The little data that is coming out of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving Beta looks awful, and that’s putting it mildly.
We challenge Elon Musk to prove otherwise by releasing disengagement and driver intervention data.
To be clear, the Tesla Full Self-Driving Beta data in this article is very minimal, and therefore, it could not be fully representative of the actual capacity.
A disengagement consists of the system disengaging whether by itself or by the driver in order to either avoid danger or comply with the rules of the road. Miles between disengagement have been useful data to track the progress of self-driving programs.
While Tesla doesn’t release the data, a group of Tesla FSD Beta testers has been self-reporting data for a while now, and Taylor Ogan of Snow Bull Capital has tracked it to see the progress.
According to the data, miles driven per disengagement have gone down by 54% since March, and it currently sits around the same level it was around this time last year:
Based on this again limited set of data, Tesla FSD Beta can only drive a few miles between disengagement, while other self-driving programs, like Waymo and Cruise, are reporting tens of thousands of miles between disengagement on average.
These results are disappointing, as they point to very little to no progress in the FSD Beta program over the last year – at least based on this metric.
Now that’s based on 72,000 miles of self-reported data compared to over 60 million miles driven on FSD Beta to date.
Therefore, I am completely open to the idea that the bigger dataset shows different results, but there’s no way to know unless Tesla releases that data. It’s not clear why the company is not doing it.
To be clear, I am not asking Tesla to release any sensitive information about the program here, but only data that all other companies developing self-driving programs have willingly shared for years now.
The data has been used to help gain confidence in these systems – some of which are already deployed commercially in California and Arizona.
Instead, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has repeatedly told people to “try FSD Beta for themselves” in order to gauge its progress. As if anecdotal evidence would be better at tracking progress than hard data on miles per disengagement.
At this point, it’s hard not to be suspicious about the possibility that the reason why Tesla is not releasing the data is that it looks bad for them – especially compared to Waymo and Cruise.
But how else are we going to be able to gain confidence in the system if we can’t see any tangible data pointing to improvements?
This is not coming from a hater or a TSLA short. This is coming from someone who paid good money for Tesla Full Self-Driving Capability package and who is losing faith in the company delivering on its promise.
So, Elon Musk, please release Tesla FSD Beta data and show a path toward delivering on your promises. Otherwise, we have to rely on this data to track progress, and it doesn’t look good.
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Rivian will power its DC fast-charging network with renewable energy company RWE’s Champion Wind farm in Texas.
The two companies just signed a 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) for electricity from RWE’s repowered Champion Wind in Nolan and Mitchell counties, west of Abilene.
The 127-megawatt (MW) Champion Wind is getting new turbine nacelles and blades, which will extend the wind farm’s lifespan. Originally commissioned in 2008, the wind farm is expected to be fully upgraded by mid-2025. When the wind farm is back online, it’ll be capable of generating enough electricity to power nearly 1 billion miles of renewable driving every year for Rivian, or the equivalent of powering 36,000 homes annually in Texas.
This wind power is set to support Rivian’s DC fast-charging Adventure Network with renewable energy. Rivian has set a specific goal to enable 7 billion miles of renewable driving.
Paul Frey, Rivian’s VP of propulsion, charging & adventure products, said, “Champion Wind is a powerful enabler for Rivian drivers to become active participants in building a cleaner grid every time they charge their vehicle. This project shows the potential to meaningfully decarbonize the grid and support a more circular economy through reuse and recovery of existing infrastructure, all while maintaining highly competitive economics.”
Siemens Gamesa is supplying 41 turbines with new nacelles and blades on existing towers. The nacelles and blades are being manufactured in the US. In addition, as part of the repowering project, six new Siemens Gamesa turbines rated at 3.1 MW each will also be added to the wind farm.
The decommissioned wind turbine blades from Champion will be repurposed. RWE is working with REGEN Fiber, an Iowa-based company that recycles wind turbine blades to make reinforcement fibers for the construction industry. Those fibers are then used in concrete to add strength and durability, extending the lifespan of infrastructure.
RWE is the third-largest renewable energy company in the US.
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Rivian is bringing back its “All-Electric upgrade offer” from now until November 30th, but with some changes to the program.
