Tesla rolls out Navigate on Autopilot with lane-change guidance

The feature will recommend lane changes to stay on a navigated route or keep the vehicle moving near the set speed.

Tesla has begun rolling out Navigate on Autopilot, improving the driver-assistance system while the car is following turn-by-turn directions.

The new feature provides lane-change guidance that will keep the car on its intended route, transitioning from one highway to another or moving the vehicle onto an exit ramp.

The system also monitors nearby lanes to help dodge slow traffic, recommending lane changes that will keep the car moving closer to its target speed.

Drivers are presented with several customization options including a setting that alters the aggressiveness of speed-based lane changes from Mild to Mad Max.

"Since we launched Autopilot in 2015, more than 1 billion miles of real-world driving data have been used to support the feature," Tesla wrote in a blog post. "As more miles are collected with Navigate on Autopilot in use, we will continue to make it even more capable and efficient."

The system currently requires driver's to approve each lane-change recommendation before Autopilot steers the car out of its current lane. It will eventually provide a setting for completely automatic lane switching, however.

Navigate on Autopilot has started arriving this week for US customers who have purchased Enhanced Autopilot or Full Self-Driving Capability.