Here are some impressions of parts of the new Tesla factory in Tilburg. Tesla is on the upswing, doubles its sales figures even in Germany. In the Netherlands, one discovers it already more often in the streetscape. 450 per week, that is the preliminary magic number of output of new cars in Tilburg.

No, the model S is not really manufactured here. The body is from USA, said to have been already joined there on a trial basis with the rest. What other car factories (still) can not, undergo tests in closed halls, even at full acceleration.

So this is the step to Europe, accompanied by charging stations almost up to the North Cape. Only in the east it remains thin. And because there are mostly up to eight at one place and the gentlemen's agreement, one of them to release after about half an hour, even longer trips seem assured.

Each Tesla is connected to the Internet, so it can be provided with new software quasi overnight. The corny joke, what would give VW at the moment for such already functioning system for quite some time, we spare us here. Anyway, the Tesla driver will then greeted by the program changes in the morning.

No, not everything is free of charge at Tesla. The software to activate the autopilot, possible on all vehicles from October 2014, cost together with the factory price 2,700 euros and 3,400 euros, when it is installed later. It's actually just another step forward as a result of the optional already previously available tech package.

With that, one already could choose a preceding vehicle, theTesla then followed with an adjustable distance, even when changing lanes. However, there are already the problem that, for example, when entering the highway vehicles pushing between, will only be recognized , when they are almost half in the same lane. Then it can be dangerous narrow sometimes.

Autonomous without vehicles driving ahead, it will by recognition of sidelines. Now, the Tesla drives also alone the adjusted speed. Because it also steers autonomously here, the hands must indeed remain near, but not on the steering wheel. If one intervenes here, the system stops immediately. One has the complete control again.

However, the system itself drops out relatively often. It still can not, for example, scan recognizable traffic lights and stop signs and misses immediately absent verges. However, you can watch it all on the display. A warning beep says, one should take over the steering wheel. Actually, the system is therefore suitable almost solely for the highway.

After all, by actuation of the indicator is possible also a lane change and thus overtaking, however, with the above indicated, slight limitations. Probably the system has been developed by Bosch and will soon be available for other manufacturers also. 09/15