Earlier this year, Rivian offered $1k-$5k off a new Rivian if you trade in an old gas car, from April to June. The offer was available for specific vehicles, and with a sliding discount scale based on which Rivian vehicle you order.
Now the program has come back, but with quite a few changes from the previous version.
As of today, October 31, if you buy a new Rivian R1T or R1S new inventory vehicle from the R1 Shop, you can get a $3,000 discount if you also prove that you own or lease a qualifying gas-powered vehicle.
This is simultaneously simpler, more lenient, and more restrictive than the previous offer, in various ways.
First, the discount is a flat $3k (or $4,100 CAD), rather than having a scale based on what model you order, which is more streamlined.
Second, the discount applies to every gas or hybrid vehicle owner – you don’t have to trade in your vehicle, and you’re not limited to a specific list of vehicles. Just prove that you own or lease a gas car (copy of registration, proof of insurance, etc), and you get the discount.
However, third, it’s more restrictive as to what vehicles you can purchase. The current offer applies only to Rivian new inventory vehicles in the R1 Shop, and excludes demo vehicles, pre-owned vehicles, or custom build vehicles. It also does not apply to Rivian’s base Dual Standard models, but everything else is fair game.
In order to qualify, you need to place your order between today and November 30, and you must take delivery of the vehicle before December 31. Check out all the specifics of the offer on Rivian’s site here.
Electrek’s Take
Rivian is clearly trying to round out its yearly numbers with this offer, as the market for pricy cars is somewhat soft with increased interest rates. It just slightly lowered its annual delivery guidance, now planning to see roughly similar deliveries this year than last.
But its R1 vehicles just got a huge refresh to help the company with costs and to offer new features. The R1S is still one of the most popular high-priced vehicles in the US, and the company’s products earn universal acclaim from owners.
The interesting thing is that Rivian had a similar offer earlier this year, before the refresh, to help clear out inventory of older vehicles. It didn’t see it fit to offer the discount last quarter, perhaps buoyed by the updated model, but after a rough Q3 of deliveries it now brought the offer back.
Rivian is still guiding to reach a slight gross profit in Q4, though we’re sure we’ll hear more about that in its upcoming quarterly earnings next week.
If our coverage of Rivian has helped inform you about the brand, feel free to use our Rivian referral code to get 6 months of free charging or 750 Rivian Rewards points with your purchase.
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Hyundai’s new low-cost EV is getting a bold design upgrade. The Hyundai Casper EV Cross was spotted for the first time in public, revealing new design elements.
Although we knew a rugged “Cross” variant was headed to Europe, this was the first time the domestic model was spotted with an upgraded design.
The Inster EV is Hyundai’s overseas version of its domestic Casper Electric model. In Korea, Hyundai’s Casper EV starts at around $20,000 (27.4 million won). Hyundai said its new EV can be bought for under $8,000 (10 million won) with subsidies.
In Europe, it starts at under $27,000 (25,000 euros). The Cross variant is built for “those looking for an EV with a more adventurous look,” Hyundai said.
Although it offers the same versatility as the standard model, the Inster EV Cross gains rugged design elements, including new front and rear bumpers, black claddings, skid plates, a roof rack, and more.
Here’s our first look at the Hyundai Casper EV Cross
After a rugged new variant with the Casper EV logo was spotted in Korea for the first time, a Cross model is expected to debut shortly.
The new video from HealerTV reveals added design elements, including the roof rack and more aggressive black trim.
The reporter notes that the Hyundai Casper EV Cross has a “much more mechanical and futuristic feel than the existing model.”
It almost appears “robot-like” with an added off-road feel. The Inster EV Cross gets up to 223 mi (360 km) WLTP driving range. In Korea, the Casper Electric is rated with up to 195 miles (315 km) driving range.
Although Hyundai Casper (Inster) EV is not expected to launch in the US, the low-cost model was spotted driving in California for the first time this month.
In the meantime, off-road fans can get in line for Hyundai’s upgraded 2025 IONIQ 5, which will be available with a rugged XRT trim. The 2025 IONIQ 5 XRT model was also recently caught testing ahead of deliveries.
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