Tesla Engineer Reportedly Testifies That Self-Driving Video Was Staged – CNET [CNET]

The engineer reportedly says the car couldn’t actually accelerate at green lights on its own as it appeared to in the video.

A video released by Tesla in 2016 purportedly showing the carmaker’s self-driving technology in use on the road was actually staged, according to testimony from a senior Tesla engineer, Reuters reported on Wednesday. 

The video states that the “car is driving itself,” but Tesla’s director of Autopilot software, Ashok Elluswamy, said in reality the car was driving on a predetermined route and couldn’t actually do things like stop at a red light by itself. The comments from Elluswamy came during a July deposition for a 2018 lawsuit against Tesla after a fatal crash involving Autopilot. 

Elluswamy said the request for a promotional video as a “demonstration of the system’s capabilities” was made by Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk, who later tweeted out the video, according to Reuters. 

“The intent of the video was not to accurately portray what was available for customers in 2016. It was to portray what was possible to build into the system,” Elluswamy reportedly said, according to a transcript of his testimony reviewed by Reuters.

Elluswamy’s testimony is reportedly the first time a Tesla employee has confirmed and explained how the company made the video. The New York Times previously reported the car’s route in the video had been charted ahead of time. 

In addition to the 2018 lawsuit, Telsa continues to face multiple lawsuits and challenges from regulatory agencies.

Tesla didn’t immediately respond to CNET’s request for comment. The automaker no longer operates a public relations department that would typically field such requests.