Is Tesla Autopilot Autonomous Driving? You Can Tell by the 'Level' [Im Juhyung's Tech Talk]

Autonomous Driving Levels Defined by the International Society of Automotive Engineers
Levels 1-2: Driver Assistance, Levels 3-5: Autonomous Driving
Tesla Autopilot Currently Limited to Driver Assistance
CEO Musk: "Full Self-Driving Mode Coming Soon"

Tesla logo of the electric vehicle manufacturer founded by CEO Elon Musk / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Recently, as traffic accidents related to Tesla vehicles' 'Autopilot' feature have continued unabated, controversy over exaggerated claims has emerged. The name of the driving feature, Autopilot, is similar to autonomous driving, leading to concerns that drivers are increasingly leaving the driver's seat unattended.

So, is Tesla Autopilot truly autonomous driving? Or is it merely a conventional assistance feature?

Autopilot is the name of the 'ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System)' installed in Tesla vehicles. When Autopilot is activated, it enables so-called 'cruise control,' which automatically adjusts the vehicle's speed and direction. It also includes an 'autosteer' function that maintains the current lane while driving.

Tesla's autonomous driving software is divided into two types. The first is Autopilot, a driver assistance feature installed as standard in all vehicles, and the second is FSD (Full Self-Driving mode), which must be purchased and updated through a subscription. According to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, FSD is currently in the final stages of development.

The problem lies in some drivers mistaking Autopilot for FSD and taking their hands off the steering wheel, occasionally causing traffic accidents.

On the 18th of last month (local time), in northern Houston, Texas, a Tesla Model S relying on the Autopilot feature collided with a nearby tree, resulting in the deaths of two men inside the vehicle. It was confirmed that the driver was not in the driver's seat at the time of the accident.

A man who left the driver's seat while the autopilot was on. / Photo by Instagram capture

Meanwhile, on the 10th in California, a man was arrested by police for leaving the driver's seat while driving on the highway with Autopilot engaged. After being detained in jail, he was released after one day and, in an interview with local media, said, "My car is still waiting to be charged," and "This time, I will sit in the back seat," showing blind faith in the Autopilot feature.

As a result, some domestic and international critics argue that Tesla is exaggerating the capabilities of the feature through the name 'Autopilot.'

Last year, the Munich Higher Regional Court in Germany ruled that Autopilot advertising was false. The court explained that the term 'Autopilot' could mislead consumers into believing it advertises full autonomous driving.

In South Korea, there have also been claims expressing skepticism about Autopilot's capabilities. The Consumer Sovereignty Citizens' Association issued a statement last year saying, "Autopilot is a control system provided for automatic operation of ships, aircraft, and spacecraft," and criticized Tesla for using this term for electric vehicles, causing consumers to misunderstand or mistake Tesla's vehicles as fully autonomous like ships, aircraft, or spacecraft.

So, is Autopilot truly an autonomous driving feature capable of driving without driver intervention?

According to the autonomous driving levels defined by the International Society of Automotive Engineers, levels 4 to 5 are considered "full autonomous driving." / Photo by Yonhap News

Currently, autonomous driving in vehicles is classified into six levels from 0 to 5, as defined by SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers).

Level 0 is a stage with virtually no autonomous driving features, Level 1 can control one function at a time such as automatic braking, speed control, or lane keeping. Level 2 can use multiple such functions simultaneously. Levels up to 2 fall under ADAS.

Meanwhile, what we commonly think of as autonomous driving starts from Level 3. Level 3 allows autonomous driving with the driver on standby to respond to emergencies.

Level 4 is a more advanced high-level autonomous driving, and Level 5 is full autonomous driving.

Based on the 0-5 level standard, Tesla's Autopilot and other ADAS belong to Levels 1-2. Therefore, strictly speaking, Autopilot should be regarded as a simple driving assistance system, not autonomous driving.

In fact, Tesla itself does not present Autopilot as a full autonomous driving feature. According to Tesla's official website user manual 'Introduction to Autopilot,' the company states that this feature is "designed to reduce the driver's operational burden" and warns, "Do not rely on this component (Autopilot) to ensure your safety."

It also emphasizes, "Drivers must always remain vigilant" and "Drivers are responsible for driving safely and controlling the vehicle."

Elon Musk Tesla CEO / Photo by Yonhap News

However, Tesla is developing FSD, a full autonomous driving system equivalent to Levels 4-5. Elon Musk has been promoting FSD continuously since 2016.

At that time, he predicted, "The FSD feature capable of full autonomous driving will soon enter beta testing." However, FSD development continued until 2020, four years after that statement, and Musk later mentioned, "It will be released by the end of 2020," but now the deadline has been postponed to this year.

On the 12th, Musk replied on Twitter to a user asking, "When will FSD be released?" saying, "It will be released in about a month."

However, whether Tesla will truly open the FSD feature in June and shed the stigma of exaggerated advertising, or whether the release date will be postponed indefinitely again, remains uncertain.