Autosteer

This topic describes how to enable and use the following driver assistance features.
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Note
Depending on options purchased, date of manufacture, software version, vehicle configuration, and Self-Driving hardware, your vehicle may not be equipped with the following features, or a feature may not operate exactly as described.
  • Autosteer : Like Traffic-Aware Cruise Control, Autosteer maintains a set speed (if there is not a vehicle in front of you) or a set following distance (if there is a vehicle in front of you). In addition, Autosteer detects lane markings, road edges, and the presence of vehicles and objects to intelligently keep Model Y in its driving lane (see Autosteer).
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    Note
    Autosteer is a BETA feature.
  • Auto Lane Change : When you engage a turn signal while Autosteer is active, Auto Lane Change moves Model Y into the adjacent lane in the direction indicated by the turn signal (see Auto Lane Change).
  • Navigate on Autosteer : Navigate on Autosteer builds on the features of Traffic-Aware Cruise Control and Autosteer . While Autosteer is active, Navigate on Autosteer allows Model Y to suggest and, if configured, automatically change lanes to pass other vehicles and follow the navigation route (see Navigate on Autosteer).
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    Note
    Navigate on Autosteer is a BETA feature.
These features use information from the cameras on Model Y to detect lane markings, road edges, and other vehicles and road users around Model Y.
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CAUTION
Ensure all cameras are clean and free of obstructions before each drive and before using the features described in this topic (see Cleaning a Camera). Dirty cameras and sensors (if equipped), as well as environmental conditions such as rain and faded lane markings, can affect performance. If a camera is obstructed or blinded, Model Y displays a message on the touchscreen and Self-Driving features may not be available.
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CAUTION
It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the limitations of Autosteer and the situations in which driver intervention may be needed. For more information, see Self-Driving Limitations and Warnings.

Before Using Autosteer

Before you use Autosteer , customize how it works by touching Controls > Self-Driving .
  • Set Speed: Choose whether Autosteer engages at the currently detected speed limit or your current driving speed. Touch Controls > Self-Driving and choose either Speed Limit or Current Speed.
  • Offset: If you choose Speed Limit, you can specify an offset by touching Set Speed Offset. You can choose Fixed (the cruising speed adjusts by a specific amount on all roads) or Percentage (the cruising speed is adjusted as a percentage of the road's detected speed limit).
  • Self-Driving Activation : Choose how to activate Autosteer . If set to Single Pull, both Traffic-Aware Cruise Control and Autosteer engage when you pull the drive stalk down once. If set to Double Pull, you must pull the drive stalk down twice in quick succession to engage Autosteer .
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    Note
    Self-Driving Activation must be set to Double Pull if you want to use Traffic-Aware Cruise Control independently of Autosteer .

Autosteer

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Note
Depending on market region, vehicle configuration, options purchased, Self-Driving hardware, and software version, your vehicle may not be equipped with Autosteer , or the feature may not operate exactly as described.

To enable Autosteer :

  1. Touch Controls > Self-Driving > Autosteer (Beta) .
  2. After carefully reading and understanding the popup window, touch Yes.
Autosteer is available when you are driving between 30 km/h and 140 km/h. You can activate Autosteer at lower speeds if there is a vehicle detected at least 1.5 meters ahead of Model Y.
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Note
To engage Autosteer , headlights must be set to On or Auto. Although Autosteer is available both during the day and in low light conditions (dusk or dark), it aborts or is unavailable if headlights are set to Off. When Autosteer is engaged, Adaptive Headlights (or, on some vehicles, Auto High Beam) is automatically enabled (see High Beam Headlights) and wipers are set to Auto.
To use Autosteer :
  1. Move the drive stalk fully down twice in quick succession.
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    Note
    If the setting for Self-Driving Activation is set to Single Pull, pulling the drive stalk down once engages Autosteer (see Before Using Autosteer).
  2. To change the set speed, roll the right scroll wheel up to increase, or down to decrease. For more information, see While Using Autosteer.
  3. To cancel Autosteer , move the drive stalk upward or press the brake pedal. For more information, see Canceling Autosteer.

When you engage Autosteer , Model Y confirms activation with an audible chime and briefly displays a message on the touchscreen reminding you to pay attention to the road and have your hands on the steering wheel.

