Tesla vehicles come standard with Autopilot, an advanced driver assistance system that helps make driving safer & more convenient. Customers who purchased their car before may be able to buy additional packages. Still, Autopilot does not make the vehicle autonomous & the driver must remain alert & be ready to take control at any time.
Autopilot, Enhanced Autopilot, and full Self-Driving Capabilities are all features offered by Tesla.
Autopilot is a set of features that can be added to new Tesla cars. These features make driving safer & less stressful by assisting on the road.
Autopilot packages include:
Autopilot
Autopilot offers a range of functions & features:
- Cruise control that adjusts your car’s speed to match the traffic flow.
- Autosteer helps you stay in your lane while driving & can adjust your speed based on traffic conditions.
Enhanced Autopilot
Enhanced Autopilot includes additional features & functions beyond those offered by Autopilot.
- Navigate on Autopilot helps guide your car from an entry to an exit ramp of a highway, including changing lanes, maneuvering interchanges, activating the turn signal & taking the right exit.
- The Auto Lane Change feature helps your vehicle move to another lane on the highway when Autosteer is activated.
- With Autopark, you can easily park your car in either parallel or perpendicular spots with just one touch.
- Use the mobile app or key to move your car in & out of tight spaces.
- Smart Summon allows your car to come to you in a parking lot, navigating around obstacles & through complex parking spaces.
Full Self-Driving Capability
Full Self-Driving Capability is a feature that allows vehicles to drive autonomously with minimal driver input & will improve over time. It includes Autopilot & Enhanced Autopilot features.
- Autosteer on City Streets
- Your car can recognize stop signs & traffic lights, & will automatically slow down when approaching them with your supervision.
Tesla’s Autopilot, Enhanced Autopilot, and full Self-Driving features require a driver’s supervision & are not yet fully autonomous. Reaching full autonomy will take billions of miles of experience & approval from regulators, with gradual software updates over time.
Using Autopilot, Enhanced Autopilot, and full Self-Driving features
Autopilot features such as Autosteer, Navigate on Autopilot, & Summon must be enabled in the Settings tab & the user must read the Owner’s Manual & agree to keep their hands on the wheel & maintain control of the vehicle. A reminder will be displayed each time Autopilot is engaged.
Traffic-Aware Cruise Control
Pull down the cruise control/gear selector stalk on the steering column to activate Traffic-Aware Cruise Control in Tesla vehicles.
Autosteer
Tesla’s Autosteer feature can be activated by pulling the cruise control/gear selector stalk twice on Models S, X, 3, & Y. When enabled, a blue steering wheel icon will appear, & if insufficient torque is applied to the wheel, Autopilot will be disabled.
Navigate on Autopilot
Navigate on Autopilot is a feature that allows cars to navigate highways automatically, suggest lane changes, & guide drivers to their destination. It can be activated manually or automatically on Model 3 & Model Y by two quick shifts of the gear lever, & on Model S & Model X cars made between 2012-2021, two short pulls of the cruise stalk will engage it.
Auto Lane Change
To enable automated lane changes, go to the Autopilot Controls menu in the Settings tab & signal in the desired direction. Additionally, lane change confirmation can be disabled by toggling it off in “Customize Navigate on Autopilot.”
Autopark
Autopark lets you park your car by pressing a button using reverse gear, light brake pressure, & the “Start Autopark” button on the touchscreen. The vehicle will control its speed, gear changes, & steering angle, but you can take back control of steering whenever you want.
Summon
Tesla app users who own a Model S or Model X can utilize Summon & HomeLink to open their garage door & drive out of it by pressing the center of their key fob for three seconds or using the app.
Smart Summon
Tesla’s Smart Summon feature allows a car to drive to a designated location, detect & stop for obstacles, & must be monitored closely within 200 feet. It is intended for use in private parking lots & driveways, as outlined in the Owner’s Manual.
Traffic Light & Stop Sign Control (Beta)
Autopilot’s Beta feature enables cars to automatically slow down & display a red line when approaching stop signs & traffic lights, requiring drivers to pull the Autopilot stalk or tap the accelerator pedal to proceed. The feature also limits speed on surface streets & notifies drivers of stop reasons & estimated distance until the stop.
Active Safety Features
Tesla vehicles made after September 2014 have Autopilot hardware & software that includes Active Safety features to improve driver safety.
- Automatic Emergency Braking uses sensors to detect cars or obstacles in the car’s path & applies the brakes automatically to avoid a collision.
- The Forward Collision Warning system alerts you if your car is approaching another vehicle moving slower or stopped.
- This system warns drivers of potential collisions with objects alongside their vehicle.
- When driving at low speeds, the Obstacle Aware Acceleration will automatically reduce acceleration if an obstacle is detected in front of your car.
- The Blind Spot Monitoring system alerts you when an object or vehicle is detected in your blind spot while you are switching lanes.
- The Lane Departure Avoidance system uses corrective steering to help keep your car in its lane.
- If your car is about to leave its lane & a potential collision may occur, the Emergency Lane Departure Avoidance system will steer it back into the correct driving lane.
Active safety features can help drivers but cannot always account for every situation. It is the driver’s responsibility to stay alert, drive safely & remain in control of their vehicle at all times.
