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Tesla owner arrested due to Autopilot abuse pledges to continue Autopilot abuse

(Credit: CHP Golden Gate Division)

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After a night in jail for reckless driving, most drivers would probably make it a point to make sure that they drive safely and well within the rules of the road. Not so for 25-year-old Param Sharma, who was recently arrested and subsequently released by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) for reckless driving through gross misuse of his Model 3’s Autopilot features. 

Sharma caught the eye of the CHP on the weekend after images of his Autopilot escapades made the rounds in social media. As could be seen in the photos, the 25-year old was sitting on the backseat of his Model 3 while the vehicle operated without a driver. These photos infuriated netizens, many of whom were Tesla owners themselves, as the stunt was not only extremely dangerous, but also a gross violation of how Autopilot is supposed to be used. 

The Model 3 owner was arrested by the CHP on Monday evening and booked into Santa Rita Jail on two counts of reckless driving and disobeying a Peace Officer. Interestingly enough, authorities noted that Sharma had already been cited for a similar incident in the past, with the 25-year old being reported for similar antics in late April. But despite spending a night in jail, it appears that the stubborn Tesla owner remained undaunted. 

Speaking with KTVU on Tuesday evening after his release, Sharma confirmed that he has no intention of stopping his Autopilot backseat driving habits. He claimed that his driving was not dangerous, and that he actually went home from jail doing what he is now known for doing. According to the 25-year-old, his trip home from jail involved Autopilot operating a Tesla while he and a friend sat in the backseat. 

“I’m gonna go in the back seat right now. You feel me? I’m waiting for my car to charge,” Sharma said, claiming that was he was doing is not dangerous. “I’ve been brake-checked before really hard, and the car stopped. The car came to a complete stop… I think people are tripping and they’re scared,” he added. 

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Tesla owners disagree. David McPherson, a South Bay resident who has driven a Tesla for five years, explained that actual full-self driving technology is not yet here. Echoing Tesla’s own terms for Autopilot, which clearly states that drivers must stay vigilant and be ready to intervene at any time, McPherson remarked that the risks are still far too great. 

“Technology is not there yet. And being a Tesla owner, there’s still a lot of unknowns to take that risk or even consider it at this time,” the longtime Tesla owner said. 

Autopilot misuse is a serious matter, and one can only hope that owners like Sharma learn that using the driver-assist system in such a risky manner is not only wrong, but irresponsible. After all, Tesla emphasizes caution for its driver-assist systems, with even members of the FSD Beta–which have access to features that are yet to see a wide release–still being required to pay attention to the road while operating their vehicles. CEO Elon Musk has even mentioned on Twitter that some members of the FSD Beta group have been removed from the program due to the drivers not paying enough attention to the road. 

Sharma’s interview with KTVU could be viewed below.

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Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Tesla makes big change to encourage Full Self-Driving purchases

Tesla Full Self-Driving was recently proven to be about ten times safer than a human driver in terms of accident frequency.

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Credit: Whole Mars Blog | X

Tesla has made a big change to its Online Design Studio, hoping to encourage car buyers to purchase Full Self-Driving with their vehicles.

Now, when you look at ordering a car on Tesla’s website, the portion of the page that formerly showed a render of Full Self-Driving capabilities has been replaced by a compilation of the suite’s performance in a variety of challenging scenarios.

It’s a great way to show off FSD’s impressive ability to work through road conditions that can even stump human drivers.

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The move is much better than what the page previously illustrated. Now, people can see the true capabilities of the FSD suite and what it could do to change their perspective on how vehicles can be. Instead of a vessel of transportation, FSD turns cars into a semi-autonomous mode of travel.

Tesla Full Self-Driving is statistically very safe, logging about ten times the number of miles between accidents as human drivers, based on recent data the company released.

Tesla Q2 2025 vehicle safety report proves FSD makes driving almost 10X safer

It is available for purchase in two different ways: an outright purchase for $8,000 or in a monthly subscription for $99. This enables the software to essentially do a vast majority of the legwork of driving. Drivers must keep their eyes on the road and be prepared to take over if an intervention is needed.

However, FSD has been proven to be a very accurate and safe way to travel. Tesla recently released a video of a drive from the Bay Area to Los Angeles, a nearly seven-hour trip, under FSD without a single intervention ever needed:

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Tesla flexes its most impressive and longest Full Self-Driving demo yet

From a personal perspective, Tesla Full Self-Driving is a great way to travel because it truly takes a lot of the stress out of driving. In the past, I’ve used it during weekend Demo Drives to navigate around my town to see if it could handle some of the tougher traffic in my area. It became such an amazing and convenient alternative that when I went back to my car, I truly missed the advantage of having it.

