A Wall Street analyst claims Tesla has effectively achieved Level 4 autonomy in most conditions across its vehicles. Alex Potter of Piper Sandler made the assessment in a note to investors this week.
Potter cited Tesla's decision to offer insurance discounts for vehicles equipped with Full Self-Driving as evidence of strong confidence in the system's safety. He pointed to data showing lower accident rates compared to human drivers. The analyst also referenced the recent start of Cybercab production at Giga Texas. That vehicle lacks steering wheels and pedals, which Potter sees as a sign that unsupervised driving is near. Potter highlighted Tesla's investment of several hundred million dollars, potentially over $1 billion, in the project. He drew on his own experience using the system for a long drive from Missoula, Montana, to Minneapolis, Minnesota, in April. Tesla officially lists Full Self-Driving as a Level 2 system, though its Robotaxi platform received Level 4 recognition in Texas.
