Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla’s head of autonomous software, and Musk himself commented on the post in approval.
However, as Elluswamy points out, there’s already a small caveat that only some Cybertrucks are currently getting FSD, almost a year after the first deliveries, and the “end-to-end on highway”, which is the use of neural nets throughout the whole highway driving process, is only being shipped on Cybetrucks right now.
Therefore, the vast majority of Tesla vehicles with FSD won’t get it in September as planned.
With that said, there’s a much bigger problem with claiming victory on the September milestone than end-to-end on highways: interventions.
Arguably, the biggest claim in Tesla’s autonomy milestones in September is FSD v12.5.2 achieving a “~3x improvement miles between necessary interventions.”
As we reported when Tesla first released this roadmap, this is a problematic goal in the first place as Tesla has never released any official miles between interventions data, which brings the question: 3x from what?
We currently have just over 2,500 miles of FSD v12.5.2 crowdsourced data and it shows 35 miles between critical disengagement and 17 miles between disengagement:
Now again, Tesla never specified a 3x improvement from what?
If we go from an average of all the 12.5.1 versions, it shows that v12.5.2 is actually a. regression because over more than 14,000 miles those versions have averaged 174 miles between critical disengagements:
Just in case, we can also compare it with FSD v11, but that also expose v12.5.2 as a regression:
The only clear positive thing about FSD’s improvement that we can gather from this data is that Tesla went from an average critical disengagement every 109 miles with FSD v11 to one every 166 miles on average with all v12 versions combined.
But even that’s a 50% improvement – both “~150%” improvement that Tesla mentioned, which again was for v12.5.2 against who knows?
Electrek’s Take
This moving of the goalpost and constant praise from sycophants is sending the wrong message to Tesla.
It makes the system more comfortable and useful. It feels less like a task of training Tesla’s self-driving system.
However, it doesn’t change the cold fact that Tesla is nowhere near where it needs to be in terms of miles between disengagement in order to see a path toward a true unsupervised self-driving system, which is what Tesla has been promising for years.
Tesla needs a 1,000x improvement in miles between critical disengagement, and the fact that it is currently celebrating a nonexistent “~3x” increase should be worrying to people.
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ALSET Auto doesn’t protect cars; it protects EVs. This year, the Tesla customization company expanded its services to include all EV owners and offers services such as tint, ceramic coatings, paint protection film (PPF), and colored wraps. As ALSET Auto’s business grows, the company is offering new franchise opportunities to help expand its services to EV owners in the US and Canada.
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Founded by EV owners for EV owners
ALSET Auto was founded in Portland, Oregon in 2018 by Phil Bunting and Marcus Brown after they each purchased Teslas and were dissatisfied with their experience in their search for viable exterior protection options.
I called a half dozen shops in my area and got the same runaround. They loved to disparage Tesla’s soft paint, but no one wanted to give me a firm price for paint protection over the phone,
recalls ALSET CEO, Phil Bunting:
They all wanted me to bring my Tesla into their shop first, refused to provide a firm estimate over the phone, and declined to list their all-in prices on their website. I remember thinking, if I can build, price, and purchase a $100,000 Model X on my iPhone in five minutes, why should getting my Tesla protected be any different?
Thus, the idea for ALSET (Tesla spelled backward) was born. The company envisioned offering customers an experience similar to buying a Tesla, where the price is transparent, and there is no upselling, bait-and-switch tactics, or pricing gimmicks. Instead of selling Tesla owners on the fear of what could happen to their EV’s unprotected paint, ALSET set out to build a lasting connection with customers based on a shared passion for the cars they love.
Over the past five years, ALSET Auto has quickly become a leading provider of paint protection and personalization services. Operating in 15 markets across North America, ALSET has protected and personalized more than 7,000 EVs.
