2015 Tesla Model S and Autopilot: Prepared For a Driverless Age

Tesla Model S
The Tesla Model S. Tesla Motors/Car and Driver

The 2015 Tesla Model S has the highest safety rating in America, and it is no wonder as the all-electric car with two motors (one in the front and one in the rear) has achieved its success for the past few years.  One of the reasons why the Tesla Model S has achieved such high rating is due to its autopilot, which is advanced enough to be prepared for an age of driverless cars. 

The Tesla Model S has a lot to like with its numerous options including the 70D All-wheel drive, 85D All-Wheel Drive, and P85D All Wheel Drive.  The numbers in the names refer to the kWh of each battery.  The 70D has 240 mile range, goes 0-60 in 5.2 seconds, 328 hp, 387 lb-ft motor torque, and 140 mph top speed.  The 85D has a 270 mile range, goes 0-50 in 4.2 seconds, 417 hp, 485 lb-ft motor torque, and 155 mph top speed.  As for the P85D, it has a 253 mile range, 0-60 in 3.1 seconds (2.8 seconds with Ludicrous Speed Upgrade), 259 hp front motor power/503 hp rear motor power, 713 lb-ft motor torque, and 155 mph top speed. 

One of the company's proudest features is the autopilot, which might not be good enough to drive your Model S for you, but it is close.  Not only does the software, currently in version 7.0, have Automatic Parallel Parking, but Automatic Lane Changing at the tap of a turn signal, and Side Collision Avoidance. 

In case you are wondering about the auto-driving feature of the Tesla Model S, some recent videos have surfaced showing how good it really is.  According to Metro, an Uber driver in Seattle has recorded a terrifying moment when a car cut across the road.  The driver states that "I did not touch the brake.  Car did all the work".  A similar event happened with a driver of the Moscow Tesla Club, as a taxi unexpectedly cut in from the next lane.  The car knew what to do, carefully moving to the side to allow room. 

Forbes also shares how two recent victims of an accident in a Tesla Model S praised the safety of the vehicle.  DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg recently had a car accident in Beverly Hills on October 19th, and it destroyed his Model S.  Katzenberg has stated that the Tesla saved his life, and personally thanked CEO Elon Musk.  There was a similar report from a woman and child in a car that were trapped in a landslide.  A tree crushed the car, but the two occupants made it out intact.  This is not surprising as it has a 5-star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 

It's pretty clear that the Model S is prepared for that era that we all know is coming, where self-driving vehicles rule the road.  When that day comes, you can be certain that you'll be behind the driver's seat of a Model S, tapping its 17-inch touchscreen to tell it where to go.  In the meantime, you can head to Tesla's website and order a Model S for yourself, and it will show up by December. 

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