Tesla Autopilot and Full Self-Driving Capability Test: Tampa to Miami

Author Geno

January 7th 8:27 AM

How does Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving Capability handle that long boring drive from Tampa to Miami? There’s all that congestion along I-75 through Sarasota and Fort Myers. Then you take that turn and do the endless monotonous last stretch across Alligator Alley. It was a good chance to put autopilot to the test and see if I could sit back and let the Tesla do the work. So how did it go?

My new Tesla has handled Tampa area roadways pretty well. I do keep a hand on the wheel. You’re pretty much required to or the self-driving feature doesn’t work. But I rarely have to take over. On backroads that are unpainted, it can be a challenge for the car – but on the Tampa area’s main roadways and highways, Tesla’s self-driving software is pretty flawless.

The first week I owned the car I was pretty apprehensive to use self-driving at all. You build a level of trust with the car over time. I’m at the point now where I rarely steer and accelerate. I let the Tesla do all that. I just supervise. But when you’re talking about a road trip like the one from Tampa to Miami, I was unsure how much I’d use autopilot.

• St. Pete to Miami

  Share

  I actually was leaving from Pinellas not Tampa. When you pop in your destination, Tesla calculates the best route for you to take, factoring in the charging stations along the way. The car can make it one charge, but the way batteries work... it charges fast when the battery is low and slows down once it hits about 80% to protect the battery. So it often makes sense to stop twice like it says here and do 2 short charges of about 10-15 minutes instead of one long charge.

• First Stop

  Share

  The first stop would be in about 90 minutes near Fort Myers. Once I arrive at 6;13pm, it predicts I'll have 19% battery left. It's extremely accurate... both in time and charge percentage.

• Look Ma!

  Share

  No hands. This was really me just hot dogging. You don't take your hands off the wheel much when in autopilot mode. The car wants to feel some tension on the wheel to know you're paying attention.
• One hand

  Share

  I usually keep one hand on the wheel like this. The car is always looking for a little bit of tension from you driving... otherwise it scolds you and tells you to pay attention. Tesla does have the self-driving feature but it always wants you to be ready to take over.

• Warning

  Share

  If the Tesla thinks you're not paying attention, first it will display a message to give some tension to the wheel. If you don't, this blue bar flashes. Then it will beep at you. If it feels you're completely zoning out and not paying attention, eventually it will disable to the autopilot until your next drive.

• Pacing

  Share

  Notice the speeds. The speed limit at this point through St. Pete was 65. I set my maximum speed at 72MPH. You can alter the default... I have mine set at 6% over the speed limit. But when there's traffic, the car keeps you at a safe distance from the car ahead of you. It doesn't tailgate like 99% of Florida drivers do.
• Lane changing

  Share

  The trippy thing that REALLY takes getting used to is the car actually changes lanes for you. It will pass other cars going too slow. AND it will have you travel in the appropriate lane. It won't leave you in the passing lane, especially if there's a car behind you. Now do you wish EVERYONE had a Tesla now? How often do you get stuck behind a "pace car" in the left lane in Florida?

• Approaching the Skyway

  Share

  We're getting close to the Skyway at this point. I'd never used self-driving autopilot over it. As I approached, I'm not gonna lie. I was starting to question my sanity for leaving autopilot on.

• Slow Drivers

  Share

  Again, the car paces itself and drops down to 60MPH since the car in front of me is going slow. But it also senses the car to my left so instead of trying to pass, it waits.
• Enjoying the View

  Share

  While I do my best to keep my attention on the road, the self-driving feature does let you take in Florida's awesomeness.

• See?

  Share

  This is why as a Florida driver you should want EVERYONE to own a Tesla. It takes you out of the passing lane if you're not passing someone. Imagine that!

• OK here we go.

  Share

  Last chance to decide. Take over or let autopilot do the work? To disengage autopilot, just like cruise control, you can tap on the brake. Or you can also firmly turn the steering wheel a bit too. I decided to go for it. Would I live to share the story? Well since you're reading this, I guess the story is spoiled.
• No I did not…

  Share

  ... end up swimming with the fish along the fishing pier.

• See?

  Share

  Again... no hands. But honestly just for about 3 seconds. I mentioned you can set the speed limit default by percentage. I overrode it (it's that right button on the steering wheel) to go 68MPH. Speed limit was 65.

• Skyway

  Share

  I'm still only about 2 months in to being a Tesla owner. Did I dare use Autopilot over the Sunshine Skyway?
• Here we go….

  Share

  When the speed limit dropped to 50MPH near the top, the Tesla dropped its speed to 60. I did it... went autopilot the whole time. No problem.

• Smooth sailing.

