On Monday, the New York Times published an exposé featuring interviews with 19 former Tesla employees who worked on the company’s advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) over the past decade. The article reveals a wide gap between the “self-driving” features that Elon Musk has promised drivers and the reality of the driver assistance systems that Tesla’s cars offer. The article also reveals that Musk’s rejection of additional sensors like radar and lidar prioritized  aesthetics over the safe development of vehicles.

“Even former Tesla employees say that Elon Musk’s deceptive marketing of its driver assistance software has created significant safety risks,” said Chamber of Progress CEO Adam Kovacevich. “That endangers the entire project of developing autonomous vehicles (AVs). The public and policymakers should not confuse Tesla’s marketing with truly autonomous vehicles, whose innovators are taking a methodical approach to safety.” 

Chamber of Progress has highlighted the difference between Teslas and real autonomous vehicles, pointing to distinctions in physical components, development strategies, and transparency. Chamber of Progress has also pushed for updated state and federal regulations that encourage the deployment of safe autonomous vehicles.

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Chamber of Progress (progresschamber.org) is a new center-left tech industry policy coalition promoting technology’s progressive future. We work to ensure that all Americans benefit from technological leaps, and that the tech industry operates responsibly and fairly.

Our corporate partners do not have a vote on or veto over our positions. We do not speak for individual partner companies and remain true to our stated principles even when our partners disagree.