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| When the driver of a Tesla Model S enables Autopilot and Autosteer, as I did today on Route 17 in northern New Jersey, the car drives itself, slows and accelerates, stays in lane, and follows curves in the road as well as lane shifts. |
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| The speedometer and steering wheel symbols flanking the digital speed display indicate the driver has turned on Autopilot and Autosteer by pulling back twice on the cruise-control stalk. |
By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR
No one can claim driving in the New York-New Jersey metropolitan area is fun.
But now Tesla Motors has introduced Autopilot and Autosteer, the ultimate cruise control.
Just two quick movements of the cruise-control stalk in a Tesla Model S enables both auto-drive functions.
In stop-and-go traffic on Route 17 south in Paramus today, I took my hands off of the steering wheel and my foot off of the accelerator, and let my Model S drive itself:
The car slowed and accelerated, and followed a lane shift in a construction zone near the Garden State Parkway.
Take a look at a brief video my wife made as we drove past the Tesla Showroom and Service Center on Autopilot and Autosteer:
Self-drive Tesla defeats Route 17
To change lanes, you simply push down or up on the turn-signal stalk.
Relaxing behind the wheel
I have been using cruise control in my Toyota Prius hybrid on the parkway and turnpike for more than a decade as a way of relaxing.
Speed freaks, tailgaters and other aggressive drivers can just go to hell as I maintain a steady speed to the beat of jazz or soothing classical music.
Now, with Autopilot and Autosteer in my Model S, the North Jersey driving experience just got a whole lot calmer.
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| The software update I received early Friday includes a simplified digital display, above. |
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| At a Tesla Supercharger on the New Jersey Turnpike in East Brunswick. |
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