Confused by different flavors of autopilot

[Marty3SR+]

I'm a little confused about exactly what is meant by "autopilot." I know a lot of people misuse the term as another word for the fsd, but I'm still confused about exactly what it is or isn't.

I have a 2021 Model 3 without FSD. I thought autopilot was the system that activated with double tapping the right stalk, making the car steer itself within lane markers. However, as I read more, it seems like autopilot might be a combination of autosteer and TACC. Does this mean you can use TACC by itself, but not autosteer by itself? Or is autosteer the system activated by the double right stalk, and autopilot simply the package that includes the two abilities?

Then to add to confusion, there's the FSD version of autopilot that allows navigation and lane change, but I try to ignore that. It seems like if you have FSD, autopilot is pretty close to FSD, but I have no experience with any of those capabilities.

Anyway, I'm trying to make sure I understand the terms when I read about Teslas, so I'm hoping for some good explanations, and hopefully not more confusion.

 

[LoudMusic]

I guess one way to look at it is adding features on top of previous technology.

TACC (Traffic Aware Cruise Control): maintains speed, slows for traffic detected ahead

AP (Auto Pilot): TACC + lane holding

EAP (Enhanced Auto Pilot): AP + lane change, highway ramp navigation. I believe this is no longer an option.

FSD (Full Self Driving): EAP + traffic light and stop sign aware, turn navigation, and eventually more

Somewhere "Smart Summon" and parking assist fit into all this.

Autopilot

All new Tesla vehicles are equipped with the hardware needed for Autopilot and Full Self-Driving capability features, designed to improve functionality over time.

www.tesla.com

To answer your question, AP can not be engaged without TACC. Additionally, TACC can only be set up to 90 MPH, and when AP is engaged there are conditions where maximum TACC speed is reduced to the speed limit + 5MPH.

 

[Tam]

...autopilot might be a combination of autosteer and TACC...

Correct.

Does this mean you can use TACC by itself, but not autosteer by itself?

Correct! TACC without Autosteer is activated with a single tap.

If you want to add Autosteer to TACC then do a double tap.

is autosteer the system activated by the double right stalk...

Correct

...autopilot simply the package that includes the two abilities?...

Correct.

Autopilot has 2 parts:
TACC
and
Autosteer.

TACC is a smart cruise so it doesn't sound much to be called Autopilot.

However, once you double tap, you got both functions with now Autosteer added to TACC, so it's called Autopilot.

That means, I wouldn't call a cruise Autopilot but if the car can Autosteer that means you have activated both functions of TACC and Autosteer so that's a good time to call that Autopilot.

...It seems like if you have FSD, autopilot is pretty close to FSD...

For freeways, it's pretty close with the cheaper version of Autopilot and expensive $12,000 of FSD:

Autopilot can't do Auto Lane change but FSD can.

Autopilot can't exit automatically but FSD can.

Those are the main difference on freeways.

But in city streets, you got more functions like autopark, summon...

 

[EVRider-FL]

Although you can no longer get Enhanced Autopilot (EAP) in the US, it can do almost everything the FSD option does (regular FSD, not the City Streets Beta). EAP is still offered in some countries where FSD functionality is more limited than in the US.

 

[azred]

OP, you didn’t ask about cost but let me offer a bit of info. When I bought my 2018 3, I didn‘t buy EAP flavor of autopilot and at that time you didn’t get anything but dumb cruise control for “free.” (Your newer 3 had AP, a stripped down version of EAP included for “free.”) A few months later we added EAP for $5000, which as a poster here noted is no longer available. We also had my wife’s 2016 S and she didn’t want any autopilot features so it had none.

In Spring 2019 Tesla had a “sale” on autopilot features, which Elon later said was a mistake that would not be repeated. (Since many FSD features still had not been released in Spring 2019, owners who purchased FSD at a much higher price were understandably furious.) During this brief sale we added FSD to the Model 3 for $2000 and added both AP (stripped down EAP) and FSD to the Model S for $3000 + $2000.

Bottom line it cost us $7000 on the 3 and $5000 on the S to have FSD, a total of $12,000 for two cars. Currently $12,000 is the cost for one car. Yikes! I certainly wouldn’t pay double what we paid for FSD unless one had the option of moving the software to a second car in the event of sale or severe accident.

