Tesla has restored the Autopilot driver assistance features it remotely disabled on a used Model S, just days after Jalopnik published a story about the customer's ordeal. The owner, who Jalopnik simply referred to as Alec, confirmed to The Verge that the features are back after The Next Web spotted new Tesla Motors Club forum posts he wrote earlier this week. Alec said he was contacted by a Tesla customer experience rep who "apologized for my troubles, told me that Tesla has restored all missed options" and "cited a miscommunication" as the reason why the company pulled the Autopilot features in the first place. Alec had purchased the used 2017 Model S in December from a third-party dealer that acquired the car from Tesla at auction in November. The original owner had equipped the car with the (now-retired) "Enhanced Autopilot" version of Tesla's driver assistance package and the company's "Full Self-Driving" package, which promises increased autonomy over the years.

Seemingly, one of the most controversial things about Tesla cars is its Autopilot feature, a driver-assist feature that helps drivers navigate and pilot their vehicle. Oddly, while news of exciting Autopilot features comes out regularly, general information about exactly what Autopilot is, what the options are, and what it can and cannot do seem to be few and far between. I have tried to collect and answer the biggest questions about Autopilot below to help prospective buyers know what the system is and is not, as well as to inform journalists about the system in case they find themselves trying to cover a news story regarding the system. When the next questionable news story comes out, please feel free to link this article for anyone wondering about the system. Please note that all of the below information refers to Tesla vehicles containing Autopilot 2.0 hardware or higher in them (vehicles built since October of 2016). Although, the majority of the information will apply to all Tesla vehicles that are Autopilot enabled.

Self-driving Tesla vehicles could be ready to hit the road sooner than expected. Billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk said he's'certain' the technology needed for self-driving Teslas will be ready by the end of this year. However, he cautioned that it take a while longer before humans will be able to safely fall asleep behind the wheel while their Tesla zooms down the highway. A fully self-driving Tesla could soon be ready to hit the road. Tech mogul Elon Musk said he's'certain' the tech needed for self-driving Teslas will be ready by the end of this year'I think we will be feature complete - full self-driving - this year,' Musk said during a podcast interview on Tuesday.

If you've been driving your Tesla in the past week, you're likely enjoying the major upgrade Elon Musk's automaker just issued with a free, over-the-air software update. And if you believe the blog post trumpeting the advance, you've taken a major step towards chillaxing on the highway while the car handles the traffic for you. By accepting this download, owners give their cars the ability to "Navigate on Autopilot," which Tesla says "guides a car from a highway's on-ramp to off-ramp, including suggesting and making lane changes, navigating highway interchanges, and taking exits." It comes with a mass of caveats though, not least that the driver still has to stay in control, and confirm every single move the computer comes up with. No surprise, owners are already debating how much better their cars really are now.

Elon Musk revealed Tesla's Model 3 is unlocked by a smartphone and doesn't have a traditional key or fob among a host of other details at the delivery event for the first 30 mass-market electric cars over the weekend. As the Model 3 enters what Musk called "six months of manufacturing hell" as Tesla ramps up production to meet the more than 500,000 pre-orders, one of the most surprising titbits is that there is no traditional key to open and start Tesla's mass-market electric car hope. Instead, would-be buyers of the $35,000-plus five-seat electric car will have to unlock the car with their smartphones over Bluetooth. The car will detect the owner's smartphone – almost all modern smartphones made in the last three years supports Bluetooth – and automatically unlock, ready to start and go. Should the battery on your phone run flat, which is a very real possibility in the days of increased use for everything from music, cameras and now keys, Tesla has a backup in the form of an NFC key card that is apparently thin enough to store in a wallet.

Speaking to robots, asking the Google Assistant for directions, using Amazon Alexa to lock the front door. Those things reveal the current state of artificial intelligence--a human powered endeavor with some assistance. Soon, it will all seem like the Dark Ages. Tesla has decided to radically improve how A.I. automates our lives. Announced late last night during the Presidential debates, the new Enhanced Autopilot will work in future cars in the Tesla line-up, depending on regulatory approval.