To indicate that Autosteer is available (but not actively steering Model Y), the top corner of the touchscreen displays a gray steering wheel icon next to the driving gear.
When a Autosteer is engaged and actively controlling Model Y, the steering wheel icon is blue.
In situations where Autosteer is temporarily unavailable (For example, if your driving speed is not within the operating range), a gray dot displays in the status bar at the top of the touchscreen.
When Autosteer is able to detect lane markings, it displays the edges of the driving lane in blue on the touchscreen.

Whenever Autosteer is active, Traffic-Aware Cruise Control is active as well.

In situations where the speed limit cannot be detected when Autosteer is engaged, Autosteer reduces your driving speed and limits the set cruising speed to 70 km/h. Although you can manually accelerate to exceed the limited speed, Model Y will not brake for detected obstacles as long as you are applying the accelerator pedal. Autosteer slows down to the limited speed when you release the accelerator pedal. When you leave the road or disengage Autosteer by using the steering wheel, you can increase your set speed again, if desired.

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Warning
Steering is limited when Autosteer is enabled. Therefore, Model Y may not be able to handle tight turns. Be prepared to take control of the vehicle at all times.
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Warning
Autosteer is a hands-on assistance feature. Keep your hands on the steering wheel at all times, be mindful of road conditions and surrounding traffic, and always be prepared to take immediate action. Failure to follow these instructions could cause damage, serious injury or death. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the limitations of Autosteer and the situations in which it may not work as expected. For more information, see Self-Driving Limitations and Warnings.

Auto Lane Change

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Note
Depending on market region, vehicle configuration, options purchased, Self-Driving hardware, and software version, your vehicle may not be equipped with Auto Lane Change , or the feature may not operate exactly as described.

If you engage a turn signal while Autosteer is active, Model Y moves into the adjacent lane in the direction indicated by the turn signal, provided the following conditions are met:

  • The turn signal is engaged.
  • Lane markings indicate that a lane change is permitted.
  • Auto Lane Change detected your hands on the steering wheel.
  • Midway through the lane change, Model Y must detect the target lane's outside lane marking. If this lane marking is not detected, the lane change is aborted and Model Y returns to its original driving lane.
  • The view of the camera(s) is not obstructed.
  • Model Y does not detect a vehicle in its blind spot, or a vehicle or obstacle up to the center of the target lane. If a vehicle or other obstacle is detected in the target lane, it is shown in red in the visualization on the touchscreen and Model Y does not complete the lane change until it is safe to do so.
To indicate that Auto Lane Change is available in a given direction (left, right, or both), a telltale displays on the touchscreen panel. Appears only while Autosteer is active.
Indicates that Auto Lane Change is not available in either direction. Appears only while Autosteer is active.
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Note
Auto Lane Change cancels if the lane change cannot be completed in 5 seconds.
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Warning
Although Auto Lane Change is designed to detect vehicles and obstacles in adjacent lanes, it is your responsibility to always perform visual checks to make sure it is safe and appropriate to move into the target lane. If Auto Lane Change cannot change lanes due to inadequate data, the touchscreen displays a series of warnings. Therefore, when using Auto Lane Change , always pay attention to the touchscreen and be prepared to manually steer Model Y.

The minimum speed at which Auto Lane Change changes lanes may vary depending on region, adjacent lane speeds, and other factors. Always be ready to manually steer and change lanes as necessary. When an automatic lane change is in progress, Overtake Acceleration is activated, allowing Model Y to accelerate closer to a vehicle in front (see Overtake Acceleration).

When you engage a turn signal, Auto Lane Change moves Model Y one lane at a time. Moving into an additional lane requires you to engage the turn signal a second time after the first lane change is complete.

As Model Y changes lanes, it is important to monitor its performance by watching the driving path in front of you and the surrounding area. Stay prepared to take over steering at any time. As you are crossing over into the adjacent lane, the touchscreen displays the location in the lane that Model Y is moving into.

Navigate on Autosteer

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Note
Depending on market region, vehicle configuration, options purchased, Self-Driving hardware, and software version, your vehicle may not be equipped with Navigate on Autosteer , or the feature may not operate exactly as described.

To enable Navigate on Autosteer , touch Controls > Self-Driving > Navigate on Autosteer (Beta) . Then, to customize how you want Navigate on Autosteer to operate, touch Customize Navigate on Autosteer :

  • Enable at Start of Every Trip: Choose whether to automatically enable Navigate on Autosteer for every navigation route. When enabled, the Navigate on Autosteer button on the turn-by-turn direction list is already enabled at the start of every trip.
  • Speed Based Lane Changes: Navigate on Autosteer is designed to perform both route-based and speed-based lane changes. Speed-based lanes changes are optional. You can use this setting to disable speed-based lane changes or to specify how assertively you want Navigate on Autosteer to change lanes to achieve the set cruising speed (Mild, Average, or Mad Max).

