‘Consumer Reports’ calls out Tesla’s Navigate on Autopilot update

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has proclaimed unfaltering adoration for his electric car company’s Autopilot feature on highways. But after a recent update meant to make it easier to use the semi-autonomous system, not everyone is so keen on the advanced-driving assistance tool.

Review service and publication Consumer Reports blasted Navigate on Autopilot on Wednesday following Tesla’s updates to the assistance tool last month. The automatic lane-changing and speed-suggesting system, which only works on certain highways, had several issues. 

“We found that Navigate on Autopilot lagged far behind a human driver’s skill set,” the publication’s Keith Barry wrote.

One problem CR found was that the decisions Navigate on Autopilot made weren’t always the best or safest, requiring the driver to intervene instead of letting the car switch lanes without driver confirmation each time. Test drivers saw the car make unsafe lane changes, cut off drivers, quickly brake, and struggle with merging. Some computer-automated passing didn’t comply with road laws and procedures.

Before the April update, Navigate on Autopilot required the driver to confirm it wanted the car to do certain things every time the system suggested a lane change or passing opportunity. Now drivers can cede more control over to the computer assistant under certain settings. If a driver turns off turn-signal confirmation for lane changes, the screen tells them, “Disabling the turn signal confirmation does NOT alleviate the driver of their responsibility to keep their hands on the wheel and carefully monitor the vehicle’s surroundings.”

As Tesla pointed out, CR was using an optional setting and not the default Autopilot setting. Tesla cited the millions of miles and automated lane changes on Navigate on Autopilot that have been successful. 

Beyond the Navigate tool, Autopilot has been scrutinized for its misleading name and abilities — it’s only a semi-autonomous driver assistance feature with auto-steering and advanced cruise control and still requires drivers to pay attention to the road and keep their hands on the wheel. The system tries to make this clear and even alerts drivers, “This does not make your vehicle autonomous.” But misunderstandings continue with the tool.

With another fatal incident in a Tesla in March with Autopilot engaged, (the National Transportation Safety Board found in a preliminary report that the driver put on Autopilot 10 seconds before crashing while speeding) Tesla’s ambitious full autonomous goals for 2020 don’t look as likely. 

As CR put it, “Despite Tesla’s promises that it will have full self-driving technology by the end of next year, our experience with Navigate on Autopilot suggests it will take longer.”