Perhaps Tesla will someday have another FSD sale in spite of Elon’s comments that they wouldn’t as he says a lot of inconsistent things. But it has been almost three years since that one sale. Meanwhile FSD price has moved up and up.

 

[Goose66]

The Navigate on Autopilot feature of Full-Self Driving package also adds highway-to-highway transitions to Autosteer/TACC, along with the aforementioned speed-based automatic lane changes and taking exit ramps.

For completeness, in addition to Autosteer and TACC, Autopilot as a standard package also includes several active safety features. Check your manual or the website to see the list.

At this point, I can't see any logic in buying the Full-Self Driving package. It is unclear what monetary value it will actually add to the car upon resale/trade-in, but I assure you it will be A LOT less than $12,000. Plus, you can pay $200 for a month-long subscription to play with the features and show off the parlor tricks to your friends, and occasionally pay another $200 a month for Navigate on Autopilot (the only feature of FSD with any real utility, IMO) when you are taking your car on trips.

 

[Marty3SR+]

For completeness, in addition to Autosteer and TACC, Autopilot as a standard package also includes several active safety features. Check your manual or the website to see the list.

At this point, I can't see any logic in buying the Full-Self Driving package. It is unclear what monetary value it will actually add to the car upon resale/trade-in, but I assure you it will be A LOT less than $12,000. Plus, you can pay $200 for a month-long subscription to play with the features and show off the parlor tricks to your friends, and occasionally pay another $200 a month for Navigate on Autopilot (the only feature of FSD with any real utility, IMO) when you are taking your car on trips.

Checking the manual is what got me to try to clear up some of the terms. At first, it was pretty confusing because it talks about features, but says they may or may not be available without explaining clearly what determines the availability of each feature, and using the term "autopilot" to apply only to the FSD package. But lately, I've been rereading it after learning a bit more, and it's either been cleaned up or I understand it better. But still not clear on what features come with what package.

I could never see the logic for my family of FSD. We mainly use it for commuting in the Bay Area, and not for longer trips where it would be more useful. Sure it will eventually be more usable everywhere, but by then we may not even have this car, so we'd have to pay all over again. Nice to have the option of a monthly fee, though.

 

[Marty3SR+]

I guess one way to look at it is adding features on top of previous technology.

TACC (Traffic Aware Cruise Control): maintains speed, slows for traffic detected ahead

AP (Auto Pilot): TACC + lane holding

EAP (Enhanced Auto Pilot): AP + lane change, highway ramp navigation. I believe this is no longer an option.

FSD (Full Self Driving): EAP + traffic light and stop sign aware, turn navigation, and eventually more

Somewhere "Smart Summon" and parking assist fit into all this.

Autopilot

All new Tesla vehicles are equipped with the hardware needed for Autopilot and Full Self-Driving capability features, designed to improve functionality over time.

www.tesla.com

To answer your question, AP can not be engaged without TACC. Additionally, TACC can only be set up to 90 MPH, and when AP is engaged there are conditions where maximum TACC speed is reduced to the speed limit + 5MPH.

Thanks, that's pretty informative. I think the Enhanced Auto Pilot might be one of the main reasons for my confusion, as people talk about Auto Pilot doing things my car won't do; so now I know the possible reason.

 

[LoudMusic]

Thanks, that's pretty informative. I think the Enhanced Auto Pilot might be one of the main reasons for my confusion, as people talk about Auto Pilot doing things my car won't do; so now I know the possible reason.

Yes, I was quite displeased to learn it had been made unavailable.

 

[Kyleg27]

Yeah I have EAP, temped to pull the trigger for 6k to FSD...

 

[EVNow]

Yeah I have EAP, temped to pull the trigger for 6k to FSD...

To get into Beta testing ? As long as you know it is only for testing and is very rough now …

 

[EVNow]

Perhaps Tesla will someday have another FSD sale in spite of Elon’s comments that they wouldn’t as he says a lot of inconsistent things. But it has been almost three years since that one sale. Meanwhile FSD price has moved up and up.

Never say never … but extremely unlikely. Tesla demand has to plummet for them to have an FSD sale.