But Tesla defended its use of the word, arguing that it should be understood by analogy to aeroplanes. Autopilot is Tesla’s brand name for a suite of features in its Model S vehicles which provide varying levels of driving automation. “Additionally, every time that Autopilot is engaged, the car reminds the driver to ‘Always keep your hands on the wheel. It then gradually slows down the car until hands-on is detected again.”In September, a Tesla electric car crashed into a tourist bus on a motorway in northern Germany, lightly injuring the driver, who said he had activated the vehicle’s autopilot system. At the time, Tesla said the driver had confirmed the autopilot was “functioning properly and … was unrelated to the accident.”

Source: The Guardian October 17, 2016 09:00 UTC