Tesla planning self-driving car

Tesla are joining the race to launch an autonomous, self-driving car, with Tesla boss Elon Musk saying it will launch in 3 years.

Now that car makers have been fitting radar and sensors to their cars for some time, which allow stuff like adaptive cruise – which automatically slows behind traffic and can even bring the car to s stop on its own – the race is on to make cars even more autonomous.

We’ve reported recently on the Mercedes Intelligent Drive S-Class that negotiated its way – more or less – on a 60 mile route in Germany, and on Volvo’s self-parking system which will take your car in to a multi storey car park by itself, park, and meet you when you return.

Google has also been playing with self-driving cars and has even gained permission to run its autonomous cars in California, and now Tesla are joining the fray with plans for an autonomous car in the next three years.

Elon Musk, Tesla’s maverick founder, has told the Financial Times that Tesla will use its own technology to create a car that can do 90 per cent of the driving itself within three years.

It seems cars that can do the drudge driving are an unstoppable direction for the car industry and frankly, we’re all for it.

To be a ‘passenger’ in your own car when you’re stuck in traffic or negotiating slow, boring urban landscapes sounds just perfect, just as long as the option is always there to take the controls and enjoy the drive.