I thought I'd add to this discussion given that I've now owned (and daily driven) a first-gen autopilot equipped Tesla Model X for over six months. Note that I included the autopilot option in my build without any real intention of using it (merely added the feature as a means of somewhat future proofing my purchase)...and less than a month after I took ownership, Tesla announced second-generation hardware would be included in every car they produced moving forward with full autonomy their eventual goal. In other words, my somewhat future proof feature was now somewhat obsolete.
Though initially upset by the announcement (had I just bought a really expensive smartphone?), I have come to appreciate the current implementation of the feature far more than I would have ever anticipated...and I use it in a way I never thought I would. In fact, I use it most of the time I am in my Model X even though I know I must stay actively involved in the driving process. I did not expect to be more comfortable enabling it in stop-and-go traffic than when I am on the open highway...largely because the traffic aware cruise control relieves my leg from having to constantly modulate the accelerator and brake pedals. The auto-steer component still has its share of quirks because it relies on clearly visible lane markings (anyone who has driven around L.A., knows how poorly maintained our roads are)...and it doesn't do a great job of anticipating construction walls encroaching upon carpool lanes on the local freeways (I usually take control in these situations). That said, autopilot has made the tedious commute less annoying. It also took a lot of stress out of holiday traffic I encountered while driving up to the Bay Area on the day after Christmas. I stopped being jealous of those who bought the next-gen autopilot Teslas because it took them this long for the second-gen autopilot to reach parity with first gen...and, given the slow roll out of improvements, fully autonomy (which will not ever be coming to my vehicle) is likely a long ways off.
I guess my point about all of this is that a good percentage of our daily driving experience really isn't all that fun...so having any level of autonomy can help reduce the tedium. As mentioned earlier, there are certainly many distracted people out there driving vehicles that probably should be forced into autonomous vehicles given how little they already are actively engaged in the actual driving process. And, once autonomous vehicles include vehicle-to-vehicle communication, I imagine that required regions of autonomy could dramatically improve the traffic flow. I just hope that full autonomy does not fully replace manual driving...because I still like taking the reins when conditions are ideal.
. Was just reading an article about how you can buy an older SL65 now for $30k. mb should extend the warranties on these Uber cars to help control catastrophic depreciation.
