Tesla Autopilot is an advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) developed by Tesla that amounts to partial vehicle automation (Level 2 automation, as defined by SAE International). Tesla provides "Base Autopilot" on all vehicles, which includes lane centering and traffic-aware cruise control. Owners may purchase or subscribe to Full Self-Driving (FSD) which adds semi-autonomous navigation that responds to traffic lights and stop signs, lane change assistance, self-parking, and the ability to summon the car from a garage or parking spot.
The company's stated intent is to offer fully autonomous driving (SAE Level 5) at a future time, acknowledging that technical and regulatory hurdles must be overcome to achieve this goal.[1] The names Autopilot and Full Self-Driving are controversial, because vehicles remain at Level 2 automation and are therefore not "fully self-driving" and require active driver supervision.
The company claims the features reduce accidents caused by driver negligence and fatigue from long-term driving.[2][3] Collisions and deaths involving Tesla cars with Autopilot engaged have drawn the attention of the press and government agencies.[4] Industry observers and academics have criticized Tesla's decision to use untrained consumers to validate beta features as dangerous and irresponsible.[5][6][7][8]
Since 2013, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has repeatedly made inaccurate predictions for Tesla to achieve Level 5 autonomy within one to three years,[9] most recently predicting the end of 2023.[10]
In the 4th quarter [of 2023], we recorded one crash for every 5.39 million miles driven in which drivers were using Autopilot technology. For drivers who were not using Autopilot technology, we recorded one crash for every 1.00 million miles driven. By comparison, the most recent data available from NHTSA and FHWA (from 2022) shows that in the United States there was an automobile crash approximately every 670,000 miles.