Tesla declares victory on autonomy roadmap, but we see something big missing
Tesla is declaring victory on achieving its September milestones for its autonomy roadmap, but we see the most important milestone missing.
Earlier this month, Tesla released an AI product/self-driving roadmap that included milestones the team aimed to accomplish in the coming months.
With September coming to a close and Tesla starting the rollout of Supervised FSD for Cybertruck, Elon Musk sycophants are already celebrating Tesla accomplishing all the milestones:
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?
Without official data from Tesla, we have to rely on crowdsourced data, which Musk himself has previously positively commented on.
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.
I am not a hater. I can admit that Tesla has made some improvements in September. I certainly wouldn’t call shipping FSD on Cybertruck a win after almost a year following the first deliveries, but the new driver monitoring system on FSD v12.5.2 is a big improvement as well as auto-speed controls.
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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The Mockingbird Solar Center, Ørsted’s largest solar project globally, is now online, next to protected prairie donated by the renewable energy giant.
This massive 468-megawatt (MW) solar farm is set to power 80,000 homes and businesses, providing a major boost to the Texas grid.
But the launch of Mockingbird Solar isn’t just about clean energy – it’s also about restoring precious ecosystems. Ørsted has donated 953 acres of the Smiley-Woodfin Native Prairie Grassland, which sits next to the solar center, to The Nature Conservancy. The donated land is now the Smiley Meadow Preserve, a protected area for tallgrass prairie that’s home to more than 400 species of grasses and wildflowers.
Tallgrass prairies are some of the rarest ecosystems in the US, with less than 1% of Texas’ original tallgrass prairies still in existence. Tallgrass prairie does a lot of heavy lifting for the environment, including storing carbon, preventing floods, and providing crucial habitats for pollinators.
“Native prairies are the rarest landscapes left in Texas – so much so that many people have never seen one,” said David Bezanson, land protection strategy program director for The Nature Conservancy in Texas. He added that preserving Smiley Meadow will not only conserve one of the best prairie remnants left but also help restore other prairie habitats and boost regional biodiversity.
The Mockingbird Solar Center, a half-billion-dollar project, is part of Ørsted’s $20 billion push to expand renewable energy production across the US. Beyond generating electricity, it will inject $75 million into local property taxes, benefiting schools and other public services. The project also created over 550 construction jobs and will continue to be supported by operations staff moving forward.
Ørsted worked with US companies, including First Solar, for solar panels and partnered with local businesses like Drake Construction and Pfifer Farms for construction materials. It also gave more than $50,000 to local volunteer fire departments in Roxton and Brookston.
With Mockingbird Solar now up and running, Ørsted has more than 6 gigawatts of onshore wind, solar, and battery storage projects either in operation or being built across the US.
Read more: Ørsted got a huge Tesla battery storage system for the world’s single-largest offshore wind farm
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Jeep’s first global luxury electric SUV will arrive at US dealerships any day. Despite its $72,000 price tag, lease prices for the 2024 Jeep Wagoneer S EV start at just $599 per month.
2024 Jeep Wagoneer S EV lease prices
After unveiling its first global electric SUV, Jeep’s CEO said the Wagoneer S “marks a new chapter” in its storied history.
Jeep claims the Wagoneer S packs “exhilarating performance.” With 600 hp and 617 lb-ft of torque, the big-body SUV can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.4 seconds. Its 100 kWh battery pack also gives it a driving range of over 300 miles.
The electric SUV is unmistakably still a Jeep, but it did get several upgrades to distinguish it as an EV. The grille is now enclosed without the need to cool a massive engine, giving it a sporty, more modern look.
Jeep revamped its design with a new illuminated seven-slot grille with ambient cast lightning. It also fine-tuned its profile, adding flush door handles, a rear wing, and integrated fins for better airflow.
The first Jeep Wagoneer S Launch Edition models get exclusive dark accent design elements like 20″ Gloss Black Wheels.
Inside, the electric SUV is loaded with the latest tech and connectivity, including a best-in-class 45″ of usable screen space. The setup includes a 12.3″ center screen and an exclusive 10.25″ interactive front passenger screen.
Jeep already announced that the 2024 Wagoneer S EV will start at $71,995, but now the company has revealed lease prices for the first time.
According to Jeep, the 2024 Jeep Wagoneer S Launch Edition can be leased for $599 per month for 36 months (10,000 miles per year). The deal includes $4,999 due at signing and a $7,500 EV incentive. However, you may want to act fast, as Jeep’s offer is only good until December 2, 2024.
| Jeep Wagoneer S vs Tesla Model Y | Starting Price | Range | Lease Price |
| Jeep Wagoneer S Launch Edition | $71,995 | +300 miles | $599/mo |
| Tesla Model Y RWD | $44,990 | 320 miles | $299/mo |
| Tesla Model Y AWD | $47,990 | 308 miles | $399/mo |
| Tesla Model Y AWD Performance | $51,490 | 279 miles | $599/mo |
In comparison, Tesla Model Y RWD lease prices start at $299 for 36 months with $2,999 down (10,000 miles). The Performance AWD model starts at $599 per month. In an end-of-year promo, Tesla also offers 3 months of free Supercharging and Full Self-Driving.
Ready to drive off in your new electric SUV? We can help you get started. You can use our links below to view offers on the Jeep Wagoneer S and Tesla Model Y at a dealer near you.
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