Tesla’s Autonomous Driving Revolution: Is Malaysia Ready for the Era of Self-Driving Cars?

Publish on Sin Chew Daily on the 7th of May 2025

In recent years, autonomous driving technology has developed to levels previously unimaginable. Tesla is at the forefront of this revolution. However, despite Elon Musk’s ambitions, autonomous driving is still in its early stages. Currently, Tesla only offers Level 2 assisted driving and has not yet reached true fully autonomous capabilities. But with the support of AI and computing power, we might soon be on the brink of this technological shift, and Malaysia could be preparing to leap forward in transportation development.

Tesla’s Vision: Full Self-Driving Is Coming

Tesla’s founder Elon Musk recently said that Tesla’s new version of Full Self-Driving (FSD) will launch soon, achieving true autonomous driving. Once the vehicle enters autonomous mode, it can be summoned via the Tesla Network. This indicates the future of mobility may no longer rely on personal vehicle ownership. Instead, through intelligent scheduling and cloud systems, users can access mobility as a service—summoning a car when needed, using it, and releasing it afterwards. If realized, this could greatly improve transportation efficiency and reduce traffic congestion.

---

The Current Landscape of Autonomous Driving in Malaysia

Currently, Malaysia’s autonomous driving technology remains in its testing and trial phase. The government is encouraging local businesses to build ecosystems for autonomous driving. For example, in Cyberjaya and Putrajaya, road tests and pilot programs for autonomous vehicles are already being conducted. But the country still faces challenges in regulation, infrastructure, and public acceptance.

The Malaysian government launched the “National Automotive Policy 2020” (NAP 2020), emphasizing the future development of Next Generation Vehicles (NxGV), including electric and autonomous vehicles. However, the implementation of such a vision still faces obstacles, particularly in public awareness and acceptance. Tesla’s system currently lies between Level 4 and Level 5 autonomy, and full realization is still in development.

---

Understanding the Levels of Autonomous Driving

To understand the development of autonomous driving technology, one must first be familiar with the six levels of automation, as defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE):

• Level 0 (No Automation): Fully human-operated vehicles with no assistance features.
• Level 1 (Driver Assistance): Some assistance features like Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) or Lane Keeping Assist (LKA).
• Level 2 (Partial Automation): The vehicle can control steering and speed under certain conditions, but the driver must remain engaged.
• Level 3 (Conditional Automation): The car can drive itself under specific conditions, but the driver must be ready to take over when prompted.
• Level 4 (High Automation): The vehicle can drive itself under most conditions without human input, but only within a defined area (e.g., certain cities or routes).
• Level 5 (Full Automation): Fully autonomous under any conditions without any human involvement. This is Tesla’s long-term goal.

Tesla’s FSD system is approaching Level 4, and Elon Musk predicts full Level 5 capability could be realized in the near future. The future is not merely about transportation but about reimagining mobility through smart robotics.

---

Is Malaysia Ready for Autonomous Driving?

Malaysia faces many challenges. On one hand, e-hailing services such as Grab, AirAsia Ride, and inDrive are changing traditional transportation habits. On the other hand, traffic congestion and long commutes remain issues in major cities.

If autonomous driving technology can be deployed for public use, it could assist city planners in optimizing traffic flow, improving mobility efficiency, and reducing carbon emissions. This shift requires not only strong infrastructure but also changes in user behavior and mindset.

Tesla’s biggest challenge is not in software or AI models, but in real-world data collection. The system must learn to adapt to different environments, which requires vast road testing. Tesla has already deployed its FSD Beta to over one million cars in North America and continues to refine its systems through real-time data.

For Malaysia, readiness depends on multiple factors:

• Public Awareness and Education: Many Malaysians are still skeptical of autonomous driving technology. Governments should launch education campaigns to build trust in this tech.
• Government Support: Governments can introduce sandbox zones (like Cyberjaya and Putrajaya) or collaborate with global tech firms like Tesla to run pilot programs. These zones can attract foreign investment and talent.
• Infrastructure Enhancement: Technologies like 5G, smart traffic lights, and centralized traffic monitoring systems are crucial for autonomous vehicles. Investments in smart infrastructure are necessary to make this possible.

---

Conclusion

Malaysia is still in the early stages of the autonomous driving era. But this presents a golden opportunity to catch up. With the right government policies, infrastructure support, and public-private collaboration, Malaysia can leapfrog into this next-generation transportation ecosystem.

This transition won’t happen overnight, but the seeds are already being planted. The hope is that through partnerships with global leaders like Tesla and local innovators, Malaysia can become a future hub for smart mobility in Southeast Asia.

---

Tesla 无人计程车革命：马来西亚是否已准备好迎接自动驾驶时代？

近年来，自动驾驶技术的发展已达到前所未有的水平，甚至比人类驾驶员更加安全。然而，在马来西亚，自动驾驶的发展仍处于初步阶段，目前仅允许 Level 2 的辅助驾驶技术，并未真正开放更高阶的自动驾驶系统。这不仅影响科技创新，也可能让马来西亚在智慧交通领域落后于其他国家。

Tesla 创办人 Elon Musk 近日宣布，Tesla 最新车款已可完全实现无人驾驶，并提出一个创新概念：车主在不使用车辆时，可通过 Tesla Network 共享平台，让汽车自动变成计程车。这项技术不仅能解决计程车短缺的问题，还可提高车辆使用率、减少停车需求，甚至为车主带来额外收入。如果这一模式能引入马来西亚，将有可能改变国内的士行业的现状，同时推动智慧城市发展。

