People Are Going to Tesla Service Centers Just to Learn About Autopilot

More Teslas on the road means more people that don't know how Autopilot works as well.

Autopilot 101

Tesla is selling a lot more cars than it used to. In Q2 of this year, the electric car company moved 77,634 Model 3 vehicles alone.

And many of those new owners seem to be hazy about how to use the cars' Autopilot feature, Electrek reports: the single most common reason why customers visit Tesla service centers is to learn about the steering-assist tech.

Course Correct

According to Electrek, Tesla used to offer a brief orientation about Autopilot on delivery, but since most of the sale process moved online, most customers have to rely on short videos on Tesla's support page to learn about the feature.

It's good that Tesla buyers are learning how to use their cars safely. But there's a good deal of evidence that customers have been misled by the term "Autopilot" in the past. There have been multiple reports of drivers falling asleep — or passing out — behind the wheel, seemingly confident that the car will get them where they need to go in one piece.

Apple Store

Tesla announced it would close dealerships to focus on selling cars exclusively online in late February, only to reverse course weeks later.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety published a study last month focused on automated driving systems, including Tesla’s Autopilot. The result: Tesla is at least partly to blame for the perceived and actual self-driving capabilities of their vehicles.

READ MORE: Tesla says number one reason owners visit service is to learn how to use Autopilot [Electrek]

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