If Enable at Start of Every Trip is turned on, Navigate on Autosteer engages automatically when:

  • Autosteer is active.
  • You are navigating to a destination.
  • You are on a controlled-access highway.

Once enabled, the Navigate on Autosteer button appears on the map’s turn-by-turn direction list whenever a navigation route is active and the route includes at least one controlled-access highway.

If Enable at Start of Every Trip is turned off, touch the Navigate on Autosteer button above the turn-by-turn directions to enable it. Once the Navigate on Autosteer is selected, it will engage whenever you engage Autosteer .

The Navigate on Autosteer icon shows in the turn-by-turn direction list when you are navigating to a destination and Navigate on Autosteer is available but not active.
If Navigate on Autosteer is active, the icon is blue. If Enable at Start of Every Trip is turned on, the Navigate on Autosteer icon is selected whenever you start navigation. Touch the icon to cancel Navigate on Autosteer and revert to Autosteer .

Whenever Navigate on Autosteer is active, the Navigate on Autosteer button is blue and the touchscreen displays the driving lane as a single blue line in front of Model Y:

The turn-by-turn directions display the Autosteer icon next to the maneuvers (such as off-ramps) that Navigate on Autosteer will handle.

When Navigate on Autosteer is engaged Model Y makes both speed-based and route-based lane changes after driver confirmation.

  • Speed Based Lane Changes: Navigate on Autosteer changes lanes to reduce driving time to your destination. For example, if Model Y is behind a vehicle going below the set cruising speed, Navigate on Autosteer will move into the passing lane to pass it. Speed-based lanes changes are optional.
  • Route Based Lane Changes: Navigate on Autosteer changes lanes to route you to your destination. For example, Navigate on Autosteer will move into the exit lane as Model Y approaches the off-ramp specified by the navigation route.

When the touchscreen displays a message asking you to confirm the lane change, engage the appropriate turn signal. If you do not confirm the lane change within 3 seconds, a chime sounds to remind you that Navigate on Autosteer requires your confirmation to change lanes. Auto Lane Change cancels if the lane change cannot be completed in 5 seconds.

If you ignore a route-based lane change suggestion (for example, you are driving in the left lane while approaching an off-ramp on the right side of the highway), Navigate on Autosteer is unable to maneuver onto the off-ramp and as a result, you are re-routed to your destination.

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CAUTION
Navigate on Autosteer may not always attempt to exit at an off-ramp or change lanes, even when an exit or lane change is determined by the navigation route. Always remain alert and be prepared to manually steer onto an off-ramp, or make a lane change to prepare for, or to exit at, an off-ramp or interchange.

Navigate on Autosteer activates and deactivates based on the type of road you are driving on. When Navigate on Autosteer is active and you approach an off-ramp or interchange along your navigation route, the appropriate turn signal engages and Autosteer maneuvers Model Y onto the off-ramp or interchange.

When you leave a controlled-access highway Navigate on Autosteer reverts to Autosteer —a chime sounds and the touchscreen displays the driving lane lines in blue (instead of the single blue in front of Model Y). When Navigate on Autosteer deactivates, Autosteer remains active. Always be prepared to take appropriate action.

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Note
Navigate on Autosteer is a hands-on feature. Keep your hands on the steering wheel at all times, be mindful of road conditions and surrounding traffic, and always be prepared to take immediate action. Failure to follow these instructions could cause damage, serious injury or death. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the limitations of Navigate on Autosteer and the situations in which it may not work as expected. For more information, see Self-Driving Limitations and Warnings.

