Musk: Telsa’s first fully autonomous car to appear within six months
Many analysts used to believe that driverless cars were a decade away, but company after company, including Tesla, wants to prove them wrong
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2017) 'Musk: Telsa’s first fully autonomous car to appear within six months', 311 Institute, 4 February. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/musk-telsas-first-fully-autonomous-car-to-appear-within-six-months/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
The majority of people, well, when I say the majority of people what I actually mean, looking at the surveys, is at least 40 percent of people, are looking forwards to the day when they can get in a car, crack open a soda and kick back watching a movie.
I am, of course, talking about the arrival of self-driving cars, and now, if Elon Musk the billionaire polymath has anything to say about it, which he does, it’s won’t be too long now until that soda filled dream becomes a reality.
In a tweeted reply to a question about when Tesla’s Autopilot system would transition into a fully self-driving system Musk replied “in three to six months.”
Post on X
@tsrandall 3 months maybe, 6 months definitely
Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 24, 2017
That said though while it might be ready to be debuted within the next six months that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’ll be available right away because while consumers might be ready to go for a ride regulators are still wary of unleashing millions of self-driving cars onto the world's roads, particularly in light of some of the recent fatal crashes and near misses that have happened recently.
But, as the technology improves, and as regulators and state legislators, like those in Michigan who recently green lighted self-driving vehicles on all public roads, warm to the technology it’ll only be a matter of time before we see hordes of soda loving, Dorito munching movie goers laughing it up to Star Wars on their way to work each morning.
What this means for your organisation
Software defines the car.
Turning driver assistance into full autonomy is mostly a software change. Cars will gain features after purchase. Carmakers and dealers should plan for products that keep changing.
Regulators set the pace.
Readiness of the technology is not the same as approval to use it. Rules differ by state and country. Leaders should track regulation as closely as technical progress.
Bold timelines often slip.
Promises of imminent autonomy have repeatedly been missed. Planning on headline dates is risky. Build plans that hold if full autonomy arrives years later.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
- How would over-the-air autonomy change our products or fleet?
- Which regulators decide when we can use self-driving cars?
- Do our plans survive if autonomy arrives years late?
The trends and technologies behind this story
From the 311 Starburst, the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit’s map of the technologies and trends shaping the next 50 years.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit, from Matthew Griffin’s article and 311 data. First published on Fanatical Futurist.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
Many analysts used to believe that driverless cars were a decade away, but company after company, including Tesla, wants to prove them wrong
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, President and Futurist, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 17-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder, President and Futurist of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity programme, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Sources and further reading
- View on X → twitter.com
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 4 February 2017. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2017). Musk: Telsa’s first fully autonomous car to appear within six months. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/musk-telsas-first-fully-autonomous-car-to-appear-within-six-months/
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