O’Dowd, who describes himself as a self-made billionaire, ran for a California U.S. Senate seat last year on the issue of banning Tesla’s FSD test program. He had no chance of winning the race.
Tesla doesn’t have a press office and did not respond to an email request for comment, but Musk called O’Dowd “crazy” last year on Twitter and characterized Green Hills’ software as “a pile of trash.” Tesla also sent a cease-and-desist letter to O’Dowd last year, calling his anti-FSD ads “misinformation.”
Green Hills Software is a supplier to Mobileye, which develops autonomous driving and driver-assistance systems. Mobileye, a former Tesla supplier, had a falling out with the automaker in 2016.
Tesla describes its proprietary FSD software, which is sold as a $15,000 option or a $199 monthly subscription, as “an advanced driver-assistance system that assists your car with steering, accelerating and braking for other vehicles and pedestrians within its lane.” Unlike other automaker systems, FSD is designed to be used on city streets.
O’Dowd has engaged with Musk and Tesla fans on Twitter, where Tesla owners often post videos on their drives using the FSD tech. Some videos purport to show FSD-enabled vehicles driving significant distances without much driver input while others show FSD unable to go more than a few blocks without making seriousmistakes.
The Dawn Project’s Super Bowl ad shows video clips of Tesla vehicles — allegedly using FSD software — making safety errors, such as failing to stop for a school bus with flashing lights and running over a mannequin meant to represent a child crossing the street.
Despite its confusing name, Tesla warns on its website that Full Self-Driving is only an assistance feature and that drivers are responsible for the operation of their vehicles at all times.
“The currently enabled features require active driver supervision and do not make the vehicle autonomous,” Tesla says on its website. “As these self-driving features evolve, your car will be continuously upgraded through over-the-air software updates.”
