Last Updated on May 24, 2023 by Victor A
Tesla cars have many impressive features that have allowed the brand to differentiate itself from most legacy automakers. One of these features is the Autopilot, which as many know, is currently among the most advanced autonomous systems in the automotive industry.
The Autopilot was first introduced in September 2014, and Tesla has been updating it with constant improvements since it came out.
Today the Autopilot is way more advanced than its first iteration, and in the next few years, we are going to see an even better improvement.
What is Autopilot?
Autopilot is Tesla’s basic autonomous system that enables the car to accelerate, brake, and steer within its lane by itself.
Some of its features are the Traffic-Aware Cruise Control which will match the speed of your vehicle to the cars around you, and Autosteer which aids the car in steering within a marked lane while checking the traffic around.
The Autopilot uses the car’s computer, eight cameras, and twelve ultrasonic sensors to detect the cars around you and read lane paint.
It allows the driver to drive more safely and with less stress. However, it doesn’t replace driving, as these are only a bunch of features that aid the driver; if you want the real deal, you’ll have to purchase the Full Self-Driving Capability package.
Which Tesla cars have Autopilot?
Autopilot comes as standard in every Tesla car since October 2016. The Model S, Model X, Model 3, and Model Y include autopilot. However, know that cars released after September 2014 can get Autopilot and Full Self-Driving Capability by purchase.
As stated before, Autopilot is not the same as Tesla’s Full Self-Driving Capability (FSDC), many people confuse both systems, the Autopilot is simple, it works more like help to the driver while the Full Self-Driving Capability adds way more features that allow you to almost let the car drive by itself.
The Full Self-Driving Capability enhances the autopilot to include features like:
- Navigate on Autopilot which enables automatic driving on the highway, automatically using turn signals, taking the right exits, and overtaking slower cars.
- Auto Lane Change positions your Tesla in the best lane for merges, exits, or overtaking cars.
- Autopark automatically parallels or perpendiculars park your car.
- Summon and Smart Summon will make your car navigate around objects, or complex environments to get to you when you’re in a parking lot.
- Traffic and Stop Sign Control detects traffic lights and stop signs and slows down your car until it stops.
But before you decide to get the Full Self-Driving Capability package, know that it comes with a hefty price tag, $10,000.
If you ask us if it’s worth it, we say definitely yes as you’re getting so many features that you won’t find anywhere else, plus $10,000 might seem like a lot, but you’re paying only once for those, while other automakers are starting to create subscriptions where you’ll end up paying way more after a few years.
Source: Tesla
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