This week, both Cadillac and Audi have announced they are working on introducing semi-autonomous driving assists to their cars in the near future. Joining in on the party is CEO Elon Musk, who said in an interview that we can expect similar technology from Tesla within three years.
Speaking to Japanese newspaper Nikkei (hat tip to MotorAuthoroity), Musk said Tesla will introduce its own semi-autonomous tech around the time the upcoming Model 3 sedan is expected to arrive.
Much like Cadillac’s Super Cruise and Mercedes’ Steering Assist — currently offered only on the S-Class sedan — Tesla’s system won’t be fully autonomous. It will work only in certain conditions, mainly bumper-to-bumper traffic and long highway cruising, and the driver would still be required to pay attention and intervene when necessary.
That being said, Musk is still planning on introducing fully autonomous technology to the Tesla lineup.
“Full autopilot capability is going to happen, probably in the five- or six-year time frame,” Musk said in his interview. “I think in the long term, all Tesla cars will have autopilot capability.”