Canceling Autosteer

Autosteer cancels when:

  • You move the drive stalk upward
    Warning IconA warning icon, calling your attention to a possibly risky situation
    CAUTION
    If you move the drive stalk upward and hold it up for more than one second, Model Y shifts into Neutral after canceling Autosteer .
  • You press the brake pedal.
  • You exceed 140 km/h.
  • You shift into Reverse, Park, or Neutral.
  • A door is opened.
  • An Automatic Emergency Braking event occurs (see Collision Avoidance Assist).
  • The driver's seatbelt is released, and/or the driver gets out of their seat.
  • You exceed 140 km/h.
  • You apply rotational force to the steering wheel (even a slight amount).
    Warning IconA warning icon, calling your attention to a possibly risky situation
    Warning
    If Self-Driving Activation is set to Double Pull and Autosteer cancels because you applied rotational force to the steering wheel, Traffic-Aware Cruise Control remains active. If Self-Driving Activation is set to Single Pull and Autosteer cancels because you applied rotational force to the steering wheel, Traffic-Aware Cruise Control also cancels.
  • You do not respond to repeated reminders to keep your hands on the wheel and subsequent messages on the touchscreen .

When Autosteer cancels, a chime sounds and the Autosteer icon either turns gray to indicate that Autosteer is no longer active, or disappears to indicate that it is not currently available.

Navigate on Autosteer cancels when Autosteer cancels, as described above. In addition, Navigate on Autosteer cancels when:
  • You touch the Navigate on Autosteer button on the map’s turn-by-turn direction list. In this case, Autosteer is still active.
  • You leave a controlled-access highway. When this happens, Autosteer is still active.

When Navigate on Autosteer cancels but Autosteer remains active, a chime sounds and the visualization goes from a single blue line in the driving lane to two blue lines on either side of the lane.

When Autosteer cancels, Model Y does not coast. Instead, regenerative braking slows down Model Y in the same way as when you move your foot off the accelerator when driving normally (see Regenerative Braking).

While Using Autosteer

When Autosteer is active and maintaining a set speed, the speed is highlighted with blue text on the touchscreen.

When Autosteer is active, the steering wheel icon is blue and the lane markings are highlighted in blue on the visualization. If Navigate on Autosteer is also active, the Navigate on Autosteer button is blue and the touchscreen displays the driving lane as a single blue line in front of Model Y.

If unable to detect lane markings, Autosteer may determine the driving lane based on a vehicle you are following. In most cases, Autosteer attempts to center Model Y in the driving lane. However, there may be situations in which Autosteer follows a driving path that is offset from the center of the lane (for example, if guard rails are detected).

Maintaining the Set Speed

When Autosteer is active, Model Y maintains your set cruising speed whenever a vehicle is not detected in front of it. When cruising behind a vehicle, Model Y accelerates and decelerates as needed to maintain a chosen following distance (see Adjusting the Following Distance), up to the set speed.

You can manually accelerate at any time by pressing the accelerator pedal, but when you release the pedal Model Y resumes cruising at the set speed.

Model Y also adjusts the cruising speed when entering and exiting curves.

When Model Y is actively slowing down to maintain the selected distance from the vehicle ahead, brake lights turn on. You may notice slight movement of the brake pedal. However, when Model Y is accelerating, the accelerator pedal does not move.

Changing the Set Speed

Roll the right scroll wheel up to increase, or down to decrease, the set speed.

To change the cruising speed to the current speed limit (including any offset you've specified), either:
  • Push the drive stalk downward and briefly hold.
  • Press the speed limit sign on the touchscreen.

It may take a few seconds for Model Y to reach the new cruising speed.

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Note
On a residential road, a road without a center divider, or a road that is not controlled access, the maximum allowed cruising speed is limited and the touchscreen displays a message. The restricted speed will be the speed limit of the road plus 10 km/h.

Adjusting the Following Distance

To adjust the following distance you want to maintain between Model Y and a vehicle traveling ahead of you, press the steering wheel's right scroll button to the left or right.

The closest following distance is 2.

Each setting corresponds to a time-based distance that represents how long it takes for Model Y, from its current location, to reach the location of the rear bumper of the vehicle ahead of you. Autosteer retains your setting until you change it again.

As you adjust the following distance, the touchscreen displays the current setting.

Stopping and Slowdowns

When moving significantly faster than vehicles in adjacent lanes, Model Y automatically reduces the driving speed. This is especially helpful in heavy traffic situations or when vehicles are constantly merging into different lanes. When Model Y detects other vehicles driving significantly slower, the touchscreen highlights the adjacent lanes with arrows and detected vehicles in gray, and Model Y reduces the driving speed as appropriate. To temporarily override this feature, press the accelerator pedal.

When following a vehicle, Autosteer remains active at low speeds, even when Model Y comes to a full stop. For example, Autosteer remains active even if Model Y slows down to a complete or near-complete stop in heavy, stop-and-go traffic on a highway. When traffic starts moving more rapidly, Autosteer again accelerates up to the set speed.

