Tesla's Enhanced Autopilot Returns With Some Features From 'Full Self-Driving'

author: Vineeth Joel Patel   

Say what you will about Tesla, but the automaker certainly has an interesting way of getting some feedback from consumers and actually following through. A few weeks ago, someone reached out to Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Twitter requesting the automaker to revive its Enhanced Autopilot packages. The thinking behind the request is that Tesla would then have a happy compromise between the standard Autopilot system and the available "Full Self-Driving" package. Musk replied with, "Ok" and made the change.

New Enhanced Autopilot Package Arrives

For consumers, that means they can now get every Tesla with an Enhanced Autopilot package that costs $6,000. This means that Tesla now has three advanced driver-assist systems for consumers to choose from: Autopilot, Enhanced Autopilot, and Full Self-Driving. Tesla has, confusingly, used these names in the past for different things, so it can be easy for consumers to be confused by the options.

At the time of writing, Autopilot is standard on every Tesla. It brings things like forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, and blind spot monitoring. Enhanced Autopilot returns as a $6,000 package. It includes Autopilot, but also brings the ability to navigate on the highway, automatic lane change, automatic park assist, Tesla's Summon feature, and Smart Summon. Previously, these features were only available with Full Self-Driving. 

That now brings us to Full Self-Driving Capability that's $12,000. Going with this package brings everything from the two lower systems, but adds traffic light and stop sign control. Autosteer on city streets is coming soon. While Tesla has pushed Full Self-Driving to owners, the system is in "beta testing" and requires owners to sign a lengthy waiver to engage the system on their vehicles. We assume that future features will fall under the Full Self-Driving package. 

Will The Package Be Popular?

The new Enhanced Autopilot package seems like a win for shoppers. It gives consumers the ability to get some features that were once reserved for the pricey Full Self-Driving Capability package for less. Enhanced Autopilot isn't cheap, but it does bridge the gap between Tesla's available driver-assist systems. We suspect that Enhanced Autopilot will be a popular package for shoppers. 

Tesla's Autopilot system has been in the news for the wrong reasons. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently expanded its investigation into the automaker's Autopilot system from preliminary evaluation to an engineering analysis. The NHTSA originally began looking into Autopilot in August 2021 after a number of Teslas were involved in accidents where Autopilot was engaged. The current investigation is looking into roughly 830,000 Teslas from 2014 to 2022. 

Vineeth Joel Patel

Joel Patel has been covering all aspects of the automotive industry for four years as an editor and freelance writer for various websites. When it comes to cars, he enjoys covering the merger between technology and cars. In his spare time, Joel likes to watch baseball, work on his car, and try new foods