avoided.
As much as I love this thing, I don’t think I’ll be whipping out my credit card any time soon.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve bought plenty of bad ideas on Alibaba before. But since my $2,000 electric truck ending up costing me nearly 4x that much by the time it landed in the US, I’m a bit worried what the final price tag on a $6,999 Mini-MegaOverlander would become.
I don’t recommend anyone actually try buying this cute little TinyTrailblazer either, and I’m certainly not vouching for the vendor, who I discovered by chance while scrolling through Alibaba to procrastinate real work. Keep in mind that this is all part of a tongue-in-cheek column I write, diving into the depths of Alibaba’s weird and funny collection of awesome electric vehicles.
But hey, if someone does go that route, it wouldn’t be the first time my advice has been ignored and some awesome photos have landed in inbox several months later. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you if it turns out some Nigerian prince has your last paycheck and you’re up a creek with no MicroMudder to come bail you out!
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Yup, Mullen Automotive [Nasdaq: MULN] is still here! And the EV company is defying the naysayers, reporting progress in EV sales, and reducing its monthly burn rate. Following Mullen Automotive’s significant strides in expanding its EV presence and improving its financial health in the last few weeks, Electrek caught up with David Michery, CEO and chairman of Mullen Automotive, who told us what trends he thinks 2025 will see for EV owners and others in the EV market.
After 2024 saw breakthroughs in tech, affordability, and adoption, Michery predicts this year will see even more disruption, transforming transportation and logistics on a massive scale. Here’s what to watch for this year.
EV total cost of ownership falls sharply
“Even if the federal EV tax credit from the Inflation Reduction Act is repealed, EVs will become more affordable through state-level incentives, manufacturer subsidies, and private partnerships. The investment case for electrification is simply too strong for the private sector to ignore.
“Reduced battery costs, cheaper maintenance, and lower energy expenses will make EVs increasingly attractive to businesses and consumers. Charging infrastructure programs and fleet retrofitting will also help organizations navigate the upfront costs with the goal of long-term savings.
“The result is a financial tipping point: EVs will no longer just be environmentally compelling – they will also be the most cost-effective choice.”
Commercial EVs expand their use cases
“If 2024 was any indication, 2025 will bring new use cases for EVs. Transportation and delivery will likely continue to reign supreme, but the customizable nature of EVs means that we can expect more specialized use cases such as airport shuttles, university campus logistics, home services, and refrigerated delivery.
“Airports will adopt EV cargo vans for quieter, cleaner transit and delivery between terminals, while universities will electrify campus logistics to align with sustainability goals. Innovations in temperature-controlled EVs will expand the reach of refrigerated deliveries, cutting emissions in cold-chain logistics. And this is cause for celebration.
“New use cases mean more widespread adoption – and recognition that electrification is the best way forward.”
(Editor’s note: This is the business that Mullen Automotive is in, and he’s not wrong.)
2025 will be the year of the battery
“EV batteries are poised for immense improvement in the coming year. Solid-state polymer batteries – an innovation that significantly expands battery lifespan and thus widens range – are currently in road testing.
“Offering higher energy density and faster charging, these new batteries will make EVs more reliable and competitive with internal combustion vehicles as compared to other electric alternatives.
“Plus, better range and more efficient energy consumption will undoubtedly translate to lower maintenance costs for fleet owners.”
Read more: Mullen scores a solid, 3,000-unit electric truck order from Volt Mobility
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Environment
Toyota is still lagging behind EV rivals in the US as bZ4X sales finally start to pick up
Although Toyota bZ4X sales nearly doubled last year, the auto giant is still falling behind in the US EV market. Overseas rivals like Hyundai and Kia are lapping Toyota. Even other Japanese automakers, including Honda and Nissan, are selling more EVs in the US than Toyota.
Toyota bZ4X sales lagged behind US EV rivals in 2024
Toyota boasted that its 2024 electrified vehicle sales reached over 1 million in the US in 2024. However, that’s primarily thanks to its hybrid models.
With just 1,854 bZ4X models sold in December, Toyota’s 2024 total reached 18,570. Although that number is up 99% from the 9,329 sold in 2023, it’s still far behind the competition.
To put it in perspective, Honda, which began delivering its electric Prologue last March, sold over 33,000 models last year. In December, Honda sold nearly 7,900 Prologues alone. During the second half of 2024, Honda sold an average of over 5,000 electric SUVs per month.
Nissan also outsold Toyota with nearly 19,800 Ariya electric SUVs sold last year. Nissan’s decade-old LEAF secured another 11,226 sales in the US in 2024, up 57% year-over-year.
Kia’s first three-row electric SUV, the EV9, outsold the bZ4X last year despite a +$10,000 higher MSRP. After deliveries began in late 2023, Kia sold over 22,000 EV9 models in the US last year.
After setting new US sales records last year, Hyundai and Kia are aggressively aiming for more EV market share in 2025. Hyundai began production at its massive new EV plant in Georgia, where it will produce new EVs like the upgraded 2025 IONIQ 5 and three-row IONIQ 9.
With Kia building EV9 models at its West Point plant and the Genesis Electrified GV70 built in Alabama, Hyundai Motor has five EV models that qualify for the $7,500 federal tax credit for the first time, which should boost demand further.
Toyota slashed 2025 bZ4X prices by $6,000 to make it more competitive. Starting at $37,070, the 2025 bZ4X undercuts the 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 ($42,500) and Nissan Ariya ($39,770).
Although Honda has yet to release 2025 Prologue prices, it’s expected to start much higher. The 2024 Honda Prologue starts at $47,400.
Electrek’s Take
Like several others, Toyota pushed back major EV projects, including its first three-row electric SUV. The delay gave overseas rivals, like Hyundai and Kia, an opportunity, which they gladly took advantage of.
Toyota also scrapped plans to build new Lexus electric SUVs in North America. Instead, the new Lexus EV models will be imported from Japan.
The company is preparing to start battery production at its new $13.9 billion facility in NC, which should help ramp up EV sales. In the first half of 2026, it will also begin building the larger electric SUV at its Georgetown, Kentucky, plant.
The Japanese auto giant is still promising advanced new EV batteries are coming soon with significantly more range and faster charging at a lower cost. But when will they actually hit the market?
Toyota has been vowing to launch new EV battery technology for years. By 2027, the company plans to launch a pair of new Performance and Popularized batteries, which will enable a nearly 500-mile (800-km) WLTP range. In 2028, Toyota plans to launch solid-state EV batteries with mass production in 2030.
Will it be enough? Or is Toyota already too late to the party? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
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