Aside from Cybertruck wraps, ALSET Auto’s three core services appeal to the broader market of owners who are looking to protect, preserve and enhance the look of their EVs. The company forged a partnership with XPEL Inc. to offer its customers a suite of best-in-class protective film and coating options, which include:
ALSET Auto offers a suite of options to protect, preserve and personalize your EV
Tesla Cybertruck wraps have quickly become a significant portion of ALSET Auto’s expanding business. The company offers the largest selection of colored PPF in the industry with more than 250 options in gloss, matte, metallic, and color shifting. The company is currently wrapping about 100 Cybertrucks per month, with several locations wrapping as many as five per week. Bunting elaborated:
The demand for colored paint protection film in recent years has surged because most EVs are offered in limited colors. Unlike flimsy vinyl wraps, colored PPF offer durable protection, self- healing properties and longer warranty coverage. It is the best of both worlds for protection and aesthetics. For Cybertrucks, we are finding that it’s a matter of when their owners will purchase wraps, not if.
The company has received nearly 1,000 five-star reviews for offering highly specialized customer service along with an industry-leading, lifetime warranty. In addition, ALSET services are CARFAX certified so that all upgrades appear on CARFAX reports to increase resale value and assist in insurance claims.
Paint Protection Film (PPF) – This durable self-healing film is offered in a clear or matte finish and is most commonly applied to the entire car or the front impact zones which include the full hood, fenders, bumper and mirror caps. PPF protects the vehicle’s paint from unsightly rock chips, scratches and abrasions. In many instances, scratches in the film can be removed with heat from the sun or blowdryer, or by using hot water.
Nano Ceramic Coatings – When fully cured, ceramic coatings are up to three times harder than factory clear coat. ALSET Auto’s full interior and exterior ceramic package uses four different ceramic formulas which are applied to the paint and trim, wheels, windshield, as well as the interior. While these coatings are not intended to prevent rock chips, they help protect from light scratches and swirls, environmental contaminants, and etching from bug guts and bird droppings. They also make your EV extremely shiny and hydrophobic, which makes washing and maintenance a breeze.
Ceramic Window Film – Available in a variety of shades, ceramic window tint offers unrivaled heat rejection as well as protection from harmful UVA and UVB rays. It also provides a sleeker look and enhanced security and privacy. EVs with ceramic window tint can expect to get more range from their battery due to lower cabin temps and less use of their EV’s air conditioning.
ALSET Auto also participates in XPEL’s OEM referral programs, which include Tesla and Rivian.
ALSET Auto plans to award 12 new franchises in 2025
After successfully opening corporate locations in Portland and Seattle, ALSET Auto launched the company’s first franchise in 2021 in Dallas, Texas. In doing so, ALSET Auto completed a rigorous franchise registration process with iFranchise Group, Inc., an industry-leading consultancy group that has worked with Massage Envy, Denny’s, Vitamin Shoppe, Shelf Genie and other name brands.
Since then, ALSET Auto has expanded to 15 locations with several more franchises currently in the pipeline.
Locations:
Atlanta, GA
Austin, TX
Dallas, TX
Jacksonville, FL
Las Vegas, NV
Orange County, CA
Portland, OR
Raleigh, NC
Richmond, VA
San Diego, CA
Sacramento, CA (ALSET Affiliate)
Seattle, WA
Tampa, FL
Vancouver, BC, Canada
The average annual revenue for ALSET Auto locations open at least 12 months was $1 million in 2023, according to the company’s 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
ALSET Auto provides franchisees a wide range of ongoing support including training, site selection assistance, coaching, access to proprietary software systems, in-house marketing and advertising, vendor partnerships, and dealer programs. These services are critical to setting up news franchise operators for success.
Current ALSET franchisees joined the company without any prior experience in the industry. They come from various backgrounds, including the restaurant and entertainment industries, sales, technology, sports, and finance.
Ideal franchise candidates are EV owners and enthusiasts who are passionate about the booming EV market and seeking financial freedom and independence from a typical 9-to-5 job. Candidates should be well-capitalized, business-minded, passionate about the EV industry, and committed to actively working in their business.
To learn more about franchising with ALSET Auto and receive the company’s franchising e-brochure, visit their website here.
