Tesla drivers will now be able to use the full self-driving beta program (FSD) in Toronto's downtown after the company removed a geofence prohibiting its use.
Tesla rolled out the feature across Canada in March, but owners noticed it was disabled when trying to engage it in the downtown.
At the time, Tesla owner and founder Elon Musk responded to the issue on Twitter blaming the TTC's streetcar system, stating "streetcars are not yet handled well by FSD."
Tesla established the geofence while it worked to troubleshoot the issues and update software.
"Artificial intelligence learns from examples and as as it gets more example it becomes better at recognizing and predicting different situations," said Bilal Farooq, an associate professor of transportation engineering at Toronto Metropolitan University.
Farooq added the company was likely able to improve the technology from the data collected by its vehicles, specifically the multiple cameras that are installed.
Owners recently noticed the geofence had been lifted following the latest software update.
"It certainly enhances your ability to use your car," said John Dixon, who is a Tesla owner and president of the Ontario Tesla Owners Club. "It's good news in that Tesla solved that problem and it means full self driving is going to be closer."
Dixon adds Tesla owners who frequently drive to the downtown and want to test out the technology will benefit from this.
The TTC said it reached out to Musk following his comments in the spring but never received a response back. A spokesperson told CTV News Toronto the TTC wasn't aware the geofencing had been removed.
"TTC operators are trained to navigate the roads of Toronto safely, being mindful of pedestrians, cyclists and other motorized vehicles, including Teslas," said Senior Communications Advisor Stuart Green. "We would hope, and assume, Elon Musk and his programmers have the same regard for the safety of Torontonians. This would mean ensuring their FSD technology recognizes streetcars stopped with their doors open."
The vehicles are not fully autonomous and the software is only available to owners to test out as well as those who have a driving score of at least 80.
The current technology also requires drivers to keep a hand on the wheel and be prepared to take control of the vehicle in an instant.
"Every 45 seconds it tells you to tug the wheel and make sure you're there - if the car senses you're not engaged it disengages and if it disengages five times it kicks you out of the program," Dixon said.
From personal experience, Dixon believes the self-driving feature is best suited for long road trips, but is willing to test it out in the core.
Tesla did not respond to CTV Toronto's requests for comment.
Canada's health care system is not working as well as it should and that has to change, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday as he prepared to meet the premiers to work on a new health-care funding deal.
Canadians now believe they need $1.7 million in savings in order to retire, a 20 per cent increase from 2020, according to a new BMO survey. The eye-watering figure is the largest sum since BMO first started surveying Canadians about their retirement expectations 13 years ago.
Search teams and emergency aid from around the world poured into Turkiye and Syria on Tuesday as rescuers working in freezing temperatures dug, sometimes with their bare hands, through the remains of buildings flattened by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake. The death toll soared above 5,000 and was still expected to rise.
Critics say the U.S. and Canada had ample time to shoot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon as it drifted across North America. The alleged surveillance device initially approached North America near Alaska's Aleutian Islands on Jan 28. According to officials, it crossed into Canadian airspace on Jan. 30, travelling above the Northwest Territories, Alberta and Saskatchewan before re-entering the U.S. on Jan 31.
China said Tuesday it will 'resolutely safeguard its legitimate rights and interests' over the shooting down of a suspected Chinese spy balloon by the United States, as relations between the two countries deteriorate further. The balloon prompted U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to cancel a highly-anticipated visit to Beijing this week that had offered slight hopes for an improvement in relations.
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Quebec's immigration minister says she was 'surprised' to learn the City of New York is helping to provide free bus tickets to migrants heading north to claim asylum in Canada.
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As the search continues for survivors, people in Quebec's Turkish community are doing what they can to help.
An elderly man is dead after a house fire in the small town of Saint-Philippe, about 30 kilometres south of Montreal. Roussillon police confirmed that the fire started around 8 p.m. in a home on Saint-Andre Road.
The public is asked to avoid a section of Highbury Avenue after a vehicle collision downed powerlines in the area.
An aggressive plan to address London, Ont.’s housing crisis has been unveiled by city hall, but meeting the construction targets will require doing things differently.
