Tesla has launched an investigation after a Cybertruck crashed while operating in Full Self-Driving (FSD) mode in the United States on February 9. The incident has renewed concerns over the safety of Tesla’s autonomous technology, just ahead of the company’s planned robotaxi launch in Texas.
Jonathan Challinger, the Cybertruck owner involved, shared details of the crash on X (formerly Twitter), cautioning Tesla drivers about over-reliance on FSD.
He explained that his Cybertruck failed to merge properly when a lane ended, leading to a collision with a curb before striking a light pole. While it has not been officially confirmed that the accident resulted from an FSD malfunction, a police report noted the possibility of mechanical issues.
In response to an inquiry from London Insider, Tesla stated that it is investigating the crash “in line with standard protocol when any of our electric vehicles are involved in an accident while in FSD mode.”
Despite regulatory scrutiny and skepticism over its FSD software, Musk remains confident, asserting that Tesla is on the verge of delivering an unsupervised self-driving experience by the second quarter of this year. However, independent data suggests that full autonomy is still years away.