Hey in the grand saga of your electrified journey with Tesla, you encounter unique characters, the kind that make the story really exciting. Today, we introduce you to three such intriguing personalities: Autopilot, Enhanced Autopilot, and Full Self-Driving.
Before we embark on this adventure, let’s take a sneak peek at their profiles:
| Key Features | Autopilot (AP) | Enhanced Autopilot (EAP) | Full Self-Driving (FSD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adaptive Cruise Control | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Lane Keeping Assist | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Autosteer (limited) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Navigate on Autopilot (Highways) | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Auto Lane Change (Highways) | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Autopark | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Smart Summon | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Navigate on Autopilot (City Streets) | ✓ | ||
| Traffic Light and Stop Sign Control | ✓ | ||
| Auto Lane Change (City Streets) | ✓ | ||
| Autopark (Parallel and Perpendicular) | ✓ |
Ready to dive deeper? Hop in and buckle up. Our journey into the heart of Tesla’s driving automation begins now…
Venture with us on a journey, an electric-powered voyage into the future. Your vessel? A Tesla, not just a car, but a technology marvel. At the heart of this revolution are Tesla’s driving automation systems – Autopilot, Enhanced Autopilot, and Full Self-Driving. They’re not mere options, but steps on the ladder of a driving revolution. Today, we’ll explore each rung, making sense of what they mean for you, the driver in this thrilling era of automotive transformation.
Autopilot: The Co-Pilot You Didn’t Know You Needed
What Does Autopilot Offer?
“Autopilot” – the term itself feels like it’s been borrowed from a sci-fi novel. But before your imagination takes flight, let’s land it right back on the road. Autopilot, while a marvel, isn’t your robot chauffeur just yet.
Consider Autopilot as your reliable sidekick, lending a helping hand but not quite ready to take over the steering wheel entirely. Bundled as standard in all Tesla vehicles, it’s a watchful protector, enhancing safety, and bringing a touch of relief to your highway hauls and daily commutes.
Key Capabilities of Autopilot
With its adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping abilities, Autopilot shines as a smart companion, adjusting your cruising speed and keeping your Tesla centered on its path.
| Key Features of Autopilot | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Adaptive Cruise Control | Adjusts your car’s speed to maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front. |
| Lane Keeping Assist | Helps keep your vehicle centered in its lane. |
| Autosteer (limited) | Assists in steering within a clearly marked lane, and uses traffic-aware cruise control. |
However, remember, your Tesla isn’t set on auto-mode with Autopilot. It’s assistance, not a stand-in for a vigilant driver. So, while Autopilot performs its symphony of sensors and software, remember to stay tuned in with hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.
Enhanced Autopilot: Your Journey Upgraded
The Leap from Basic to Enhanced
Think of Autopilot as the bedrock upon which Enhanced Autopilot builds. It’s the same trusted sidekick, but with a few more tricks up its sleeve. Note: Tesla, as of 2021, isn’t offering Enhanced Autopilot as a standalone package, but its features are worth understanding, especially for those who might already have it or are considering buying a used Tesla with it.
Navigating the Highways with Ease
All the abilities of basic Autopilot are here, but with some extra pizzazz. Enhanced Autopilot comes into its own when you hit the highway. With its ‘Navigate on Autopilot’ feature, your Tesla can suggest and make lane changes, exit the freeway, and even take on interchanges, making your long drives smoother.
| Key Additional Features of Enhanced Autopilot | What They Do |
|---|---|
| Navigate on Autopilot | Suggests and makes lane changes, takes exits, and navigates interchanges on the highway. |
| Auto Lane Change | Assists in moving to an adjacent lane on the highway when Autosteer is engaged. |
| Autopark | Helps automatically park your vehicle. |
| Summon | Your parked car will come find you anywhere in a parking lot. |
Understanding Enhanced Autopilot’s Limitations
Enhanced Autopilot adds another layer of convenience to your driving experience, but the human touch is still necessary. So while your Tesla can do more with Enhanced Autopilot, always remember – you’re in the driver’s seat, and the future of hands-off driving is a road we’re still exploring.
To truly summarize, Enhanced Autopilot takes the foundational features of basic Autopilot and adds a dose of highway intelligence, making freeway journeys more comfortable and less demanding. It’s a step up from Autopilot, with abilities that make your Tesla not just an electric vehicle, but an intelligent partner on the road.
Now that we’ve explored Autopilot and Enhanced Autopilot, it’s time to step into the world of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving, or as it’s widely known, FSD. This is where Tesla’s vision of an autonomous future starts to take shape…
Full Self-Driving: The Future Today
The Promise of Autonomy
Meet Full Self-Driving, or FSD – Tesla’s most ambitious and forward-looking offering in the realm of automated driving. It’s the point where sci-fi starts to merge with reality, where your Tesla starts to go beyond being a car and becomes something more akin to a personal chauffeur.
The Full-Feature Experience
FSD encompasses all the functionalities of Autopilot and Enhanced Autopilot, then builds upon them. It’s designed to take your car from Point A to Point B with minimal input from the driver. It can navigate city streets, identify traffic lights and stop signs, and even navigate through roundabouts.
| Key Additional Features of Full Self-Driving | What They Do |
|---|---|
| Navigate on Autopilot (City Streets) | Allows automated driving in city streets, not just highways. |
| Traffic Light and Stop Sign Control | Identifies and responds to traffic lights and stop signs. |
| Auto Lane Change (City Streets) | Assists in moving to an adjacent lane in city streets when Autosteer is engaged. |
| Autopark (Parallel and Perpendicular) | Helps automatically park your vehicle in both parallel and perpendicular spaces. |
| Smart Summon (Advanced) | Your parked car will come find you anywhere in a parking lot, or even from your garage. |
The Road Ahead
As promising as FSD sounds, it’s important to note that as of now, it doesn’t translate to complete autonomy. Even with FSD, Tesla advises drivers to remain attentive and ready to take control at any moment. Still, it represents the most advanced level of Tesla’s driving automation, pushing the boundaries of what’s currently possible.
FSD, therefore, isn’t just a feature – it’s a promise, a glimpse into the potential future of autonomous driving. And as that future unfolds, we’ll be here, riding shotgun, ready to navigate it with you.
Summing It All Up
Let’s circle back to where we started – our handy comparison table. It’s a cheat sheet, a quick reference guide to the Autopilot universe we’ve been exploring. Take a moment to revisit it now, with your newfound knowledge of the functionalities of each system:
| Key Features | Autopilot (AP) | Enhanced Autopilot (EAP) | Full Self-Driving (FSD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adaptive Cruise Control | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Lane Keeping Assist | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Autosteer (limited) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Navigate on Autopilot (Highways) | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Auto Lane Change (Highways) | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Autopark | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Smart Summon | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Navigate on Autopilot (City Streets) | ✓ | ||
| Traffic Light and Stop Sign Control | ✓ | ||
| Auto Lane Change (City Streets) | ✓ | ||
| Autopark (Parallel and Perpendicular) | ✓ |
Our journey today has taken us through the highways of Autopilot, the enhanced comfort of Enhanced Autopilot, and the futuristic landscape of Full Self-Driving.