Sometimes when Model Y is at a full stop, Autosteer goes into a HOLD state. If this happens, briefly press the accelerator pedal to resume cruising.

When the HOLD status is active, the touchscreen displays the HOLD icon and a message that indicates that you need to resume cruise control.

Model Y goes into HOLD state while Autosteer is active in the following circumstances:

  • Model Y has been at a standstill for 5 minutes.
  • Model Y detects a pedestrian (the HOLD state may clear when the pedestrian is no longer detected).
  • Model Y suddenly loses visibility of the vehicle in front of you.
  • An obstacle is detected in front of Model Y.

Cruising Near or On Exits

When you are cruising near an exit on a controlled-access highway and engage the turn signal toward the off-ramp, Autosteer assumes you are exiting and begins to slow down Model Y. If you do not drive onto the off-ramp, Autosteer resumes cruising at the set speed.

In a region with right hand traffic, this occurs only when you engage the right turn signal when driving in the right-most lane within 50 meters of an exit. Likewise in regions with left hand traffic, this occurs when engaging the left turn signal when driving in the left-most lane within 50 meters of an exit.

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Note
If Navigate on Autosteer is active, Model Y will perform a route-based lane change to enter the exit lane and take the off-ramp as necessary to follow the navigation route.

When cruising onto an on-ramp to a controlled-access highway, Autosteer automatically adjusts the set cruising speed to the speed limit of the highway, plus any offset you have specified. If Navigate on Autosteer is engaged, it disengages as you leave the controlled-access highway (see Canceling Autosteer). In this case, Autosteer remains active.

Overtake Acceleration

Engage the turn signal momentarily to accelerate Model Y towards the vehicle ahead of it. By momentarily holding the turn signal stalk up or down, you can quickly accelerate up to your set speed without having to press the accelerator pedal as long as:

  • Traffic-Aware Cruise Control is operating and detects a vehicle in front of you.
  • No obstacles or vehicles are detected in the target lane.
  • Model Y is traveling below the set speed, but over 72 km/h.
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Note
If Autosteer is active and you fully engage the turn signal, Model Y will change lanes automatically (see Auto Lane Change).

Model Y stops accelerating when you reach your set cruising speed, if changing lanes takes too long, or if Model Y gets too close the vehicle ahead. Model Y also stops accelerating if you disengage the turn signal.

Take Over Immediately

In situations where Self-Driving is unable to steer Model Y, a warning chime sounds and the touchscreen displays the following message.

Self-Driving is Aborting

When you see this message, take over steering immediately.

Driver Attentiveness

Autosteer requires driver attentiveness. Your hands must be on the steering wheel at all times while Autosteer is engaged, and you must monitor your surroundings, the road, and other road users.

Autosteer periodically displays a message reminding the driver to apply slight force to the steering wheel:

Apply slight turning force to steering wheel

Autosteer detects your hands by recognizing slight resistance as the steering wheel turns, or from you manually turning the steering wheel very lightly (without enough force to take over steering). If Model Y does not detect slight turning force on the steering wheel, the touchscreen flashes and eventually chimes repeatedly. Do not use handheld devices while Autosteer is engaged.

If you repeatedly ignore prompts to apply slight force to the steering wheel or to pay attention, Autosteer disables for the rest of the drive and displays the following message requesting you to drive manually. If you don't resume manual steering, Autosteer sounds a continuous chime, turns on the warning flashers, and slows the vehicle to a complete stop.

Self-Driving temporarily disabled Driver attention warnings ignored

Self-Driving Suspension

Use of Self-Driving features will be suspended if improper usage is detected.

Use of Autosteer is suspended for a week when you or another driver of your vehicle receives five "strikeouts." A strikeout is when the Self-Driving system disengages for the remainder of a trip after the driver receives several audio and visual warnings for inattentiveness.

You can see how many strikeouts are remaining before Self-Driving access is suspended by touching Controls > Self-Driving .

A strikeout is forgiven after half a week (3.5 days), as long as you don't receive another strikeout in that time.

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Note
If your access to Autosteer is suspended, you also lose access to Autopark . However, you can still use Traffic-Aware Cruise Control and all active safety features are still enabled.

There may be occasions where driver intervention is required and you must take over immediately to maintain safe driving. Driver-initiated disengagements do not count as improper usage and are expected from the driver.