Tesla secret configuration allows select drivers to use Autopilot, FSD without a nag to take the wheel

A information researcher who uses the grip "@GreentheOnly" has discovered a concealed setting successful Tesla vehicles that tin beryllium enabled by the institution and allows a operator to usage Tesla's precocious operator assistance systems, marketed arsenic Autopilot and Full Self-Driving, without keeping their hands connected the steering instrumentality for an extended play of time.

When a Tesla conveyance has this mode enabled, it eliminates what owners of the cars notation to arsenic the "nag." The researcher has nicknamed the diagnostic "Elon Mode," but that is not the company's interior nomenclature for it, helium said.

Tesla does not connection a self-driving conveyance today. CEO Elon Musk has promised to present a self-driving car since astatine slightest 2016, and said a Tesla would beryllium capable to implicit a demo thrust crossed the United States without quality involution by the extremity of 2017.

Instead, Tesla operator assistance systems necessitate a quality operator to stay attentive and acceptable to brake oregon steer astatine immoderate moment.

Typically, erstwhile a Tesla operator is utilizing Autopilot oregon FSD (or their variations), a ocular awesome blinks connected the car's touchscreen to punctual drivers to use absorption to the steering instrumentality astatine predominant intervals. If the operator does not grasp the steering wheel, the nag escalates to a beeping noise. If the operator inactive does not use torque to the steering instrumentality astatine that point, the conveyance tin temporarily disable the usage of Autopilot for up to respective weeks.

Elon Musk said successful a tweet past twelvemonth successful December, helium would region the "nag" for astatine slightest immoderate Tesla owners successful January. That program ne'er came to fruition. By April 2023, Musk said successful a tweet, "We are gradually reducing it, proportionate to improved safety" successful notation to the nags.

The information researcher who revealed "Elon mode," and whose individuality is known to some Tesla and CNBC, asked to stay pseudonymous, citing privateness concerns.

He has tested features of Tesla's vehicles for years and is an proprietor of a Tesla Model X. He has besides reported bugs to the institution consistently, and earned tens of thousands of dollars from filing palmy Tesla bug bounties, as antecedently reported.

The "white chapeau hacker" said successful an interrogation via nonstop connection connected Tuesday, that "Unless you enactment astatine Tesla, oregon different person entree to applicable databases astatine the company," there's nary mode to cognize however galore cars person "Elon mode" disposable today.

In February, Tesla issued a voluntary recall successful the U.S. for 362,758 of its vehicles, informing that its Full Self-Driving Beta strategy whitethorn origin crashes. (It was the 2nd specified recall.) Tesla delivered an over-the-air bundle update to code the issues.

The FSD Beta strategy astatine that clip could origin crashes, the information callback report said, by allowing affected vehicles to: "Act unsafe astir intersections, specified arsenic traveling consecutive done an intersection portion successful a turn-only lane, entering a halt sign-controlled intersection without coming to a implicit stop, oregon proceeding into an intersection during a dependable yellowish postulation awesome without owed caution."

GreentheOnly said helium expects aboriginal recalls related to issues with FSD Beta and however good the strategy automatically stops for "traffic-control devices" similar postulation lights and halt signs.

According to the astir caller disposable data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Tesla has reported 19 incidents to the bureau that resulted successful astatine slightest 1 fatality, and wherever the company's operator assistance systems were successful usage wrong 30 seconds of the collision.

There are 21 full incidents that Tesla reported to NHTSA that resulted successful fatalities and wherever the cars were equipped with its operator assistance systems.

Tesla did not instantly respond to a petition for comment.