Tesla isn’t the only one with self-driving cars now, but they were among the first to offer this cool feature to the public. Their cars have cameras, sensors, and AI that let them drive themselves to some extent. But don’t think you can snooze while driving! You still need to keep an eye on the road because the tech has some big limits.
Tesla has two cool features: Tesla Autopilot and Full Self-Driving. But what’s the deal with them? Is one better than the other? Here’s the lowdown on Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving tech.
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Tesla Autopilot explained
Tesla Autopilot, which came out in 2014, was the company’s initial self-driving feature. It’s not as advanced as the other options, but it’s a freebie that comes with every new Tesla car. So, it’s like a little extra treat. Autopilot is meant to be used with the driver fully in control, and it’s basically a souped-up version of cruise control. It can keep the car in the middle of a lane and adjust speed based on what’s ahead.
These features aren’t just for Tesla. They’re like a fancy cruise control, which other cars also have. Tesla’s Enhanced Autopilot has some unique features that other cars don’t offer. But it’s not free; it’ll set you back $6,000.
Enhanced Autopilot lets the car park itself and do things like change lanes automatically. It’s also part of the “Navigate on Autopilot” feature, which can guide the car from getting on the highway to getting off, all without the driver’s help (but the driver should still pay attention).
It also comes with Summon and Smart Summon, which let the car come to you in a parking lot without you needing to control it remotely. Some of these features are pretty unique, although things like lane changing are becoming more common.
Tesla Full Self-Driving (FSD) explained
Finally, there’s Tesla Full Self-Driving (FSD). It’s the top-tier option, but Tesla calls it a “beta,” which means it’s more of a test with real drivers. FSD came out in 2020 and Tesla’s been making it better bit by bit.
It’s the priciest choice on Tesla’s list, coming in at a hefty $15,000 upfront or $200 a month if you want to pay in installments. But for that price, you get a big feature: the car can start and stop at traffic lights and stop signs.
Tesla thinks of FSD as the future of car-to-door service, where the car can drive you all the way from A to B. But it’s not quite there yet. You still need to stay alert and be ready to take over while using Full Self-Driving. The name is a bit misleading because the car can’t fully drive itself yet, and you shouldn’t expect it to.
So, which mode lets you take a nap while driving? None of them, sorry. But that hasn’t stopped some sleepy drivers from trying.
Tesla has had a fair share of controversies
Tesla’s self-driving features have been under a lot of scrutiny. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) started looking into Autopilot in 2021 because of a few accidents where the feature was involved.
The investigation ended up causing a recall of more than 360,000 Tesla cars that were using the Full Self-Driving beta. The official report said that the NHTSA found that the system could make cars “act unsafe” when they were coming up to intersections, and some didn’t stop like they should have.
Apart from the recall, it’s worth mentioning that Tesla doesn’t say any of its self-driving features can be used without a “fully attentive driver.”
According to the owner’s manual, Tesla says drivers should “never rely on Autosteer to decide the right driving path” and that Autosteer is a “hands-on feature.” Whether drivers actually follow these guidelines is another story, but it’s obvious that no Tesla is ready to drive you from A to B while you snooze.
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History of crashes
In October last year, a self-driving car from Cruise hit a pedestrian in San Francisco on Monday night, right after she was hit by another car, the San Francisco Chronicle said. Witnesses said the first car hit the woman so hard that she was thrown into the path of the Cruise robotaxi, and she ended up stuck under one of its wheels. The driver of the other car apparently took off.
Before the accident, the two cars were waiting next to each other at a red light, the Chronicle said, citing video footage. When the light turned green, both cars went into the intersection. That’s when the woman was hit by the other car, which then sent her into the path of the Cruise car. There was no one in the Cruise car at the time.
