Elon Musk revealed that Tesla drivers will be able to send messages while driving, a feature expected to arrive in the autopilot system within a few months.
The information was reported by Electrek. According to the site, the statement was made by the entrepreneur during a meeting with shareholders last Thursday (6). During the same meeting, investors approved a $1 trillion bonus package for Musk.
The feature to drive while texting is expected to arrive in Full Self-Driving (FSD), Tesla’s autonomous driving tool, in just one or two months, according to Musk.
However, it is worth noting that Musk has a reputation for significantly overestimating timelines for Tesla developments. In 2017, he even predicted that by 2019, Tesla drivers could take a nap at the wheel.
Currently, FSD allows drivers to enjoy autonomous driving without keeping their hands on the wheel. However, after multiple accidents, Tesla emphasized that the feature should not be used without driver supervision.
In fact, the current FSD includes a feature that automatically issues an alert if the driver picks up their phone. So, if the driver receives multiple “strikes,” FSD can be temporarily deactivated by the car system itself.
But it seems Tesla is working to change this scenario, ensuring greater autonomy for autopilot. This comes after Tesla reintroduced the controversial “Mad Max” mode, an FSD feature that allows higher speeds and more aggressive lane changes.
The tool, initially presented in 2022, underwent a recall by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which argued that while using the feature, Tesla cars were frequently running red lights, increasing the risk of accidents.
The feature was reintroduced in October of this year, but it is already under scrutiny by U.S. regulatory agencies. Therefore, it is unclear how long Mad Max will remain available to Tesla drivers.
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