KEY POINTS
- Tesla acquiring GPS data through drivers
- Tesla to develop fully autonomous cars in three years
Tesla Motors formally launched its long-awaited Autopilot feature on Wednesday. Tesla stands apart from the others in the way it’s acquiring GPS data: through drivers. Every Tesla Model S, with Autopilot or not, is connected to the cloud; the company is constantly connecting data from each of its cars. Tesla is using the data it has, and will continue to collect, to develop its maps. Tesla is three years away from having a fully autonomous car. Autopilot comes as part of Tesla’s 7.0 software update, which begins rolling out to Model S cars on Wednesday. Autopilot is in something of a public beta, offering automatic steering, lane changes and parking, though Tesla advises drivers keep their hands on the wheel.
