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All Tesla Cars Now Ship With Hardware That Enables Level 5 Autonomous Driving

According to the National Traffic Safety Administration, there are five levels for self-driving cars. Level 0 is the most basic of the lot, while Level 5 is the full bonanza. Despite the fact we’re still some years away from implementing Level 5 autonomous driving on production cars, Tesla is making preparations toward this end. At least that’s what Elon Musk wants us to believe for the time being.
Tesla Level 5 autonomous driving technology on Model 3 21 photos
Photo: Tesla Motors
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In a blog post titled “All Tesla Cars Being Produced Now Have Full Self-Driving Hardware,” the Palo Alto-based manufacturer specialized in EVs announced that “as of today, all Tesla vehicles produced in our factory – including Model 3 – will have the hardware needed for full self-driving capability at a safety level substantially greater than that of a human driver.” Pretty swell, innit?

In other words, the Model S, Model X, and upcoming Model 3 are equipped with autonomous driving technology classified as Level 5. The only problem, however, is that software for top-shelf autonomous driving is still a matter of work-in-progress for Tesla Motors. And while the manufacturer continues to calibrate the hardware via real-world driving, Tesla owners of vehicles equipped with Level 5 bits and bobs will miss out on Autopilot features for a limited period. I’m afraid I’m not joking about that, nor does Tesla Motors.

Here’s the thing: “While this [Level 5 autonomous driving real-world testing and calibration] is occurring, Teslas with new hardware will temporarily lack certain features currently available on Teslas with first-generation Autopilot hardware, including some standard safety features such as automatic emergency braking, collision warning, lane holding and active cruise control.”

Hopefully for Tesla Motors, this problem won’t be a prolonged one. To make Level 5 autonomous driving possible, all Teslas built from this point on ship with an onboard computer that’s more than 40 times more powerful than the previous generation. Connected to eight surround cameras, twelve ultrasonic sensors, and a high-performance forward-facing radar capable of seeing through rain and fog, it is a given that Tesla Motors is serious about bringing Level 5 autonomous driving to the industry before the competition does.

Oh, and another thing: if you want the self-driving gadgetry enabled, prepare to pony up $8,000, which is a lot more than the $3,000 Autopilot.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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