Tesla has decided to enter into the self-driving car race, after various companies such as Google and Nissan have already detailed their plans. The company is going to produce a car that is capable of running on “auto-pilot” within the next three years. According to Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk, the system will take over 90 percent of the control of the car, adding that it would take longer for fully autonomous cars to be developed.
Musk says that they will develop the technology in-house. Tesla’s online job board has an open position for an Advanced Driver Assistance Systems Controls Engineers, the job responsibilities also include aiding “Tesla’s effort to pioneer fully automated driving.” The company’s three year timeframe is said to be quite ambitious. At this point in time, the most advanced self-driving systems available to the public are found in the new Mercedes Benz S550, it touts adaptive cruise control that is capable of handling stop and go traffic. There’s also a feature called Traffic Assist which is capable of handling steering at low speeds. However, before fully autonomous cars can become a staple on the roads, a number of legal and safety issues will need to be resolved, for example, laws in the European Union dictate that a driver must have control of their car at all times.