Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently experienced Tesla’s FSD tech during a test drive in Los Angeles. Johnson was impressed by the vehicle’
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Tesla’s autonomous technology, primarily driven by its Full Self-Driving (FSD) system, represents the pinnacle of automotive innovation. Leveraging advanced software, artificial intelligence, and a suite of sensors, Tesla vehicles can navigate complex environments with minimal human intervention. This groundbreaking technology has garnered significant global attention, positioning Tesla as a leader in the race towards fully autonomous driving. Enthusiasts and experts alike are captivated by the potential of Tesla’s autonomous systems to revolutionise transportation, offering enhanced safety, efficiency, and convenience.
A recent high-profile demonstration of Tesla’s FSD capabilities involved former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Johnson, along with his wife and 10-month-old baby, experienced Tesla’s FSD firsthand while driving around the streets of Los Angeles. Johnson shared his experience in his Daily Mail column, expressing both astonishment and admiration for the technology.
“We are about to be conveyed in a new type of car, so preposterous, so audacious, so revolutionary that ten years ago I would have refused to believe that it was possible,” Johnson remarked. “Maybe on some test track; maybe in lab conditions – but I never expected to see it in the heavy traffic of a major urban centre.”
Johnson highlighted the car’s numerous tiny cameras, seamlessly integrated into the vehicle’s sleek white bodywork, and its neural system, which he referred to as an “electronic brain.” Astonished by the “phantom” driving, Johnson described his experience: “I am sitting at the wheel, but not touching it, and though my feet are near the pedals, I am not using them – and oh my word, the steering wheel is twiddling itself.”
As the Tesla vehicle navigated through various scenarios, including a challenging intersection where five roads converged, Johnson’s initial concerns were quickly allayed by the car’s performance. “With impeccable good manners, giving all other vehicles plenty of notice, we turn left, and I become so relaxed that I am able to take in the boldness of Tesla’s plan,” he noted.
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Comparing Tesla’s technology to Waymo’s driverless vehicles operating in Los Angeles, Johnson pointed out that while Waymo’s cars are restricted to specific pre-mapped areas, Tesla’s vehicles, equipped with advanced cameras and neural networks, have the potential to navigate anywhere once fully licensed and approved. A Tesla representative informed Johnson that the vehicle was five to six times safer than a human driver.
Johnson also recounted an incident during the drive when a pedestrian slowly walked in front of the vehicle. “Instinctively I reach for the wheel; my toe twitches for the brake; but I need not have worried,” he recalled. The car had the pedestrian under observation, indicated by a “tiny human figurine that appeared on the electronic streetscape on the dashboard.”
After a 45-minute drive, Johnson passed his verdict on Tesla’s driverless car, stating that it passed with flying colours. His enthusiastic endorsement highlights the transformative potential of Tesla’s FSD technology and its impact on the future of transportation.
First Published Date: 21 May 2024, 06:14 AM IST
