Tesla nearing full autonomous driving

Tesla is close to achieving level five autonomy in its EVs.

It will complete its “Full Self-Driving” (FDS) suite shortly with Tesla chief executive Elon Musk saying production release of its Autopilot automatic lane change on city street (“Autosteer on city streets”) is just a few months away.

While Teslas can do that already on the highways, city streets are more complicated, Teslarati reports.

Completing the FDS suite would make Tesla the outright leader in semi-autonomous driving field, with plans to begin working toward level five autonomy shortly, it adds.

Another Teslarati

report suggests autonomous electric vehicles (AEVs) such as the Model S, 3, and X may operate in the Boring Company’s Loop system tunnels at the Las Vegas Convention Centre.

The centre tunnels could be in full operation for the 2021 Consumer Electronics Show there and carry visitors.

The tunnels are designed to quickly and autonomously transport passengers in Tesla EVs with stops including surface stations, subsurface stations, and subsurface open-air stations that can be upsized to a standard train depot, including solar panels and food courts.

High-volume Loops target 10,000 passengers an hour.

Teslarati suggests a 12-passenger electric van may also be developed by Tesla to be used in Loop tunnels.

Meanwhile, Electrek

reports it has discovered a new Tesla secret project named “Palladium” involving “some important updates to the Model S and Model X” in Tesla’s Fremont factory and Gigafactory Nevada.

The project involves building new production lines for updated versions of the two models, Electrek explains, likely to include new battery modules and drive units as the basis of the upcoming “Plaid” version of the two.

“The new powertrain is going to enable a tri-motor configuration for Plaid and feature increased performance and efficiency,” says Electrek, adding the vehicles are also likely to have a different body.

It predicts Palladium could be ready by the time Tesla hosts its Battery Day on September 22.