In 2016, Elon Musk announced a new paradigm shift. Autopilot, Tesla's (NASDAQ: TSLA) driver-assistance platform, was slated to start transitioning to fully autonomous driving. The goal: for each car to be able to drive "entirely by itself," and for a Tesla vehicle to make a coast-to-coast journey entirely on autopilot by the end of 2017.
However, while Musk claimed that the foundations were already laid, Autopilot is actually still very much still in the planning stage. Tesla nonetheless began offering the "Full Self Driving" feature as an add-on for Model X or Model S's, thereby suggesting to onlookers that Autopilot was almost ready for consumption. This was not the case, and in 2017, Autopilot is still unavailable. Tesla has faced class action lawsuits filed by Tesla owners who believe they have been fooled into purchasing a nonexistent feature and unsafe product. The case remains in mediation.
The more Tesla waits, the more trouble the company faces in the form of competition. General Motors Co., Volkswagen AG, Volvo AB, Daimler AG and "a Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance" are all gunning for autonomous electric vehicles by 2018. Once upon a time, this promise had been the key feature setting Tesla apart. Soon enough, the market will expand to encompass Tesla's competitors.
Musk's leadership record has involved frequently setting ambitious goals and then missing them, on average over four months late. Previously, doing so has turned out in Musk's favor, and his gambles have paid off in the form of industry developments. However, now this is no longer the case, as the implications are "colliding with [Tesla's] first mass market vehicle." As a result, the company is losing consumer trust, and its previously loyal fanbase is slowly retreating. Many feel as if they've been deceived, and complain that the existing Autopilot feature is "essentially unusable and demonstrably dangerous," in a quote from the class action lawsuit.
But Musk may recently have finally delivered better news, announcing the sale of an electric semi truck for transporting goods as well as a luxury supercar that can go from 0 to 60 in less than two seconds.