News
Tesla’s alleged Thanksgiving FSD crash in SF is being recreated by media
Tesla Owners Club of East Bay cofounder Wilmer Awayan teamed up with the local media to simulate an accident with Tesla’s Full Self-Driving Beta engaged. The club shared behind-the-scenes videos and photos on Twitter.
On Thanksgiving Day, the owner of a 2021 Tesla Model S claimed that his vehicle was operating with Tesla’s FSD Beta engaged and that the technology malfunctioned, causing an eight-car pile-up on San Francisco’s Bay Bridge.
The club tweeted that it had the unique opportunity to host an FSD Beta ride along with Brooks Jarosz with KTVU to simulate and re-enact what could have occurred in the accident. At this time, KTVU hasn’t published its story yet, but San Francisco has been dealing with a rainstorm that’s been keeping the local news crews pretty busy.
Al Shen, president of the club, told Teslarati that this was a great opportunity to share a first-hand look at Tesla’s FSD Beta technology.
FSD thru the same spot the accident occurred. Couldn’t get the original tweet to include this video. Camera crew was along for the ride. pic.twitter.com/ahWtNGmtVs
— Tesla East Bay Fremont (@TeslaOwnersEBay) January 13, 2023
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In the video above, Shen shared footage of FSD Beta at the exact location of the accident, noting that the camera crew was along for the ride. Shen told Teslarati that he received an email from an investigative reporter from his local Fox News Station affiliate Channel 2.
“They were seeking a chance to re-enact and test out what FSD capability is and how it works on roads, particularly on the section of the SF Bay Bridge, one of the busiest bridges in America where that Tesla Driver caused that eight-car pile up on thanksgiving 2022,” he said.
Shen chose to help his local news station because he felt it was a unique opportunity to share a first-hand look at Tesla’s technology.
“As educated owners and a Tesla Owners enthusiast group here to support the brand’s mission, we felt it was a unique opportunity to give a first-hand look at what Tesla’s emerging autonomy and driver’s assist features for Full Self Driving look like from inside a Tesla as opposed to only reading about it or third-hand knowledge,” he said.
-->“We utilized FSD beta to navigate us to our rendezvous location and proceeded on the simulated drive across the SF-Oakland Bay bridge, even with inclement rain weather, the system performed nominally under rainy conditions although slower than some traffic.”
“As the FSD Beta vehicle approached the infamous tunnel where the Thanksgiving crash occurred, we proceeded through and even simulated a lane change similar to the one seen in the now-released traffic footage. Again we noticed a slight deceleration but nothing as extreme as what occurred in the accident.”
“FSD Beta offered some lane changes, which we declined to proceed with, the news team was impressed with the visualization and the car’s ability to visualize and process the world around it in real-time.”
“What we felt paramount to do, despite incurring a legitimate strike, was that our driver purposely disobeyed the software and did not confirm when warnings came to put our hands on the wheel and remain attentive at all times. The vehicle disengaged and began to slow down, however, given the open ‘testing’ environment we were in, we pressed the accelerator and resumed our drive at safer speeds and distances,” Shen added.
Update:
-->KTVU aired the video on this evening’s news.
Here’s the @KTVU evening news covering the simulated @Tesla FSD/AP drive we took @BrooksKTVU on this morning across the SF Bay Bridge to dive deeper into what sadly transpired on Thanksgiving 2022. 🔑: It’s on all of us as drivers to be attentive. pic.twitter.com/gwGnuVq7b6
— Tesla East Bay Fremont (@TeslaOwnersEBay) January 14, 2023
Disclosure: Johnna is a $TSLA shareholder and believes in Tesla’s mission.
-->Your feedback is welcome. If you have any comments or concerns or see a typo, you can email me at johnna@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter at @JohnnaCrider1.
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News
Tesla FSD V14.2.1 is earning rave reviews from users in diverse conditions
Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software continues its rapid evolution, with the latest V14.2.1 update drawing widespread praise.
Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software continues its rapid evolution, with the latest V14.2.1 update drawing widespread praise for its smoother performance and smarter decision-making.
Videos and firsthand accounts from Tesla owners highlight V14.2.1 as an update that improves navigation responsiveness, sign recognition, and overall fluidity, among other things. Some drivers have even described it as “more alive than ever,” hinting at the system eventually feeling “sentient,” as Elon Musk has predicted.
FSD V14.2.1 first impressions
Early adopters are buzzing about how V14.2.1 feels less intrusive while staying vigilant. In a post shared on X, Tesla owner @LactoseLunatic described the update as a “huge leap forward,” adding that the system remains “incredibly assertive but still safe.”
Another Tesla driver, Devin Olsenn, who logged ~600 km on V14.2.1, reported no safety disengagements, with the car feeling “more alive than ever.” The Tesla owner noted that his wife now defaults to using FSD V14, as the system is already very smooth and refined.
Adverse weather and regulatory zones are testing grounds where V14.2.1 shines, at least according to testers in snow areas. Tesla watcher Sawyer Merritt shared a video of his first snowy drive on unplowed rural roads in New Hampshire, where FSD did great and erred on the side of caution. As per Merritt, FSD V14.2.1 was “extra cautious” but it performed well overall.
