It turns out that Tesla’s FSD Bet actually does stop for kids and pedestrians as demonstrated in a video with both a mannequin and an actual child. Recently, the founder of the Dawn Project who is also the CEO of Green Hills Software, which makes automated driving systems, Dan O’Dowd, claimed that Tesla’s FSD Beta did not stop for a child-sized mannequin. This led to a mainstream media storm against Tesla and its life-saving technology.
Tesla owner and FSD Beta Tester, @WholeMarsBlog asked if there were anyone in the Bay Area with a child who could run in front of his car while FSD Beta was engaged. Many took this as a joke, however, The Verge published an open letter to @WholeMarsBlog asking him not to do this.
It turned out that there was someone in the Bay Area willing to allow his child to put Tesla’s FSD Beta to the ultimate test. And it should be noted that the person who allowed this was the driver during the test.
In a Twitter DM, @WholeMarsBlog told me:
“Our tests showed that Tesla Full Self-Driving Beta has no problem detecting pedestrians of all ages. As long as the driver is paying attention, which the system ensures, there is no risk to pedestrians even in the event that the software fails to detect them.”
“This is driver assistance and is not expected to be perfect. It sickens me that Dan O’Dowd would push harmful misinformation to benefit himself financially. He should be charged criminally for false advertising, along with any stations that ran his ads. I don’t have millions to spend on ads like Dan, so please share the video on social media so that everyone who saw Dan’s ad can see our test too.”
Tesla FSD Beta doesn’t hit the mannequin or the child.
In a series of tests involving a child-sized mannequin dressed up and later on a child, Tesla’s FSD Beta proves to not do as O’Dowd claimed it would do.
During the first test, the mannequin was standing in the middle of the street and the car wouldn’t move once FSD Beta was turned on. After moving the mannequin further down the road, the group engaged FSD Beta and it slowly began to move forward.
Once it got closer to the mannequin, it slowed down and came to a complete stop. @WholeMarsBlog showed a detailed look at the screen which showed that Tesla’s FSD Beta detected a pedestrian in the street. It should be noted that, unlike O’Dowd’s video, there were no cones on either side of the vehicle blocking the car from moving around the mannequin.
In the next test, they moved the mannequin a little to the right. The vehicle not only recognized that there was a pedestrian in the street but easily moved around it safely.
Testing Tesla’s FSD Beta with People
In the next series of tests, one of the members of the group, Alvey, participated. Alvey stood in the middle of the street and FSD Beta immediately recognized Alvey as a pedestrian and came to a complete stop at a safe distance. Next up, Alvey walks in front of the car as it’s driving and the car immediately stopped.
In the next test, Tad Park, the CEO of Volt Equity took the driver’s seat. Tad said that he trusted the system enough and has tried FSD Beta previously.
“I would trust my kids’ lives with it and so I’m very confident that it’s going to detect my kids. And then, I’m also in control of the vehicle so I can brake at any time.”
Not only does Tesla’s FSD Beta detect Tad’s son, but it stopped for him. In the next test, Tad’s son crossed the street in front of the moving vehicle. Again, FSD Beta recognized what was happening and reacted accordingly. It slowed down and @WholeMarsBlog pointed out that it waited for him to cross and then continued on.
Attempting to run the mannequin over at a higher speed
The next test was for them to run the mannequin over at a higher speed. They moved it far enough that it was almost out of view but Tesla Vision still detected it. They accelerated to 40 miles per hour but instead of hitting the mannequin, FSD Beta slowed down and moved over to the right.
“It’s not like the commercials you see on TV.”
The video disproves the claim that Tesla FSD Beta will hit kids and do so repeatedly. You can watch it below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fu4ZEnIwYZI
Disclaimer: Johnna is long Tesla.
I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or see a typo, you can email me at johnna@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @JohnnaCrider1
News
Tesla Fremont Factory celebrates 15 years of electric vehicle production
Since opening in 2010, the Fremont Factory has produced all four “S3XY” models while creating tens of thousands of jobs.
Tesla is marking the 15-year anniversary of its Fremont Factory in California, the first automotive mass-manufacturing plant acquired by the electric car maker.
Since opening in 2010, the Fremont Factory has produced all four “S3XY” models while creating tens of thousands of jobs and investing billions of dollars in the region.
Celebrating 15 years of EV production
The Fremont Factory’s milestone was celebrated by the official Tesla Manufacturing account on X, which posted a photo of several Teslas forming a “15” in front of the facility’s iconic white facade. As per the electric vehicle maker, the Fremont Factory has now produced 3.6 million vehicles so far, and it has also created over 20,000 jobs in the state.
“15 years ago, we opened Fremont factory. Today, the Fremont team is producing all 4 S3XY models, totaling 3.6M vehicles made so far. 20k+ California jobs created w/ billions of dollars invested,” the official Tesla Manufacturing account on X wrote in its post.
The Fremont Factory’s transformation
Tesla acquired the Fremont Factory from the defunct NUMMI joint venture between General Motors and Toyota in May 2010 for $42 million. The facility had produced more than 8 million vehicles under GM and Toyota over 26 years. Following its acquisition, Tesla retooled the 5.3-million-square-foot plant to support the production of the Model S sedan.
