Tesla Close to Full Autonomy: Cybercab to Test in Real World as FSD Safety Improves

Image: Tesla

Tesla continues its rapid development, getting ever closer to solving autonomy. The company may soon test Cybercab in the real world, shows off Autopilot safety improvements, and prepares to roll out wireless charging. That and more in today's roundup with Jowua.

Cybercab May Be Tested on the Streets of Palo Alto in the Future

The city of Palo Alto is reportedly in talks with Tesla about the possibility of testing its robotaxi "Cybercab" on city streets. Palo Alto currently operates a rideshare program called Palo Alto Link, but it is facing a funding shortfall. While the program is proving popular, city officials are considering a potential partnership with Tesla. This collaboration is expected to complement the existing service and ease the financial burden on the city budget.

Council member Greg Tanaka recently attended a Tesla robotaxi presentation and believes the company’s autonomous cars could be the answer to the city’s problem. “Tesla has the technology, they have the hardware but they’re looking at test areas. That’s where Palo Alto comes in,” Tanaka said.

Tesla’s Autopilot Safety Continues to Improve

The company has released its third-quarter 2024 vehicle safety report, which again showed Autopilot to be superior to standard driving. Last quarter, Tesla recorded one crash for every 7.08 million miles driven with Autopilot engaged, and one crash for every 1.29 million miles for drivers who were not using Autopilot. By comparison, 2022 data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) shows that in the US, on average, there is a crash about every 670,000 miles.

Tesla Shows Off Its Wireless Charging Specs

Ever since Tesla began thinking about autonomous cars, the company has also been working toward a charging system that would not require human intervention. In 2023, Tesla acquired wireless charging company Wiferion, keeping its engineers to further develop its own system but selling the business later.

At the Robotaxi event, Tesla unveiled its new vehicle. Elon Musk revealed that Cybercab will not have a charging port and will only be able to charge wirelessly. Last week, the company released an official clip of Cybercab charging, providing more details.

Tesla promises charging speeds of up to 25 kW. That is faster than typical Level 2 home chargers, but significantly slower than the 250 kW Superchargers. The company also claims there will be no heat loss and that its charging efficiency is well over 90%.

Indonesia Set to Start Supplying Tesla with Nickel

Indonesia Energy Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said the country plans to start supplying Tesla with nickel battery material in November. “We will export precursor to the U.S. by next month to Tesla, from Weda Bay,” he said. He did not provide details of the deal. However, in the summer of 2022, a senior Indonesian cabinet minister told Reuters that the US manufacturer had signed a $5 billion deal to purchase material from Indonesian nickel refineries.

Giga Shanghai May Be Starting Production of Refreshed Model Y

According to rumors circulating on Chinese social media, Tesla began trial production of the new Model Y “Project Juniper” at Giga Shanghai earlier this week. It is believed to have started at a production rate of just 15 units per day to evaluate the process. The company is set to implement strict safety measures to prevent information leaks.

Tesla has not made any significant changes to Model Y since its launch. In recent weeks, camouflaged Model Ys have been testing in the US and Spain, hinting at a ramped-up effort to bring the updated SUV to market. Tesla has previously said it will not release an updated Model Y this year.