News
Survey shows Americans don’t trust self-driving cars. They also don’t know you can’t buy one.
A new survey revealed that a startling number of Americans feel less safe in a self-driving vehicle. However, the same survey also revealed that nearly one-in-four Americans believe you can currently buy a vehicle that is designed to let drivers take their eyes off the road.
The survey from Policygenius revealed that 76 percent of respondents are not convinced of a self-driving vehicle’s accuracy or safety, and they feel less safe in one rather than a human-controlled car. Additionally, 73 percent of people said they feel less safe knowing other people on the road are traveling in cars with self-driving features.
As self-driving features, semi and fully-autonomous vehicles begin to become more popular with companies like Tesla, Waymo, Cruise, and others pushing their driver assistance systems; the future is undoubtedly here. However, consumers are skeptical of the technology and its capabilities.
“Whether because of road rage, reckless driving, or car accidents, it’s understandable that many people are wary of taking their eyes off the road and relying on a self-driving car,” Rachel Brennan of Policygenius said. “As advances in autonomous vehicle technology continue, auto companies and insurance companies will need to resolve a number of challenges, from helping people feel safe on the road to navigating new insurance implications, like who is at fault in an autonomous vehicle incident.”
33 percent of respondents also stated that a car with full self-driving capability would still require constant attention. 80 percent said they would not pay more to own a car with self-driving features.
Unfortunately, this is not the first study that has supported these claims. AAA revealed in May 2022 that 85 percent of people are still fearful or unsure of self-driving tech; a number that has stayed relatively steady for several years, the survey’s report said. 85 percent also stated they would not feel comfortable using a self-driving vehicle to transport their loved ones.
The issue of liability also seems to raise some concerns with consumers. The survey said Americans are divided at 50/50 on who should be held responsible if a car crashes while self-driving features are in control: the driver or the manufacturer.
The issue is that consumers are not educated enough on the capabilities, or even the availability of self-driving vehicles. The same survey showed 24 percent of consumers believed fully-autonomous vehicles are available to buy and drive right now, which simply is not true.
RELATED:
General Motors’ Cruise taxis to expand to Phoenix and Austin
Self-driving vehicles are still years away, but semi-autonomous functionalities are still highly efficient and widely available across many manufacturers. Nearly every vehicle out there has some sort of driver assistance feature, which includes lane centering or traffic-aware cruise control. However, there is not a vehicle on the market right now that is capable of full autonomy, which would mean a driver could sleep during the vehicle’s operation.
You can’t necessarily blame consumers, though. In a quest for clicks, ad dollars, and viewership, YouTubers and other social media influencers have caricatured the capabilities of these vehicles, which has put out a false narrative of the real-world abilities of vehicles with self-driving features. No matter what you see or read, know that you or anyone else cannot walk onto a dealership lot or log onto a website and buy a car that drives you places. It does not exist.
I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk just roasted Sam Altman’s Tesla Roadster cancellation
“And you forgot to mention act 4, where this issue was fixed and you received a refund within 24 hours.
But that is in your nature.”
Elon Musk has responded to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s decision to cancel his Tesla Roadster reservation, which he revealed on X on Thursday.
We reported on Altman’s decision, which he called “A tale in three acts,” showing his confirmation email from Tesla back in 2018, an email requesting his $50,000 deposit back after canceling his order, and a notification from Google that the email he sent was not delivered.
A tale in three acts: pic.twitter.com/ClRZBgT24g
— Sam Altman (@sama) October 30, 2025
Musk did not take too kindly to the post from his tech rival, first referencing his position with OpenAI, and then confirming that Altman received his reservation deposit back within 24 hours:
And you forgot to mention act 4, where this issue was fixed and you received a refund within 24 hours.
But that is in your nature.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 1, 2025
OpenAI was started by Musk, Altman, and others back in 2015, and was geared toward being a non-profit company that would develop safe artificial intelligence that would be accessible to people.
However, Musk and Altman did not agree on the future of the company. Musk left, and Altman turned OpenAI into a for-profit company. This led to a variety of lawsuits and some very public spats between the two. Musk has called out Altman for turning the company into a for-profit, which has been his main source of criticism for his former colleague.
The Roadster has been hanging in the balance of Tesla’s manufacturing plans for seven years, but the company has made more indications that it will be unveiled later this year and will have some insane technologies.
Musk said on Friday in an episode of the Joe Rogan Experience Podcast that Tesla is “getting close to demonstrating the prototype.”
