Tesla often polarizes opinions. You are either a die hard Tesla (and Elon) fan, or you think Elon Musk is a charlatan and Tesla is sustained by the government tax breaks. We are not here to discuss that today. But this dichotomy in opinion prevents serious discussion on issues like the goodness of Tesla Autopilot. Most Tesla fans think Autopilot is the best thing that there is, which is not the full story.
Biggest reason Tesla Autopilot sucks in my opinion is its name. Most non-Tesla owners confuse the name “Autopilot” with fully autonomous driving. You can not fault a regular person for the misconception, after all the name says Autopilot!
First up, full disclosure: I own a Tesla and I love it, even its “Autopilot”. I am writing this with the perspective of a neutral reader or a future Tesla owner.
Biggest reason Tesla Autopilot sucks in my opinion is its name. Most non-Tesla owners confuse the name “Autopilot” with fully autonomous driving. You can not fault a regular person for the misconception, after all the name says Autopilot!
Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) has defined 6 levels of autonomous driving (levels 0 through 5), you can read more on it here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-driving_car#Classification. Tesla Autopilot is at mere SAE Level 2. No cars that are currently being manufactured have anything higher than SAE level 2.
The cool videos (like this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlThdr3O5Qo) you see on the internet that show a Tesla driving itself in the city is not driving on Autopilot – it is what Tesla calls it “Full Self Driving” or FSD mode. FSD is currently in beta stage, and by definition is incomplete. If and when it is complete, that will likely be somewhere between Level 3 and 4.
The Internet is filled with idiots who are driving on Autopilot and not paying attention on the road. The choice of naming the system “Autopilot” is what really sucks- not the Autopilot itself.
Autopilot is a horrible name for a mere Level 2 autonomous driving, and this has the potential to mislead some to put more faith in your car’s autonomous driving abilities than you should. To be fair to Tesla, they make it clear that you have to be attentive and have your hands at the steering wheel at all times if you are to navigate on Autopilot. The Internet is filled with idiots who are driving on Autopilot and not paying attention on the road. The choice of naming the system “Autopilot” is what really sucks- not the Autopilot itself. Sorry for the click-baity title!
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Tesla: A story of numbers
| Model 3 | Model Y | Model S | Model X | Roadster | Cybertruck | |
| Range (km) | 402-518 | 483 – 509 | 560 – 647 | 491 – 564 | 1,000 km | 402 – 804 |
| 0-100 kph | 5.6s – 3.4s | 5.5s – 3.5s | 3.8s – 2.6s | 4.4s- 2.7s | 1.9s | 6.5s – 2.9s |
| Top speed (km/hr) | 209k/h261k/h | 209k/h – 249k/h | 249k/h – 262k/h | 250k/h – 263k/h | 402km/hr | NA |
| Power (HP) | 283hp-450hp | 384hp – 456hp | 415hp – 750hp | 660hp – 760hp | 1400hp | NA |
| Battery size (kWh) | 55kwh-75kwh | 55kwh- 75kwh | 100kwh | 75kwh – 100kwh | 200kwh | NA |
| Price (USD) | $38k-$56k | $48k – $61k | $75k – $95k | $80k – #100k | $200k+ | $40k – $70k |
- Superchargers
- Worldwide stations: 1,826 (16,103 total supercharges)
- United States stations: 908
- Canada stations: 16
- Europe stations: 520
- Asia stations: 398
- Features
- Infotainments: Netflix, Youtube, Games
- Keyless entry
- Sentry mode
- Valet mode
- Dog mode
- Fart on turn signal
- Cargo space
- Autopilot
- Others:
- OTA updates.
- Speed / mileage upgrades,
- Autopilot and FSD upgrades
- Environment:
- Going green
If you are buying a tesla, consider using my referral code, we both get 1000miles supercharging for free: https://ts.la/ruby25222
