If Tesla called Autopilot "cruise control with lane-keep assist", I think people would be a lot less likely to abuse it. By calling it Autopilot (and even letting people pay for "full self driving capability" in advance) is enticing people to use it dangerously.

First of all, they do call it that. There is no “turning on AutoPilot”. You turn on “traffic aware cruise control” and “Autosteer” separately. You can turn on TACC and not autosteer, or turn them both on, or drive yourself and switch between these modes very easily. Collectively the self driving features come in an “Enhanced Autopilot” package which you can purchase to have those individual features enabled.

Secondly, I have a Model 3. The idea that the name is misleading people is the dumbest thing i’ve ever heard. Even if people were confused, their confusion would be cleared up very quickly within a few days of use. When you pick up the car they talk to you extensively about what it can and can’t do, and there are many warnings in the car that explain it. People who make this argument probably haven’t tried using AutoPilot.

Put this is context. you can’t just release a perfect system on day 1. In order to get the software to that level earlier versions need to be seeded into the public. I am 100% convinced the software is a huge safety and convenience win as it is.

cruise control - means just controlling cruising speed. thats all. Constant 55mph or whatever speed you desire.

Auto pilot literally means vehicle operation without human participation. The name autopilot should be banned.