He said:
“Whether it’s good or bad, it will be unforgettable. My friend Peter Thiel once reflected that the future was supposed to have flying cars, but we don’t have flying cars. I think if Peter wants a flying car, he should be able to buy one…I think it has a shot at being the most memorable product unveil ever. [It will be unveiled] hopefully before the end of the year. You know, we need to make sure that it works. This is some crazy technology in this car. Let’s just put it this way: if you took all the James Bond cars and combined them, it’s crazier than that.”
Musk hinted that the vehicle could fly and would have “crazy technology” that would put James Bond’s vehicles to shame. It will be interesting to see what Tesla will unveil when the event happens and if it can come through on this mind-blowing teaser.
News
SpaceX successfully launches 100th Starlink mission of 2025
With 100 Starlink missions completed for 2025, space enthusiasts have noted that SpaceX has successfully launched 2,554 Starlink satellites so far this year.
SpaceX achieved its 100th Starlink mission of the year on Friday, October 31, marking another milestone for 2025.
A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 28 Starlink broadband satellites successfully lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 4:41 p.m. ET, carrying another 28 Starlink satellites to Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
Falcon 9 booster’s 29th flight
Roughly 8.5 minutes after liftoff, the Falcon 9’s first stage touched down on the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean. This marked the booster’s 29th flight, which is approaching SpaceX’s reuse record of 31 missions.
This latest mission adds to SpaceX’s impressive 138 Falcon 9 launches in 2025, 99 of which were dedicated to Starlink, according to Space.com. The company’s focus on reusing boosters has enabled this breakneck pace, with multiple launches each week supporting both Starlink’s expansion and external customers.
Starlink’s network continues massive global expansion
Starlink remains the largest active satellite constellation in history, with more than 10,000 satellites launched, nearly 8,800 of which are currently active. SpaceX recently achieved Starlink’s 10,000-satellite milestone. With 100 Starlink missions completed for 2025, space enthusiasts have noted that SpaceX has successfully launched 2,554 Starlink satellites so far this year.
Starlink, which provides high-speed, low-latency internet connectivity even to the world’s most remote areas, has been proven to be life-changing technology for people across the globe. The service is currently operational in about 150 countries, and it currently has over 5 million subscribers worldwide. From this number, 2.7 million joined over the past year.
News
Tesla shares updated timeframe for Cybertruck FSD V14 release
The Cybertruck was expected to receive FSD V14 before the end of the month, but Tesla was not able to meet the target.
Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) V14 update for the Cybertruck could arrive this weekend, as per recent comments from Director of Autopilot Software and VP of AI Ashok Elluswamy.
The Cybertruck was expected to receive FSD V14 before the end of the month, but Tesla was not able to meet the target.
Cybertruck FSD V14
Considering the extended wait for FSD V14, it was no surprise that several Cybertruck owners were asking for updates about the system’s rollout to the all-electric pickup truck on Friday. These included the official Cybertruck X account, which responded to Elluswamy’s end of month estimate with “I only see trick. Where is my treat.”
This prompted a response from the AI executive, who replied with, “Sorry, pushing for early access Cyber release over the weekend.” This means that if all goes well, Cybertruck owners would be able to experience FSD V14 very soon. Some, however, are wondering if Tesla would go straight to V14.2 for the Cybertruck’s FSD V14 update, or if the vehicle will receive V14.1 first.
Tesla pushes to unify FSD experience across its lineup
The upcoming Cybertruck rollout represents the next step in Tesla’s efforts to roll out FSD capabilities across all of its vehicles. FSD V14 is a notable step forward for the company’s AI-driven self driving system, with features like Mad Max mode getting positive reviews from longtime Full Self Driving testers.
For the Cybertruck, the FSD V14 update would mark one of its first major over-the-air upgrades for the vehicle. Likely due to its size, the Cybertruck tends to receive FSD updates later than the S3XY lineup, which is quite surprising considering that the all-electric pickup truck is a premium-priced vehicle that is home to some of Tesla’s most advanced technologies.
-
News2 weeks agoTesla might be doing away with a long-included feature with its vehicles
-
News2 weeks agoTesla updates fans on its plans for the Roadster
-
Elon Musk2 weeks agoElon Musk: Grok 5 now has a 10% chance of becoming world’s first AGI
-
News2 weeks agoTesla is ramping up its hiring for the Cybercab production team
-
News2 weeks agoTesla rolled out a new feature with FSD v14 to fix a major complaint
-
Elon Musk2 weeks agoElon Musk hits back at former Tesla employee who disagrees with pay package
-
News2 weeks agoTesla just made Service even easier and more convenient
-
News2 weeks agoTesla Model Y L becomes China’s 4th best-selling mid-to-large SUV in its first month of sales

