Tesla aims to release “significant” improvements to Autopilot for vehicles outside of the US by March 2022.
This timeline is according to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who responded to @WholeMarsBlog on Twitter yesterday when specifically talking about the experiences of European Autopilot users.
We’re aiming for a significant improvement for owners outside the US around March, depending on regulatory approvals
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 22, 2021
However, the updates seem to come as European regulators move forward with sweeping changes to vehicle safety system requirements.
In 2018, countries agreed on the “general safety regulation”, a new vehicle safety law. Moreover, the law set minimum requirements for various mandatory vehicle systems for cars sold and registered in EU member states.
Then in January 2020, Regulation 2019/2144 came into force. This regulation introduced a range of new technologies and safety measures for new vehicles. The regulation will become compulsory in all EU member states on July 6, 2022, reports Teslarati.
These new technologies and safety measures include:
- Driver Drowsiness and Attention Warning Systems
- Intelligent Speed Assistance
- Advanced Emergency Braking
- Emergency Lane Keeping Assists.
Finally, in 2024, every new car in the EU needs to have these technologies within their vehicle.
Tesla’s Autopilot seems to fit the bill for the new technologies and safety measures needed in the EU.
However, regulators in the EU are notoriously detailed, and getting regulatory approvals across the EU can take some time.