Tesla enthusiast attempts self-driving challenge across America but is forced to abandon after hitting a falling object at the 97km mark
Tesla enthusiast and YouTuber Bearded Tesla Guy attempted a 4,000km journey across the US from west to east using Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature. However, after about 97km from the start, the car failed to detect a falling object and crashed into it.
Tesla Fan Attempts Coast-To-Coast FSD Drive, Ends Up With A $22,000 Repair Bill
https://insideevs.com/features/773371/tesla-fsd-drive-coast-to-coast-damage-repair-battery/
Bearded Tesla Guy successfully completed the '1,000-mile (approximately 1,600 km) FSD Challenge' in 2024. This was an autonomous driving challenge in which the car ran nonstop from EV charger to EV charger using FSD without any human intervention.
Even though it's called autonomous driving, Tesla's driver assistance system has the restriction that 'the driver must always pay attention to the road,' so humans can't completely leave the driver's seat. Still, the experience of driving 1,000 miles with FSD was a great learning experience for Bearded Tesla Guy, and he dreamed of driving even longer distances next time.
The next challenge Bearded Tesla Guy undertook was a cross-country challenge, driving approximately 4,000 km from San Diego, California in the southwest to Orlando, Florida in the southeast using only the FSD.
The challenge seemed to be going smoothly at first, but about 97km into the race, the car collided with a metal object on the road while traveling at about 120km/h, causing serious damage to the body of the car.
The FSD did not brake or take evasive action, and the impact launched Bearded Tesla Guy and his passenger from their seats.
Bearded Tesla Guy continued driving after that, but encountered a problem where the next charging point would not accept any charging at all, and he barely made it to a nearby Tesla service center.
An investigation revealed that the vehicle's high-voltage battery had completely failed, and a service technician provided an estimate that the repair would cost more than $22,000.
However, the service technician explained that the battery problem had been occurring for some time and that the collision may have accelerated it, and pointed out that if that was the case, it would be covered by Tesla's warranty. This meant that Bearded Tesla Guy's expenses were reduced to zero. 'I can't thank everyone at Tesla enough for taking care of us,' Bearded Tesla Guy said.
This run was abandoned due to a breakdown in the vehicle, but Bearded Tesla Guy is starting another attempt.
Tesla Model Y - FSD Coast To Coast Attempt *Reboot* Part 1 - YouTube
Related Posts:
