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Autopilot on Tesla Model Y - first drive

After owning my Tesla Model Y for thee weeks, I finally go to try the Autopilot feature. Autopilot consists of two major features:

  • Traffic Aware Cruise Control: This is similar to the cruise control that I had with my Honda, but it automatically speeds up and slows down the car based on traffic. In order to activate this feature you pull down the gear selector stalk once. You can adjust the max speed through the little scroll wheel on the steering wheel. You turn off by pulling the stalk upwards or braking. 
  • Autosteer: This assists with steering in a clearly marked lane (freeway or highway) and works with traffic aware cruise control. You pull down the stalk twice, then you hear a sound and you see blue lane lines. Again, turning off with brake or pulling stalk upwards.
Well, I first read articles about this, then I watched Youtube videos. But when you actually use it, it feels amazing and scary at the same time. The car stays in the lane by itself and does a pretty good job. However, giving up control is not easy. I first tried the cruise control and then the auto steer in step two. The one thing I noticed is that the car gets closer to the car in front of me, compared to what I would do. It is probably still safe, but it is something I need to get used to, especially if there is a lot of traffic. For me personally, I can see this very helpful on long freeway rides (I-5 form SF to LA), but less in local freeway traffic. But on the other hand, when somebody drives and is tired, Autopilot might be the safer option.

I still have the free 3-months trial of FSD (Full Self Driving) to activate. But I think I first try Autopilot a few more times before I do FSD. Also, I guess I really like to drive my Model Y, so I enjoy doing it myself. Time will tell.



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