马来西亚的自动驾驶现状

目前，马来西亚的自动驾驶技术仍在测试阶段。政府已批准部分企业在指定地区试行自动驾驶巴士，例如在赛城（Cyberjaya）和布城（Putrajaya）的一些路段进行试点。然而，全面推广自动驾驶仍面临法律、基础设施和社会接受度的挑战。

政府在 2022 年发布的 《国家汽车政策 2020》（NAP 2020） 已明确提及要推动自动驾驶技术的发展，并在未来实现更高阶的自动化交通模式。然而，现阶段 Level 2 是马来西亚能合法使用的最高级别，而 Tesla 目前正向 Level 4 甚至 Level 5 迈进，显然比本地法规的进展更快。

自动驾驶技术的不同级别

要理解 Tesla 的技术突破，首先要了解「自动驾驶」的不同级别。根据国际汽车工程师学会（SAE）的标准，自动驾驶技术共分为六个级别（Level 0 至 Level 5）：

• Level 0（无自动驾驶）：完全由人类驾驶，没有任何自动辅助功能。
• Level 1（驾驶辅助）：车辆可提供部分辅助，例如自适应巡航（ACC）或车道保持辅助（LKA），但驾驶员仍需保持控制权。
• Level 2（部分自动化）：车辆可同时控制加速、刹车和转向，例如 Tesla 的 Autopilot 及其他品牌的高速公路驾驶辅助系统，但驾驶员仍需保持手握方向盘，并随时准备接管。这是马来西亚目前允许的最高级别。
• Level 3（有条件自动驾驶）：车辆可在特定条件下（如高速公路）完全自动行驶，包括变换车道和避让障碍物，但如果遇到复杂情况（如突发事故），车辆会要求驾驶员介入。
• Level 4（高度自动驾驶）：车辆可在特定地区或特定情境下（如无人驾驶区）完全自动运行，即使驾驶员未介入，车辆仍可安全行驶。目前百度 Apollo、小马智行（Pony.ai）等企业正在进行 Level 4 自动驾驶测试。
• Level 5（完全自动驾驶）：无需任何人类干预，车辆可在任何环境下自主行驶，无需方向盘或踏板，这正是 Tesla 未来的终极目标。

目前，Tesla 的 Full Self-Driving（FSD）系统正迈向 Level 4，而 Elon Musk 预计未来几年内可实现 Level 5。这意味着，未来的汽车将不再只是交通工具，而是能够自主运营的智能载具。

马来西亚是否已准备好迎接无人驾驶？

在马来西亚，的士行业面临诸多挑战，其中一个主要问题是司机短缺。许多的士司机年龄偏高，年轻一代对进入的士行业的兴趣较低。此外，由于 e-hailing（电子召车）平台如 Grab、AirAsia Ride 和 inDrive 的兴起，传统的士市场的竞争加剧，令部分司机面临生计问题。

如果自动驾驶技术能够应用于的士行业，将有助于解决司机短缺问题，同时提高服务效率。自动驾驶车辆可以 24 小时运营，减少乘客等待时间，并通过 AI 优化路线规划，提高出行便利性。

Tesla 之所以能够率先推动无人驾驶，主要依赖于其庞大的数据系统。每辆 Tesla 车辆都持续收集全球道路数据，并通过机器学习不断优化 AI 模型，使其驾驶能力远超普通驾驶员。此外，NVIDIA 最新的 AI 芯片，使 Tesla 车辆能够高速计算路况，即时做出驾驶决策。这些技术进步，使自动驾驶成为现实，而不仅仅是未来的构想。

然而，要让无人驾驶的士在马来西亚真正落地，仍然需要克服多个挑战：

1. 法律与监管：目前马来西亚的交通法规尚未明确自动驾驶汽车的责任归属，如果发生事故，如何界定责任仍然是一个未解的问题。政府需制定专门的法律框架，以确保自动驾驶的安全性和责任归属。
2. 基础设施建设：自动驾驶需要智能道路系统，例如 AI 交通灯、高清地图、5G 网络支持等。马来西亚的道路系统仍需进一步升级，以支持更高级别的自动驾驶技术。
3. 社会接受度：许多马来西亚人仍然对无人驾驶持怀疑态度，尤其是对于系统是否可靠的问题。政府和企业需要加强科普教育，提高公众对自动驾驶的信心。

政府应积极推动自动驾驶技术

为了让马来西亚赶上全球智慧交通的发展，政府可以考虑采取以下措施：

• 设立自动驾驶测试区：政府可在赛城（Cyberjaya）、布城（Putrajaya）或其他科技试验区，设立自动驾驶车辆测试区，让 Tesla 或其他企业进行实地测试，以便未来逐步推广至全国。
• 推动自动驾驶法规改革：交通部可加快制定自动驾驶相关的法规，为 Level 3 及以上的自动驾驶提供法律依据，让企业可以更安心地投资相关技术。
• 与国际企业合作：政府可与 Tesla、百度 Apollo、小马智行（Pony.ai）等企业合作，引进最先进的自动驾驶技术，并学习其他国家（如新加坡、日本和德国）的经验，制定适合本地的自动驾驶政策。

马来西亚的智慧交通发展仍然处于初期阶段，但全球自动驾驶技术的进步已势不可挡。如果马来西亚能够尽早布局，未来有望成为东南亚地区自动驾驶的领先国家，而不是仅仅被动追随全球趋势。政府、企业和社会各界应当共同努力，以确保马来西亚不会错失这场交通革命的机会。