Tesla's Once-Secret 'Elon Mode' Is Being Investigated Amid a Surge in 'Autopilot' Crashes, Fatalities The carmaker's driver assistance features still require monitoring and intervention — but some people had a way around it.
By Amanda Breen
Key Takeaways
- "Elon Mode" allows drivers to use Tesla's "Autopilot" and "Full Self-Driving" features without "nag" cues to take the wheel.
- There have been 736 crashes and 17 fatalities involving Tesla's "Autopilot" mode since 2019.
Tesla's "Elon Mode" secret is out.
Last month, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) sent a letter and special order to Tesla requesting details about the formerly secret mode, including how many vehicles and drivers are authorized to use it, Bloomberg first reported.
There's been a recent surge in accidents involving Tesla's "Autopilot" since 2019, including 736 crashes and 17 fatalities, 11 of which occurred from May 2022 on, according to a Washington Post analysis of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data.
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Autopilot makes it possible for the vehicle to navigate itself from highway on-ramp to off-ramp while maintaining speed and distance around other cars and following lane lines; Full Self-Driving is an experimental feature that enables vehicles to go from Point A to Point B, obeying traffic signs and responding to hazards along the way, per The Washington Post.
Both options require drivers to watch the road and take back control when necessary, Tesla says.
But with "Elon Mode" in play, drivers who don't keep their hands on the wheel can ignore the "nag" visual symbol flashing on the touchscreen; without the cheat, the indicator ramps up to a beeping noise before the advanced driver assistance is disabled, CNBC reported previously.
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CNBC reports that Tesla has provided the NHTSA with the requested information, which is confidential at this time.
