🚗 1. Basic Autopilot (Standard)
Included as standard on all Tesla vehicles unless otherwise noted.
Core Features:
✔ Traffic-Aware Cruise Control
• Adjusts the car’s speed to keep a safe following distance relative to surrounding traffic. (Tesla)
✔ Autosteer
• Assists in steering the car within clearly marked lanes while maintaining speed and distance. (Tesla)
Driver Assistance Level:
• Still a Level 2 system — the driver must remain alert, keep hands on the wheel, and be ready to take over at any time. (Tesla)
What it doesn’t do (compared with Enhanced Autopilot):
❌ Doesn’t perform autonomous lane changes
❌ Doesn’t handle automated parking or summoning
❌ Doesn’t navigate freeway interchanges or exits on its own
🚀 2. Enhanced Autopilot (Optional Upgrade – Historical)
A step up from Basic Autopilot, available as a paid option on some Tesla vehicles (though it has recently been phased out in some markets).
Includes all Basic Autopilot features plus:
✔ Auto Lane Change
• When Autosteer is engaged and you signal, the car can change lanes automatically (checks surroundings before doing so). (Tesla)
✔ Navigate on Autopilot
• Guides the car on highways from entrance to exit, suggesting or performing lane changes to follow the navigation route and handle interchanges. (Tesla)
✔ Autopark
• Helps you park parallel or perpendicular with minimal effort. (Tesla)
✔ Summon & Smart Summon
• Move your Tesla forward/backward or have it drive short distances to find you in parking lots using the Tesla app. (Tesla)
📊 Basic Autopilot vs Enhanced Autopilot: At-a-Glance
| Feature | Basic Autopilot | Enhanced Autopilot |
|---|---|---|
| Traffic-Aware Cruise Control | ✔ | ✔ |
| Autosteer (lane-centering) | ✔ | ✔ |
| Auto Lane Change | ❌ | ✔ |
| Navigate on Autopilot | ❌ | ✔ |
| Autopark | ❌ | ✔ |
| Summon / Smart Summon | ❌ | ✔ |
All features still require the driver to pay attention and supervise the system — no Tesla feature makes the car fully autonomous yet. (Tesla)
📌 Additional Notes
- Driver supervision is mandatory: Even on Enhanced Autopilot, you must keep your hands on the wheel and be ready to take control at any moment. (Tesla)
- Availability varies by region: In some markets like Australia and North America, Tesla has discontinued Enhanced Autopilot as a standalone option, folding more capability into the top-tier Full Self-Driving (Supervised) package instead.
- Not fully autonomous: Neither system makes the car self-driving — they are advanced driver assist systems. (Tesla)