-->Sign recognition and freeway prowess
Sign recognition also seemed to show improvements with FSD V14.2.1. Longtime FSD tester Chuck Cook highlighted a clip from his upcoming first-impressions video, showcasing improved school zone behavior. “I think it read the signs better,” he observed, though in standard mode, it didn’t fully drop to 15 mph within the short timeframe. This nuance points to V14.2.1’s growing awareness of temporal rules, a step toward fewer false positives in dynamic environments.
FSD V14.2.1 also seems to excel in high-stress highway scenarios. Fellow FSD tester @BLKMDL3 posted a video of FSD V14.2.1 managing a multi-lane freeway closure due to a police chase-related accident. “Perfectly handles all lanes of the freeway merging into one,” the Tesla owner noted in his post on X.
FSD V14.2.1 was released on Thanksgiving, much to the pleasant surprise of Tesla owners. The update’s release notes are almost identical to the system’s previous iteration, save for one line item read, “Camera visibility can lead to increased attention monitoring sensitivity.”
News
Tesla FSD Supervised ride-alongs in Europe begin in Italy, France, and Germany
The program allows the public to hop in as a non-driving observer to witness FSD navigate urban streets firsthand.
Tesla has kicked off passenger ride-alongs for Full Self-Driving (Supervised) in Italy, France and Germany. The program allows the public to hop in as a non-driving observer to witness FSD navigate urban streets firsthand.
The program, detailed on Tesla’s event pages, arrives ahead of a potential early 2026 Dutch regulatory approval that could unlock a potential EU-wide rollout for FSD.
Hands-Off Demos
Tesla’s ride-along invites participants to “ride along in the passenger seat to experience how it handles real-world traffic & the most stressful parts of daily driving, making the roads safer for all,” as per the company’s announcement on X through its official Tesla Europe & Middle East account.
Sign-ups via localized pages offer free slots through December, with Tesla teams piloting vehicles through city streets, roundabouts and highways.
“Be one of the first to experience Full Self-Driving (Supervised) from the passenger seat. Our team will take you along as a passenger and show you how Full Self-Driving (Supervised) works under real-world road conditions,” Tesla wrote. “Discover how it reacts to live traffic and masters the most stressful parts of driving to make the roads safer for you and others. Come join us to learn how we are moving closer to a fully autonomous future.”
-->Building trust towards an FSD Unsupervised rollout
Tesla’s FSD (Supervised) ride-alongs could be an effective tool to build trust and get regular car buyers and commuters used to the idea of vehicles driving themselves. By seating riders shotgun, Tesla could provide participants with a front row seat to the bleeding edge of consumer-grade driverless systems.
FSD (Supervised) has already been rolled out to several countries, such as the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and partially in China. So far, FSD (Supervised) has been received positively by drivers, as it really makes driving tasks and long trips significantly easier and more pleasant.
FSD is a key safety feature as well, which became all too evident when a Tesla driving on FSD was hit by what seemed to be a meteorite in Australia. The vehicle moved safely despite the impact, though the same would likely not be true had the car been driven manually.
News
Swedish union rep pissed that Tesla is working around a postal blockade they started
Tesla Sweden is now using dozens of private residences as a way to obtain license plates for its vehicles.
Two years into their postal blockade, Swedish unions are outraged that Tesla is still able to provide its customers’ vehicles with valid plates through various clever workarounds.
Seko chairman Gabriella Lavecchia called it “embarrassing” that the world’s largest EV maker, owned by CEO Elon Musk, refuses to simply roll over and accept the unions’ demands.
Unions shocked Tesla won’t just roll over and surrender
The postal unions’ blockade began in November 2023 when Seko and IF Metall-linked unions stopped all mail to Tesla sites to force a collective agreement. License plates for Tesla vehicles instantly became the perfect pressure point, as noted in a Dagens Arbete report.
Tesla responded by implementing initiatives to work around the blockades. A recent investigation from Arbetet revealed that Tesla Sweden is now using dozens of private residences, including one employee’s parents’ house in Trångsund and a customer-relations staffer’s home in Vårby, as a way to obtain license plates for its vehicles.
Seko chairman Gabriella Lavecchia is not pleased that Tesla Sweden is working around the unions’ efforts yet again. “It is embarrassing that one of the world’s largest car companies, owned by one of the world’s richest people, has sunk this low,” she told the outlet. “Unfortunately, it is completely frivolous that such a large company conducts business in this way.”
-->Two years on and plates are still being received
The Swedish Transport Agency has confirmed Tesla is still using several different workarounds to overcome the unions’ blockades.
As noted by DA, Tesla Sweden previously used different addresses to receive its license plates. At one point, the electric vehicle maker used addresses for car care shops. Tesla Sweden reportedly used this strategy in Östermalm in Stockholm, as well as in Norrköping and Gothenburg.
Another strategy that Tesla Sweden reportedly implemented involved replacement plates being ordered by private individuals when vehicles change hands from Tesla to car buyers. There have also been cases where the police have reportedly issued temporary plates to Tesla vehicles.
Tesla FSD V14.2.1 is earning rave reviews from users in diverse conditions
Tesla FSD Supervised ride-alongs in Europe begin in Italy, France, and Germany
