Fully self-driving Teslas have now become available for test-driving across Canada, and many car enthusiasts and Tesla fans are very excited. But, unfortunately for Toronto, the city doesn’t get to be a part of the pilot project.
At first glance, it seems counter-intuitive to leave the country’s biggest city out of the mix, especially considering the concentration of wealth in the city. But, eccentric billionaire and Tesla owner Elon Musk has his reasons and, in this case, public transit is to blame.
Last month, Musk confirmed that some cars would get the full self-drive beta software courtesy of an over-the-air update. It started with a 60-car selection at the end of February, though he said he hoped it would go wider. A report from driving.ca suggested that it grew to include people with a driving safety score of 98 or higher on Tesla’s app — but excluded Torontonians.
According to Musk, streetcars are the reason for the exclusion, noting that they are not yet handled well with vehicles in full self-drive mode.
I loved Torontos streetcar program before but learning the Full Self-Driving Beta can’t operate in our downtown because of it is just…. ?? pic.twitter.com/F7pQz4MbsE
— Dan Seljak (@anotherglassbox) March 28, 2022
Musk did not expand on the streetcar concern, so there is no information about what exactly it is that streetcars do to confuse the Tesla programming — whether it’s the tracks, the stopping, and starting, or the flowing of pedestrians. So, for now, Torontonians will have to wait for full self-drive mode, until Musk and the Tesla team can make it streetcar-friendly.
