Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, recently announced that the company’s Full Self-Driving system is on the brink of supporting texting while driving. This development signifies a potential paradigm shift in driver distraction norms as autonomous driving technology nears maturity.
Elon Musk’s Statement on Texting Feature
On November 7, 2025, Musk shared that Tesla is “almost ready” to allow texting when behind the wheel with its Full Self-Driving system. This announcement indicates that the feature is an imminent addition to Tesla’s autonomous driving tools. As Tesla’s CEO, Musk often communicates such updates directly to the public via social media or statements, reinforcing his role as the company’s primary spokesperson.
Overview of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving System
Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system is an advanced driver-assistance technology that is evolving towards hands-off capabilities, potentially enabling activities like texting. The system relies on a combination of cameras, sensors, and AI to handle vehicle control, setting the stage for features like supervised texting. Currently, the system is a beta-level offering available to Tesla owners, with ongoing software improvements.
Teasing of Full Self-Driving Updates
Two days after his texting announcement, on November 9, 2025, Musk teased a full self-driving update for Tesla. Such teases from Musk often precede software rollouts, signaling broader enhancements to the system. This creates anticipation among Tesla users for integrated features like texting within the autonomous framework.
Safety Implications of Allowing Texting
Permitting texting even with Full Self-Driving active presents potential risks, given that the system requires driver supervision in its current form. However, Musk’s “almost ready” claim underscores Tesla’s confidence in the system’s reliability for divided attention scenarios. If the vehicle maintains full control during texting, this feature could reduce real-world distractions.
Technological Readiness for the Feature
Based on Musk’s statement on November 7, 2025, advancements in AI and sensor technology in Full Self-Driving make texting “almost ready.” The teased software updates on November 9, 2025, might finalize the texting integration. Hardware requirements in Tesla vehicles, such as compatible Autopilot hardware, are also crucial for enabling the feature safely.
Public and Industry Reactions
Musk’s announcement about texting with Full Self-Driving has elicited excitement from Tesla enthusiasts. However, safety advocates have expressed concerns regarding the normalization of distractions behind the wheel, tied to the “almost ready” timeline. Similar past teases, like the November 9, 2025, update hint, have shaped perceptions of Tesla’s innovation pace.
Future Rollout and Tesla’s Roadmap
Following Musk’s “almost ready” declaration on November 7, 2025, the next steps for deploying the texting feature are anticipated. The teased full self-driving update from November 9, 2025, could be linked to potential regulatory approvals needed for unsupervised use. Broader implications for Tesla’s autonomous driving goals, such as robotaxi integration, are also speculated, while staying grounded in the announced readiness.
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