The probe hones in on one of Tesla's most eyebrow-raising decisions when it comes to its driver assistance package: the insistence on exclusively relying on camera sensors instead of LiDAR and radar like its competitors, which CEO Elon Musk has long derided as a "crutch."
In 2022, the company went all-in on cameras, ditching ultrasonic sensors in its vehicles altogether — a decision that could prove to be a major mistake as it struggles to catch up with its competition and has now promised robust self-driving capabilities to owners who may lack the necessary sensor hardware.
"While Waymo is now providing over 150,000 autonomous rides every week, Tesla still has a long way to go until its controversial "Full Self-Driving" software is ready for the EV maker's competing robotaxi service.
Just this week, a Tesla driver plowed through a deer without even a hint of slowing down with the $8,000 add-on feature turned on, and another smashed into someone else's car when its owner employed its Summon feature."....