5 Things I Learned From Driving A Tesla In Autonomous Mode

1. You quickly get your head around Autonomous mode

Pulling back a small lever to the left of the steering wheel is all it takes for the car to take over completely. The system only works on the motorway (despite what the idiots on YouTube would have you believe), and of course you need to have your hand/hands on the steering wheel at all times according to Tesla’s guidelines. In reality, though, you don’t need to touch the wheel at all, except when you want to change lanes; the car won’t do this unless it senses your hand on the wheel.

Amazingly, getting used to autonomous driving takes just a couple of minutes, no more, despite the fact that my brain is screaming ‘Beta’ at me. Just like radar-guided cruise control, the steering is controlled by sensors (including a forward-facing camera and a rear-mounted radar) that map the road continuously. Not once did the Tesla screw up, despite the best attempts of people who have zero road manners and broken indicators.

2. Autonomous mode can lead to severe boredom

The thinking behind Autopilot is that you don’t have to watch the car ahead of you quite so closely at all times when on the motorway. The result, says Tesla, is that you as the driver will be more alert when it comes to actual driving on twisty roads and in town. Then there’s the whole human error thing that Autonomous mode reduces.

While it’s nice to be driven, however, you’re still legally not allowed to check your phone, have a nap, or play Top Trumps. This makes life very boring for you, and will - because I experienced it - make you want to alleviate the boredom with impromptu staring contests with your passenger, or double-handed waves to freak people out when they drive past you in the fast lane.

3. Driving fast on the motorway is no longer a priority

When I’m driving myself on the motorway like a peasant, I usually like to beat my sat-nav’s ETA by at least 10 per cent; you know how damn boring motorway journeys can be…But with the Tesla doing its thing, I found myself in the middle lane most of the time without getting frustrated by slow-moving lorries or people driving Honda Jazzes. I guess the reason for this is because I felt like I was being driven, and to interfere would have been almost rude, like telling an Uber driver to step on it.

4. Changing lanes in Autonomous mode is clumsy

The way you change lanes is by checking that the coast is clear, pushing the indicator stalk up or down as usual and making sure you’ve got a hand/hands on the steering wheel (otherwise it won’t work). Then, the car has a think, goes for a nap, wakes up and completes the move when it’s good and ready.

In reality, this sequence can take anything up to five seconds, by which time the BMW in the fast lane has caught up to Audi distance and is now flashing you for cutting them up (quite right, too). It’s currently a clumsy way of changing lanes, so the best thing to do would be to complete the move manually, or simply stay in your lane and continue that game of cards you’re not supposed to be playing.

5. You don't actually need to be in the driver's seat...

Despite what Tesla says about pressure sensors in the seats, you don’t actually need to be in the seat for the car to drive itself in Autonomous mode. A guy in the Netherlands recently proved it the extreme way by jumping in the back and recording the car sans driver at around 50mph, while I simply lifted my weight for a few seconds, to which the car didn’t bat an eye. Had I been on a runway, I’d have happily jumped in the boot just to prove a point.

We’ll have a full video of the Autopilot ‘driving’ experience coming in a couple of weeks. For now, though, if you have any questions, fire away!