Over the past 15 years, the factory has evolved into Tesla’s primary North American production hub, assembling the Model S, 3, X, and Y. Annual output has exceeded 550,000 vehicles, including nearly 560,000 produced in 2023 alone. Expectations are high that other products, such as the next-generation Roadster and Optimus, might be produced in the Fremont Factory as well.
News
Tesla posts job opening for next-generation Roadster production
Elon Musk teased a major demonstration at the Tesla Design Studio in Hawthorne, scheduled for the end of the year.
Tesla has opened its first job listing specifically for the next-generation Roadster, hinting at some substantial progress on the company’s long-awaited flagship all-electric supercar.
The company is looking for a Manufacturing Engineer to support the development and launch of new battery manufacturing equipment, which would likely be pivotal to the Roaster, considering its teased performance and range.
Tesla’s next-generation Roadster batteries
As per Tesla’s Careers website, the Roadster Manufacturing Engineer’s tasks would include ideating equipment concepts, developing specifications, validating processes, and addressing production bottlenecks. Tesla emphasized that the position involves collaboration across domestic and international sites, supporting equipment factory acceptance tests and assisting operations teams, with expected travel under 50 percent.
“In this role, you will take large-scale manufacturing systems for new battery products and architectures from the early concept development stage through equipment launch, optimization, and handover to local operations teams. Battery development is at the heart of our company, and this is an exciting opportunity to work directly on the central challenges for the all-new Roadster product architecture while still in its early development stages,” the job listing noted.
The opening marks one of the first public hiring efforts explicitly tied to the next-gen Roadster, suggesting that the vehicle’s development might be approaching its initial manufacturing phase. The fact that the new Roadster’s first job opening is related to its battery is interesting, as the vehicle was unveiled with a range of 620 miles way back in late 2018. Though at the time, Elon Musk also noted that the Roadster would be fitted with a 200 kWh battery, twice the size of the batteries used in the Model S and Model X.
Musk teases “most epic demo ever” and fuels Roadster speculation
Back in July, Elon Musk teased a major demonstration at the Tesla Design Studio in Hawthorne, California, scheduled for the end of the year. Musk shared on X that he had just visited the studio, calling the upcoming event the “most epic demo ever by one of year. Ever.”
The statement immediately prompted speculations that Tesla may finally be ready to reveal the production version of the next-generation Roadster. Originally unveiled alongside the Semi in 2018, the Roadster has remained under wraps while the company scaled production of other models. Since its unveiling, however, the Roadster’s rollout has been pushed back in favor of the original Model Y, the refreshed Model S and X, the Cybertruck, the refreshed Model 3, the Semi, and the new Model Y.
At the time of its unveiling, the next-generation Roadster was teased to be nothing short of a monster, with a 0-60 mph time of 1.99 seconds and a top speed of over 250 mph. Elon Musk also teased that the next-generation Roadster would have a range of 620 miles per charge. Later, the CEO noted that the Roadster should be able to achieve a 0-60 mph launch of less than 1 second, thanks to the vehicle’s SpaceX package. Musk has also noted recently that the next-generation Roadster would be “beyond a car.”
News
Tesla’s Shanghai sites now producing massive solar output, confirms exec
Gigafactory Shanghai’s rooftop solar installation now generates an impressive amount of clean energy, and other sites are following suit.
Tesla China Vice President Grace Tao recently shared new details on the company’s solar initiatives in some of its facilities across Shanghai.
In a post on Weibo, the Tesla executive stated that Gigafactory Shanghai’s rooftop solar installation now generates an impressive amount of clean energy, and other sites are following suit.
Tesla China’s rooftop solar initiatives
As per Tao’s post, Giga Shanghai’s rooftop solar system produces about 11 million kWh of electricity per year. This helps reduce carbon emissions by an estimated 4,600 tons annually.
The Shanghai Megafactory, which produces Megapack batteries, is also being fitted with solar panels. Once operational, it is expected to generate an additional 6 million kWh per year and further lower carbon emissions by roughly 2,500 tons.
“At present, the roof of the Shanghai Super Factory is covered with photovoltaic panels, which can generate 11 million kWh of electricity annually and reduce carbon emissions by 4,600 tons. The Shanghai Energy Storage Super Factory next door is also installing photovoltaic panels, which is expected to generate an additional 6 million kWh a year and reduce carbon emissions by 2,500 tons,” Tao wrote in her post.
Tesla expands solar and storage efforts
Beyond its manufacturing hubs, Tesla is extending its renewable energy strategy to service centers and retail operations in China. Tao stated that the roof of Tesla’s Shanghai Kangqiao Direct Body and Paint Center already produces around 400,000 kWh of green electricity each year, reducing emissions by yet another 170 tons.
She highlighted that Tesla’s goal is to ensure clean electricity powers the full lifecycle of its products, from manufacturing and storage to on-road charging. “The manufacture, storage, and use of clean electricity runs through the entire chain of Tesla products, and is also the contribution of every Tesla owner to a sustainable tomorrow for the earth,” Tao stated.
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