Tesla has been at the forefront of self-driving vehicle technology for years, but according to a new report from Consumer Reports, Tesla’s autopilot system is no longer the best in its class. The report cited Tesla’s Autopilot system as having “inconsistent and at times dangerous performance.” This news comes as a surprise to those who have hailed Tesla as the industry leader in autonomous driving technology. In this blog post, we’ll examine how Tesla has dropped in driver-assist rankings and what implications this could have for future self-driving car development.
Tesla’s Autopilot falls in driver-assist rankings
Tesla’s Autopilot feature, which allows drivers to take their hands off the wheel for extended periods of time, has fallen in Consumer Reports’ driver-assist rankings.
The ranking is based on how well the system performs in four areas: keeping the vehicle within its lane, coming to a stop when necessary, avoiding obstacles, and providing timely warnings to the driver.
Tesla’s Autopilot was ranked as the second best system overall in the 2017 ranking, but has now fallen to fifth place. The top spot is now occupied by Cadillac’s Super Cruise system.
One reason for Tesla’s decline in the ranking is that other manufacturers have catch up in terms of technology. Another reason is that Tesla has been slow to address some of the issues that Consumer Reports has identified with Autopilot.
In particular, Consumer Reports has noted that Tesla’s Autopilot system does not always keep the vehicle within its lane as well as other systems do, and that it can be slow to react to obstacles. Consumer Reports has also criticized Tesla for not making it clearer to drivers when they need to be paying attention while using Autopilot.
What this means for Tesla
In the wake of Consumer Reports’ new driver-assist rankings, Tesla has fallen behind other manufacturers. This is a blow to the company, which has been touting its Autopilot feature as one of the best on the market.
What this means for Tesla is that it will need to work harder to convince consumers that its Autopilot feature is worth the price. The company will also need to address the concerns raised by Consumer Reports, which include issues with lane keeping and speed limit adherence.
This is not the first time Tesla has faced criticism over its Autopilot feature. In 2016, a fatal accident involving a Tesla Model S that was using Autopilot brought increased scrutiny from regulators and safety advocates. Tesla has since made improvements to its system, but it clearly still has some work to do.
Other driver-assist features
Other driver-assist features Tesla offers include automatic high beams, a feature that will change your headlights to high beam when there are no oncoming cars, and lane departure warning, which uses sensors to detect if you’re about to drift out of your lane. These features all work well, but they’re not as comprehensive as what you’ll find from other automakers.
