Autonomous driving in Spain: Is the country ready for FSD?
Tesla, Waymo, and rumors regarding Spain's potential approval of FSD this June. An analysis of costs, safety, and steering-wheel-free vehicles.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Autonomous driving: Salvation or carnage?
Tesla has been promising that Full Self-Driving is just around the corner for years. Meanwhile, its robotaxis are already operating without steering wheels in Austin, and rumors suggest that in Spain, the DGT (the national traffic authority) may greenlight supervised FSD on June 30. The paradox: technology has never been more advanced, yet distrust in self-driving cars continues to grow.
The price duel: Waymo vs. Tesla
One of the most concrete points of debate is cost. A Waymo vehicle costs around $150,000, while a Tesla Robotaxi is priced at $30,000. The difference is staggering. Furthermore, Tesla is accumulating a driving dataset that supporters claim is between 10,000 and a million times larger than any competitor's. "There is no comparison; that war is won for now," optimists argue. However, skeptics point out that Tesla has been announcing since 2017 that full autonomous driving "will be solved this year," yet it never arrives.
The reliability of human drivers
Another front in the debate is the comparison with human drivers. Proponents of automation point to the number of reckless behaviors on the road: people driving at 90 mph in the center lane, drivers failing to use indicators, or those who accelerate when being overtaken. For them, a well-trained autonomous system would be statistically safer. On the other hand, critics argue that current technology still fails at busy pedestrian crossings or in heavy rain. "I'd like to see it work at a Gran Vía pedestrian crossing," one analyst ironizes.
Regulatory rumors in Spain
According to unofficial sources, Spain could approve supervised autonomous driving (FSD) starting June 30 this year. This would allow Teslas with the appropriate software to operate without driver intervention on certain roads, provided the driver remains present. The measure would open the door to robotaxi services, although European regulations remain restrictive for the time being.
As robotaxi prices fall and technology advances, the question is no longer if it will arrive, but who will take the fall for the first accidents. Are we ready to let go of the wheel?
Tesla has been promising that Full Self-Driving is just around the corner for years. Meanwhile, its robotaxis are already operating without steering wheels in Austin, and rumors suggest that in Spain, the DGT (the national traffic authority) may greenlight supervised FSD on June 30. The paradox: technology has never been more advanced, yet distrust in self-driving cars continues to grow.
The price duel: Waymo vs. Tesla
One of the most concrete points of debate is cost. A Waymo vehicle costs around $150,000, while a Tesla Robotaxi is priced at $30,000. The difference is staggering. Furthermore, Tesla is accumulating a driving dataset that supporters claim is between 10,000 and a million times larger than any competitor's. "There is no comparison; that war is won for now," optimists argue. However, skeptics point out that Tesla has been announcing since 2017 that full autonomous driving "will be solved this year," yet it never arrives.
The reliability of human drivers
Another front in the debate is the comparison with human drivers. Proponents of automation point to the number of reckless behaviors on the road: people driving at 90 mph in the center lane, drivers failing to use indicators, or those who accelerate when being overtaken. For them, a well-trained autonomous system would be statistically safer. On the other hand, critics argue that current technology still fails at busy pedestrian crossings or in heavy rain. "I'd like to see it work at a Gran Vía pedestrian crossing," one analyst ironizes.
Regulatory rumors in Spain
According to unofficial sources, Spain could approve supervised autonomous driving (FSD) starting June 30 this year. This would allow Teslas with the appropriate software to operate without driver intervention on certain roads, provided the driver remains present. The measure would open the door to robotaxi services, although European regulations remain restrictive for the time being.
As robotaxi prices fall and technology advances, the question is no longer if it will arrive, but who will take the fall for the first accidents. Are we ready to let go of the wheel?
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (101 replies).
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