Tesla has removed the option of ‘Full Self-Driving Capability’ from its options list in order to reduce “confusion”, after testing revealed the software’s marketing can be misleading.
Euro NCAP and Thatcham Research yesterday revealed their first testing results of driver assist functions, including lane keep assist and autonomous braking. Their conclusion when testing Tesla’s ‘Autopilot’ function on a Model S was that the name “implied a fully automated system where the driver is not required”.
“However, the limited scenarios tested clearly indicate that is not the case, nor is such a system legally allowed”, the study continued. “Overall, the Tesla system is primarily in control with a risk of the driver becoming over-reliant”.
The day after the results were released, Tesla’s website no longer features 'Full Self-Driving Capability' as an option, with only the 'Enhanced Autopilot' function available. It's not yet clear if the two are linked, but the timing seems more than coincidental.
The US EV maker was intending to release the software to vehicles fitted with the option once it had been validated and regulatory approval had been granted, but that hasn’t happened since the option first featured in 2016. Tesla still intends to roll out an increasing level of automation once validation has been completed.
Currently, 'Enhanced Autopilot' claims to be able to keep within a lane, automatically change lanes without input, enter or exit a motorway by itself, self-park when near a parking spot and be summoned to and from a garage.