Hot on the heels of the beta release of Tesla Motors’ Summon software, which adds automated parking to the Model S range of electric cars, founder and CEO Elon Musk has predicted that Tesla cars will be fully automated by 2018.
Musk reiterated statements he made last month regarding the future of Tesla’s self-driving program during a press conference on Sunday night, The Guardian reports, saying, “I actually think, and I might be slightly optimistic on this, within two years you’ll be able to summon your car from across the country.”
“I think we have all the pieces, and it’s just about refining those pieces, putting them in place, and making sure they work across a huge number of environments—and then we’re done,” Musk told Fortune back in December 2015. “It’s a much easier problem than people think it is. But it’s not like George Hotz, a one-guy-and-three-months problem. You know, it’s more like, thousands of people for two years.”
Musk made the same assertion during a call with reporters, according to The Verge. “Ultimately you’ll be able to summon your car anywhere … your car can get to you.” he said, “I think that within two years, you’ll be able to summon your car from across the country.”
In ~2 years, summon should work anywhere connected by land & not blocked by borders, eg you're in LA and the car is in NY
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 10, 2016
It is an awesome idea an I believe a realistic one. There should however be a standardised communication system on board all autonomous cars forming an encrypted network sending data as traffic en route, is it safe to pass or join. ..it can even help authorities to manage their traffic data and so on.