Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk says he expects the electric car maker’s vehicles will be capable of “full self-driving” this year.
Musk made the comments on a podcast with Cathie Wood and Tasha Keeney, who work for ARK Invest, a firm that owns shares in Tesla.
Musk’s comments refer to ‘Autopilot,’ Tesla’s automated driver assistant system. The system has garnered plenty of positive and negative press, both for its sophistication and its connection to several high-profile accidents.
“I think we’ll be feature complete — full self-driving — this year,” Musk said on the podcast. “Meaning the car will be able to find you in a parking lot, pick you up and take you all the way to your destination without an intervention, this year. I would say I am of certain of that. That is not a question mark.”
However, Musk also noted that this doesn’t mean the system works perfectly and can operate without driver observation.
“My guess as to when we would think it is safe for somebody to essentially fall asleep and wake up at their destination? Probably towards the end of next year,” Musk said. “That is when I think it would be safe enough for that.”
With that said, regulators will ultimately determine how quickly the technology gets into the hands of customers. Just because it’ll be ready this year doesn’t mean your Tesla will be chauffeuring you around anytime soon.
Source: CNBC
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