Tesla buyers will receive a digital option. In addition to the extensive ‘Fully self-driving steering’ package, there is now also a less expensive intermediate step for Tesla Autopilot, which will be called ‘advanced Autopilot’ in the Netherlands.
All Teslas will be equipped with the most basic form of Autopilot as standard since mid-2019. This ensures that the car stays neatly between the lines and keeps a distance from the vehicle in front. Anyone who wants their innovative EV to be able to change lanes or stop at traffic lights, for example, should contact what is internationally known as ‘Full-Self-Driving’ (FSD).
This package is purely software-based for the most current models and can therefore be activated on the car via an over-the-air upgrade. That is not cheap: at the time of writing, ‘Fully self-driving control’ costs € 7,500 in the Netherlands.
To lower the threshold for a more complete version of Autopilot, Tesla is bringing back ‘Enhanced Autopilot’. This intermediate form also existed before, but eventually merged into the more extensive FSD.
Don’t stop for red
This FSD package is getting more and more functions and is therefore becoming more expensive, so there is now room for a somewhat stripped-down variant. The Advanced Autopilot option costs € 3,800. For that money you get ‘navigate with Autopilot’ (independently take on and off ramps based on the navigation), Auto Lane Change (lane change), Automatic parking and Summon, the function that makes it possible to operate the car from outside.
What Advanced Autopilot cannot do is stop the car at traffic lights and stop signs. Also, the intermediate form of Autopilot cannot work in built-up areas, at least not outside the functions of the most basic Autopilot form.