Tesla gets approval to bring Autopilot feature to Europe

Car manufacturer Tesla is allowed to release its software for autonomous driving of cars outside the United States. The company has received permission from the local authorities to release the functionality, which will soon also see European drivers get Autopilot.

CEO and founder Elon Musk reported on Twitter that his company has received the necessary approval to deploy Autopilot outside of the United States. Only the Japanese authorities have not yet given a definitive answer about allowing Autopilot. With the permission, the self-driving features can also be released in Europe, although Musk has not yet said when that will be.

At the same time announced Musk indicated that a new version of Autopilot is coming that will bring several innovations. This is version 1.01 of the software, which includes improved lane detection on bad roads and improved speed adaptation when cornering. Also, the autopilot should feel smoother. It is not known when the new software will be rolled out, but according to Musk it will be soon.

Autopilot came out earlier this month for Model S owners and, as the name suggests, offers features to allow the car to drive more or less independently. Tesla does warn that Autopilot cannot properly estimate all circumstances, so drivers are asked to keep their hands on the wheel.