I took a Tesla Model Y weekend-long Demo Drive – Here’s what I learned

However, I am picking up my Tesla Model Y this coming weekend and will enjoy it for the free three months before subscribing to the monthly program.

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Tesla offers new feature to save battery and reduce phantom drain

While in Low Power Mode, your vehicle continues to use energy for standby functions, screen activity, and Tesla app interactions. In cold weather, available energy may drop more quickly.”

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla is offering a new feature to help owners save battery and reduce phantom drain, an issue that some have complained of with their cars.

While Teslas are some of the most efficient EVs on the market, they utilize energy and battery life when they’re parked to keep certain features, like Sentry Mode, Summon Standby, and others, active in preparation for potential events that occur.

Keeping these features ready to perform utilizes energy, and if your car is parked at an airport where it could be sitting stagnant for a few days, the battery percentage could start to dwindle pretty significantly.

Because of this, Tesla is rolling out a new feature called “Low Power Mode,” which will automatically disable a handful of settings to combat battery dwindling and phantom battery drain.

Tesla writes in the release notes for the feature:

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“When Low Power Mode is enabled, your vehicle will conserve energy by automatically disabling the following features:

    • Sentry Mode
    • Summon Standby
    • Outlets
    • Keep Accessory Power On
    • Keep Climate On and Camp Mode
    • Scheduled Preconditioning
    • Cabin Overheat Protection

While charging with Low Power Mode enabled:

    • Sentry Mode and accessory power will remain available
    • Keep Climate On and Camp Mode are only available when Supercharging

While in Low Power Mode, your vehicle continues to use energy for standby functions, screen activity, and Tesla app interactions. In cold weather, available energy may drop more quickly.”

This feature seemed to be a reaction to a past issue that an owner had as their Cybertruck continued to utilize energy even though the pickup was parked at an airport and the owner was in Japan. The Cybertruck had utilized a lot of energy to keep standby functions active, which left the owner in an interesting spot when they returned.

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CEO Elon Musk stepped in, and it seems this feature might have been a reaction to that situation. This is an ideal thing to use if you’re looking to conserve your battery’s state of charge.

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Tesla is bringing back something it took from the Model 3…for a price

“Modify your Model 3 by replacing the turn signal buttons on your steering wheel with turn signal stalks. This modification is included in the purchase price and is installed by a Tesla Service Center.”

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla is bringing back the Model 3’s turn signal stalk in China after removing the part with the refresh of the all-electric sedan early last year.

However, it is going to cost you.

In 2024, Tesla launched the Model 3 “Highland,” a refreshed version of the vehicle that included several large-scale changes. One of the most noticeable was the lack of a turn signal stalk, something the company chose to remove and instead implement turn signal buttons on the steering wheel.

The buttons were met with mixed reviews, as some drivers complained that it was too difficult to get used to them. Others had no problem with the change, noting that it was slightly more convenient for them or that they enjoyed the minimalistic look.

Now, Tesla is offering Model 3 owners in China the opportunity to replace the stalk for a price of ¥ 2,499, or about $350:

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“Modify your Model 3 by replacing the turn signal buttons on your steering wheel with turn signal stalks. This modification is included in the purchase price and is installed by a Tesla Service Center.”

Tesla notes on its website that the service is available for Model 3 vehicles without stalks manufactured after February 7, 2025. Any car without a stalk that was manufactured before that date will have the service available to them in the future.

Installation can be performed at a Service Center or by the owner. However, Tesla notes that it is not responsible for any damages resulting from self-installation and recommends that the part be put in by an employee.

The cockpit of the Tesla lineup has been under intense scrutiny by the company in recent years. After a few changes to things like the stalk, steering wheel shape, and others, Tesla has usually given drivers the chance to have things reverted back to their preferences if they want.

They did this for the Model S and Model X a few years ago after implementing the yoke steering wheel.

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Tesla Steering Wheel Retrofits have started, and it’s easy to get rid of your yoke

The stalk was not supposed to be removed from the Model 3 and Model Y, but Tesla chose to do so with the refresh last year.

It seems the minimalization of the cockpit, overall, is a move that prepares drivers for autonomy, as eventually, Teslas will be void of pedals, steering wheels, and any other apparatus that are used to control the car.

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