In the few years that I've had a Model S (first a P85, now a P85D) I've made the trip from SF to LA several times a year. Though it takes a bit longer than flying (door to door), being able to not worry about making a flight, security, delays, obnoxious passengers, etc. makes it worthwhile for this distance. Today, I made the trip for the first time with autopilot and I have to say that whatever else autopilot is good for, on this type of trip it's basically an airline's worst nightmare.
For those who don't know the typical route people take going from the Bay Area to the LA area, it's generally Interstate 5. To say it's a boringly straight road is being kind...but this is exactly where autopilot shines.
Once over the Altamont pass, I settled in with my preferred Sirius channels (Howard Stern, then some classic rock), set autopilot at a safe speed (which may have been in excess of the speed limit, but if you drive I5, you know that the speed limit is barely a suggestion) and the next thing I knew I was at Harris Ranch. I recharged, had some coffee, checked email and before I knew it I was off again, autopilot taking over the hard work as I relaxed, kept an eye on traffic and luxuriated in the next gen seats as I listened to the radio (yep, I am a huge fan of the next gen seats). When I got into LA, I didn't have to deal with baggage claim or getting a rental car and the hotel I'm at has EV charging. Plus, I was absolutely relaxed (something I can't say that I've ever felt after flying).
So while I may not use the Tesla around town as much as other Tesla owners (I still prefer my ICE manual transmission compact for that), I would NEVER go back to airlines for short haul routes now that autopilot is here.
For those who don't know the typical route people take going from the Bay Area to the LA area, it's generally Interstate 5. To say it's a boringly straight road is being kind...but this is exactly where autopilot shines.
Once over the Altamont pass, I settled in with my preferred Sirius channels (Howard Stern, then some classic rock), set autopilot at a safe speed (which may have been in excess of the speed limit, but if you drive I5, you know that the speed limit is barely a suggestion) and the next thing I knew I was at Harris Ranch. I recharged, had some coffee, checked email and before I knew it I was off again, autopilot taking over the hard work as I relaxed, kept an eye on traffic and luxuriated in the next gen seats as I listened to the radio (yep, I am a huge fan of the next gen seats). When I got into LA, I didn't have to deal with baggage claim or getting a rental car and the hotel I'm at has EV charging. Plus, I was absolutely relaxed (something I can't say that I've ever felt after flying).
So while I may not use the Tesla around town as much as other Tesla owners (I still prefer my ICE manual transmission compact for that), I would NEVER go back to airlines for short haul routes now that autopilot is here.