DHAKA: Electric carmaker Tesla says all cars it now builds will have hardware needed to drive completely on their own.

But despite the cameras, sensors and radars being introduced, it is still expected to be years before the vehicles become fully self-driving.

Tesla introduced its Autopilot system last year, allowing some self-drive functions such as auto-braking.

But it is now temporarily disabling Autopilot on all new cars to allow “robust” testing with the new systems, reports the BBC.

Tesla founder Elon Musk said its hardware was “basically a super-computer in a car”, but added it would be up to regulators and the public to decide when self-driving vehicles could actually be used on the roads.

For now, the hardware will run in “shadow mode”, gathering information on when the technology may have caused or avoided accidents had it been in command of the vehicle.

Musk said he hoped that Tesla could one day show regulators significant data which demonstrated the self-driving technology was safer than having humans behind the wheel.

BDST: 1420 HRS, OCT 20, 2016
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