Dan O’Dowd, the leader behind The Dawn Project initiative, has handed over roughly 6-7 million U.S. dollars for the right to air his anti-Tesla video during the Superbowl, CNBC reports.
The short vid slams the company’s “Full Self Driving” autopilot system and ends with a call to ban it. The footage includes a Tesla EV allegedly hitting a child mannequin at full speed while apparently in Autopilot mode, as well as passing prohibitory signs and even sliding into the opposing lane.
An important consideration to keep in mind is that O’Dowd owns Green Hills Software, a company specializing in competing self-driving software solutions. One could say Tesla is a direct competitor of that company, putting the whole initiative in a new light.
O’Dowd – who was never too eager to admit having an agenda in his fight – said he would not stop at the Superbowl ad. He said he was preparing a number of publications for the reputable media and paid for the anti-Tesla video to continue being shown on TV channels.