Canada's health care system is not working as well as it should and that has to change, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday as he prepared to meet the premiers to work on a new health-care funding deal.
Google says on Monday notifications were sent to employees affected by the recently announced job cuts.
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) in Wellington County are investigating a fatal two-vehicle collision in the Township of Wellington North.
A 44-year-old Woolwich, Ont., man has been arrested for allegedly making death threats against a member of parliament.
Netflix users who have been sharing their passwords with friends and family members who live hundreds – or even thousands – of kilometres away won’t be able to do so for much longer, as the streaming service announced its plans to end password sharing.
A 6-year-old Virginia boy who shot and wounded his first-grade teacher constantly cursed at staff and teachers, chased students around and tried to whip them with his belt and once choked another teacher 'until she couldn't breathe,' according to a legal notice filed by an attorney for the wounded teacher.
Canadians now believe they need $1.7 million in savings in order to retire, a 20 per cent increase from 2020, according to a new BMO survey. The eye-watering figure is the largest sum since BMO first started surveying Canadians about their retirement expectations 13 years ago.
An Ottawa restaurateur says he was shocked to find his restaurant broken into and even more surprised to discover a giant hole in the wall that led to the neighbouring jewelry store.
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An Ottawa family fled a fire in their home Saturday barefoot and in their pyjamas, suffering frostbite in the bitter cold. They're now waiting for it to be safe to return and assess the damage.
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A city committee unanimously endorsed re-zoning lands for a massive proposed housing development in central Windsor Monday night.
Windsor police are looking for a female suspect after a trumpet theft at a Walker Road business.
A 20-year-old female has been arrested for attempted murder after allegedly stabbing a Barrie police officer late Sunday night.
After a three-month-long investigation, a 69-year-old man was arrested on Feb. 2.
Environment Canada expects to see freezing rain early this morning.
Hundreds of Nova Scotians are still without power on Monday following frigid temperatures and high winds over the weekend.
A Cape Breton councillor feels with a 14 per cent increase now granted to Nova Scotia Power and millions of dollars in profits annually, residents shouldn't be paying out hundreds of dollars to operate a generator to keep the lights on.
While relatively short-lived, the blast of Arctic air in the Maritimes was enough to break some long-standing low temperature records for all three Maritime provinces for both Friday and Saturday.
Canada's premiers are in Ottawa to meet with the prime minister over access to more health care funding. But that's not all Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has on her mind.
Calgarians at home and abroad are reeling in the wake of a massive earthquake that struck a war-torn region near the border of Turkiye and Syria.
As preparations are underway for the anticipated health-care 'working meeting' between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Canada's premiers on Tuesday, new details are emerging about how the much-anticipated federal-provincial gathering will unfold.
The province is building an interchange at St Mary's Road and the South Perimeter to help traffic flow better, but some drivers who live in the area aren't happy with how speed limits are being enforced in a portion of this construction zone.
The Winnipeg Police Service said it has linked two recent homicides in the city, with officers alleging the incidents were not random.
Search teams and emergency aid from around the world poured into Turkiye and Syria on Tuesday as rescuers working in freezing temperatures dug, sometimes with their bare hands, through the remains of buildings flattened by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake. The death toll soared above 5,000 and was still expected to rise.
There’s so much demand for Vancouver’s mental health emergency teams that people can be left waiting days, and sometimes teams never make it to requests for service at all. It’s hoped a funding boost to hire more staff will increase capacity of the service.
A dog named Kujo will be euthanized after a B.C. judge determined the animal is "likely to kill or injure" if released from the pound.
For more than two years, Canada’s premiers have been asking for a meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to discuss a new healthcare funding model – and on Tuesday the group will finally get two hours of face time in Ottawa.
Canada's premiers are in Ottawa to meet with the prime minister over access to more health care funding. But that's not all Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has on her mind.
Search teams and emergency aid from around the world poured into Turkiye and Syria on Tuesday as rescuers working in freezing temperatures dug, sometimes with their bare hands, through the remains of buildings flattened by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake. The death toll soared above 5,000 and was still expected to rise.
After using Alberta's education curriculum since the 1950s, the Northwest Territories has outlined the timeline it will use to pivot toward British Columbia's program of studies.
