In early December, Tesla rolled out the latest iteration of its Full Self - Driving (FSD) system, version 14.2.1, to car owners in North America. The most significant upgrade of this version is that it enables drivers to send text messages under certain autonomous driving scenarios. In essence, it permits the use of mobile phones while the vehicle is in autonomous mode.

Real - world tests conducted by some car owners reveal some intriguing findings. After setting a short - distance trip, the vehicle initiates automatically. Throughout the entire 7 - minute journey, the car owner keeps sending messages on their phone without any hindrance from the vehicle. The system only requires the driver to lightly grip the steering wheel and emits a honk as a reminder during the trip, all while maintaining normal driving. It also demonstrates remarkable accuracy in avoiding obstacles on complex road sections and ultimately completes the trip with an automatic parking maneuver.

However, the implementation of this function has sparked regulatory controversies. In the United States, California has stringent regulations and imposes hefty fines for distracted driving. These regulations, however, are formulated with human - driven vehicles in mind and do not account for the scenario of using mobile phones during autonomous driving. This has created a new dilemma in defining rights and responsibilities.

At present, this function is only available under specific scenarios. The exact applicable conditions and compliance details are still up in the air and need to be clarified. Moreover, it is exclusive to Tesla models equipped with HW4.0 or higher - end hardware.