October, 2016:
As of last week, all new Teslas include the hardware required for the cars to drive autonomously. That ability is likely years away, but the company wants its current cars to be able to drive themselves when the software is ready in 5-10 years. The company is even including the hardware in all the cars free of charge — though if you want to actually use it, it’ll cost you a good chunk of change: $8,000 if you pay for it up front, rising to as much as $10,000 if you decide to unlock it later.
The new “Enhanced Autopilot” — basically more advanced version of the current Autopilot system (well, it will be eventually, once Tesla finishes testing it) — is a $5,000 option on the Model X and the Model S at purchase, rising to $6,000 if you enable it after delivery. Tesla says it will be able to match the car’s speed to traffic conditions, automatically change lanes without driver input, drive from one freeway to another, and even exit the freeway when your destination is near.
Then there’s “Full Self-Driving Capability,” which will cost $3,000 at delivery or $4,000 later. It requires Enhanced Autopilot and will, according to Tesla, eventually allow the car to drive itself in all conditions. The car will be able to drive itself to your destination, wherever it is, determining the optimal route and handling everything from stop signs and traffic lights to roundabouts and streets without lane markings. Then it’ll be able to drop you off at your destination and go find a parking spot.
January, 2017:
It's only a matter of time until Teslas become fully autonomous—three to six months, according to CEO Elon Musk.
That's the timeline that Musk gave on Twitter when asked, "At what point will 'Full Self-Driving Capability' features noticeably depart from 'Enhanced Autopilot' features?"
October, 2017:
There are more than 90,000 vehicles on the road worldwide that feature Autopilot 2.0. According to data uncovered by Electrek via an anonymous source, some 77 percent of owners bought the Enhanced Autopilot package, while around 40 percent opted for the Fully Self-Driving Capability.
Yesterday:
None of these "full self-driving" capabilities are available yet. "Self-Driving functionality is dependent upon extensive software validation and regulatory approval, which may vary widely by jurisdiction," the page says. "It is not possible to know exactly when each element of the functionality described above will be available, as this is highly dependent on local regulatory approval."
But the big reason full self-driving isn't available yet has nothing to do with "regulatory approval." The problem is that Tesla hasn't created the technology yet. Indeed, the company could be years away from completing work on it, and some experts doubt it will ever be possible to achieve full self-driving capabilities with the hardware installed on today's Tesla vehicles.