Tesla Analyst Flags 2 Features That Prove Using FSD Is Safer Than Driving Without It

Tesla Inc.’s (NASDAQ: TSLA) full-self driving beta, which got a wider launch earlier this month, is touted as a key revenue opportunity for the electric vehicle maker.

What Happened: Tesla’s FSD is amazing and in a year it will attain level-4 autonomy, fund manager Ross Gerber said in a tweet on Sunday.

He was responding to a tweet by Dan O’Dowd, one of the harshest critics of Tesla’s FSD suite.

O’Dowd highlighted a full-page ad his firm ran in The New York Times, underlining the results of a dummy crash test it conducted with Tesla’s FSD.

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The test found that the FSD software will repeatedly hit a child mannequin in a stroller. The software developer also noted that 85% of the people felt the package has to be banned.

This is utter BS. FSD beta is amazing. And in a year we will be at level 4 autonomy. Im sure just this weekend it saved lives now in full release. $TSLA https://t.co/NQvFwj9zZD

— Ross Gerber (@GerberKawasaki) November 27, 2022

Gerber On FSD’s Safety: Tesla’s FSD drives conservatively as it’s optimized for safety and not speed to destination, Gerber said. The software package is all about safety and the more we use it, the safer it is for us, he added.

The FSD forces participants to pay a greater level of attention to driving without distractions, the fund manager said. The software and hardware layered on can now drive better than many people, he said.

“With the software enabled while paying attention, improves safety exponentially,” Gerber said.

The fund manager pointed to two FSD features that make it safer than driving without it on. If a user does not pay attention to driving, warning sound and lights are activated, he said. Also, one cannot use their phone while driving on FSD, he added.

In a note released in mid-2021, Loup Funds’ Gene Munster had said FSD alone will be worth about $850 billion for Tesla in a decade.

Price Action: Tesla shares closed Friday’s session down 0.19% at $182.86, according to Benzinga Pro data.

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