Black Friday Sale! 50% Off All Access

Ford CEO Takes a Jab at Tesla for Treating Customers Like Guinea Pigs Ford Motor Company CEO, Jim Farley, has taken aim at Tesla via Twitter in promotion for its new hands-free driving technology.

By Michelle Jones Edited by Sean Strain

Entrepreneur+ Black Friday Sale

Our biggest sale — Get unlimited access to Entrepreneur.com at an unbeatable price. Use code SAVE50 at checkout.*

Claim Offer

*Offer only available to new subscribers

This story originally appeared on ValueWalk

Scott Olson | Getty Images

Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) has taken aim at Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) in its promotion for its new hands-free driving technology. Ford CEO Jim Farley tweeted on Thursday that the automaker is unlike Tesla because it tests its self-driving technology in the real world before releasing it to drivers.

Ford takes a jab at Tesla

Farley tweeted about BlueCruise, Ford's upcoming hands-free self-driving system for highways. He basically said Ford doesn't treat its drivers like guinea pigs like Tesla does.

CNBC notes that Tesla released a beta version of its Full-Self-Driving system to customers in October. Only some customers who buy the Full-Self-Driving option can try out the beta version of the software and the new features that will be added to it before all the bugs are fixed.

Tesla said it pushed out the full-self-driving beta to 2,000 drivers initially but then revoked access for certain drivers who allegedly weren't paying attention to the road while they were driving.

Tesla prepares to roll out final FSD version

Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted earlier this month that they are "almost ready with FSD Beta V9.0." He added that the improvements are "massive, especially for weird corner cases & bad weather." Musk also said the system offers "pure vision, no radar."

Although the brand name of Tesla's Full-Self-Driving system suggests it is autonomous, it can't control a vehicle in all normal driving conditions. According to records obtained by CNBC and others, the automaker told the California Department of Motor Vehicles toward the end of last year that "neither Autopilot nor FSD Capability is an autonomous system."

Tesla has been criticized for its Autopilot and Full-Self-Driving brands because they overstate its vehicles' capability.

Ford prepares to release BlueCruise

Ford plans to release its BlueCruise system later this year on the 2021 Ford F-150 and the 2021 Mustang Mach-E. The automaker logged over 500,000 miles of test driving and fine-tuning. Ford's BlueCruise system doesn't have as many capabilities as Tesla's Full-Self-Driving system.

However, the automaker doesn't require drivers to keep touching the steering wheel to "check in." The system features cameras inside the vehicle that monitor where the driver's eyes are looking and whether they are paying attention to the road.

Ford also restricts the use of its BlueCruise systems to certain highways in Canada and the U.S. that have been mapped, while Tesla doesn't have any such restrictions.

Ford and Tesla are both parts of the Entrepreneur Index, which tracks 60 of the largest publicly traded companies managed by their founders or their founders' families.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business News

The Two Richest People in the World Are Fighting on Social Media Again

Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk had a new, contentious exchange on X.

Science & Technology

I've Spent 20 Years Studying Focus. Here's How I Use AI to Multiply My Time and Save 21 Weeks of Work a Year

AI is supposed to save time, but 77% of employees say it often costs more time due to all the editing it requires. Instead of helping, it can become a distraction. But don't worry — there's a better way.

Real Estate

Why Real Estate Professionals Should Prioritize Social Responsibility

Integrating social responsibility into real estate can foster community change, build trust and drive long-term business success.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Money & Finance

Why Donald Trump's Business-First Policies Trump Harris' Consumer-Centric Approach

President Donald Trump's pro-business agenda is packed with policy moves encouraging investment to drive economic growth. The next Congress has a unique opportunity to support entrepreneurship and innovation, improving U.S. competitiveness with the rest of the world.

Business News

Barbara Corcoran Says This Is the Interest Rate Magic Number That Will Make the Market 'Go Ballistic'

Corcoran said she praying for lower interest rates and people are "tired of waiting."