  Share

  Actually that's the wrong phrase to use. I didn't end up in the water. So there was no sailing. Now here's another super cool thing about a Tesla. See that green line? That means as it goes down the bridge, it's using that force of going downhill to recharge the battery. As I coasted down the other side of the Sunshine Skyway, my Tesla was getting a free charge. Hybrids work this way too.

• Traffic

  Share

  The best part of the self-driving autopilot feature is definitely not having to navigate through traffic. It does the stopping and starting for you, keeping a safe distance. The best experience I had was driving through Orlando in a downpour. All the tourists left Disney because of the weather so they were driving rental cars they aren't familiar with on highways they're not familiar with. Tragic combo. It was so nice to let autopilot deal with them.
• Getting close to the first charging point.

  Share

  As the car gets closer to the charging station, it preconditions the battery so the charging process happens faster and more efficiently. Basically it's just heating up the battery.

• Gas prices

  Share

  Obviously the biggest perk of going electric is never having to buy gas. It's nice to not care about finding a good gas price. When prices of gas fluctuate now I don't even notice. Don't care.

• I’m rackin’ up Wawa points

  Share

  Most of Florida's Tesla Superchargers are at Wawa locations. I love Wawa anyway, so while you're charging, you can grab a sandwich or coffee. By the time you're done, you're ready to get back on the road.
• Wawa Burger Review

  Share

  I got a swiss cheeseburger with some kind of garlic aioli. Not bad. But I definitely prefer their Italian hoagie more. But still, the burger was ok.

• Charging update

  Share

  Now it says 25 minutes... that was if I had charged to 100%. I didn't need to that. The car will tell you when you have enough charge to get to your next destination so you can use your time efficiently. This stop was about 15 minutes. There would be 1 more that was about 10 minutes. So the whole drive was about a half hour longer than it would normally take in a gas car.

• During the Miami visit…

  Share

  I was down in Miami doing some work. One of the guys who came down from Chicago was pretty intrigued by my car so we did a Demo Drive at the Tesla store in Ft Lauderdale. This happened the last time I was in South Florida with a buddy from New Jersey. 2 days after getting back to New Jersey, he owned a Tesla.
• Driving back to Tampa

  Share

  On the way back, I drove late at night to avoid traffic. First charging stop was on Alligator Alley. By the time I used the restroom and grabbed a snack in their 24/7 convenience store, it was time to continue the drive back to Tampa.

• Plenty of chargers

  Share

  One thing I haven't experienced much is overcrowding at the chargers. It seems to be more of a thing on the west coast. Here in Florida, I rarely see all the charging stations occupied. The longest I've ever had to wait is about 5 minutes. This was late in the night so only about 2 of the dozen or so chargers were in use.

• Road trip wrap up.

  Share

  So how did autopilot feature do on the road trip? I'd give it a B-. One thing you have to realize is Tesla even actually calls the feature a "beta test." They're constantly sending updates (which the media calls a "recall"). It's just like your cell phone. Tesla sends updates over the air to your car to continuously improve performance.

Final thoughts…

I did notice self-driving in Miami and Fort Lauderdale had far more flaws than when I’ve driven the roadways in the Tampa area. A few unexpected swerves freaked me out a bit. Thus my B- grade for the entire trip. 95% of the drive, I was able to keep the car in autopilot mode and it handled Florida traffic, and more importantly, Florida drivers’ misdeeds perfectly. It was just on some street in Fort Lauderdale in particular where the car made some weird movements. But again, I keep my hand on the wheel as required, so it’s quick and easy to override if you need to.

The drive along I275 and I75 was a piece of cake. The Tesla self-driving autopilot handles highway driving flawlessly. And with plenty of those 24/7 supercharger stations along the route, there was never any anxiety of running out of juice.

So the fear many have of doing road trips in a Tesla are really unnecessary. The only thing is it does add a half hour to your trip. But chances are on a drive that long you stop once or twice anyway.

Questions about Tesla?

I’m only a couple months in with the EV (electric vehicle) lifestyle, but I have a pretty good grasp on it all now. If you’ve thought about going electric and have questions, hit me up! I’ll give you the no BS honest answer. There are a ton of perks and a few things you need to be aware of before going electric. I have no regrets, but it’s not for everyone. Follow along with my new blog Tales of a Tesla in Tampa. There’s a podcast too.

Get The Q Factor Newsletter Delivered To Your Inbox

Stay up to date on the latest from your favorite artists, Tampa/St. Pete happenings, exclusive contests, games, and more.

Email *

Subscribe

By clicking "Subscribe" I agree to the website's terms of Service and Privacy Policy. I understand I can unsubscribe at any time.

Author Geno

Category:

• Geno
• Trending In Tampa Bay

Tags:

Miami,Tampa,Tesla