Elon Musk says he’s focused on wide release of self-driving Teslas by year-end

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STAVANGER, Norway — Tesla chief Elon Musk said on Monday that he aims to have the electric carmaker’s self-driving technology ready by the end of the year and hopes it can be widely released in the United States and possibly Europe. , subject to regulatory approval.

Speaking at an energy conference in Norway, Musk said his attention was currently focused on his SpaceX Starship spacecraft and self-driving Tesla electric cars.

“The two technologies I am focusing on, in an effort to ideally be ready before the end of the year, are to put our Starship into orbit…

“Get self-driving cars widely released, at least in the US, and…possibly in Europe, subject to regulatory approval,” Musk told the audience.

OIL AND GAS NEEDED

Earlier, Musk said the world must continue extracting oil and gas to sustain civilization while developing sustainable energy sources.

“Realistically, I think we need to use oil and gas in the short term or civilization will crumble,” Musk told reporters on the sidelines of the conference.

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When asked whether Norway should continue to drill for oil and gas, Musk said, “I think some additional research is warranted at this point.”

“One of the greatest challenges the world has ever faced is the transition to renewable energy and to a sustainable economy,” he said. “That will take several decades.”

He said offshore wind power generation in the North Sea, combined with stationary battery packs, could become an important source of energy. “It could be a strong, sustainable source of energy in the winter,” he said.

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