If you’re interested in learning more about their services, visit their retail site at www.alsetauto.com.
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“Great to see Tesla’s Robotaxi unveiled … including the Robovan. But why wait?” Those are the words of Oxa’s VP of Director Strategic Partnerships & Universal Vehicle Autonomy, Paul Reynolds, on LinkedIn – and it’s hard to argue against the idea that if a self-driving van is a good idea five years from now, it’s a good idea today.
And Oxa says it has a self driving van today that’s ready to deliver on that idea’s promise.
Oxa’s autonomous-capable hardware is designed to fit snugly on the outside of the popular Ford E-Transit commercial van without encroaching on the van’s interior. That means fleets will be able to integrate the self-driving vans into existing fleets without the need to redesign their existing upfit solutions – a critical piece of the overall puzzle for fleet managers.
That also means that the self-driving version of the Oxa-powered Ford E-Transit can be configured to do everything the conventional ICE Transits can do, and serve logistics (delivery van), trades (work van), and passenger/shuttle services (up to 10 seats in passenger E-Transit trim – which we don’t yet get here in the US).
“Making the Ford E-Transit available for autonomous operations is the next step on our journey to deliver safe, scalable, and sustainable autonomous solutions,” explains Gavin Jackson, CEO of Oxa. “This vehicle represents an important milestone in our mission to reshape the future of passenger transportation and logistics.”
The Oxa E-Tranist self driving van is equipped with a full suite of sensing equipment to “take in the road,” including high-definition cameras, lidar, and radar sensors. The Oxa hardware sends a full 360-degrees’ worth of perception and long-range detection to the system’s processors, enabling autonomous operation at electronically-limited speeds of up to 35 mph in mixed traffic. The Transit’s manual controls are fully preserved, too, enabling a seamless transition to human operation in adverse/edge case conditions.
Yamaha has announced to its dealers that it will be pulling its e-bikes out of the North American market at the end of this year. In the meantime, the brand says that it will offer sales of up to 60% off for its remaining inventory and continue to support its e-bikes already sold in the US for at least five more years.
Yamaha’s electric bikes have been well-received in global markets and have also received rave reviews in the US. However, the company’s higher prices make it harder to compete in the North American market, which is dominated by value-oriented models with significantly lower price points.
Yamaha’s various electric bikes designed for commuting, fitness, and mountain biking all feature higher-end components, which has resulted in the company competing more directly with premium bicycle shops. The company’s elaborate frames and in-house motors have added value to their models, yet have also contributed to a more premium price range.
Meanwhile, Yamaha hasn’t been immune to the same sales slowdown and overstocking issues that have plagued the e-bike industry over the last few years, as the company explained to its dealers in the letter seen below.
“Dear Yamaha eBike Dealer,
We want to thank you for your partnership and for your business in purchasing and retailing Yamaha eBikes, and for proudly representing the Yamaha brand. However, as you know, the combination of a post-COVID oversupply within the entire bicycle industry, coupled with a significant softening of the market, has resulted in a particularly challenging business environment where it is extremely difficult to achieve a sustainable business model. Given these market conditions, we regret to inform you that Yamaha has made the difficult decision to withdraw from the U.S. eBike business and cease wholesaling units effective the end of this year.
Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. (YMUS) entered the U.S. eBike market in 2018, and we have enjoyed the opportunity to partner with you these past six years to sell exciting, high-quality, all-road, mountain, and fitness/lifestyle eBikes.
We will continue to support your dealership in the sell down of your inventory by extending the current “Fan Promotion” program where customers may receive up to 60% off their purchase of a new Yamaha eBike. This “Fan Promotion” program will be offered on all units retailed and warranty registered through June 30, 2025. YMUS will continue to provide parts, service, and customer support in the United States both now and in support of our limited 5-year warranty.
Finally, we wish to express our sincere appreciation and gratitude to you and your staff for your dedication and support of the Yamaha eBike business.
Thank you for your understanding and support.”
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