AI illustration: Sleep in your Tesla and wake at your destination in ~2 years (TED 2017)
TeslaSelf-Driving
Missed

Can you sleep in a Tesla while driving? Elon said by 2019, missed

Elon Musk promised Sleep in your Tesla and wake at your destination in about two years by Apr 28, 2019. The deadline passed and it didn't happen.

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“I think that's about two years.”
— Elon Musk · Apr 28, 2017 · TED 2017 interview, Apr 28 2017 (transcript) ↗
What actually happened

Asked at TED in April 2017 how far away it was to buy a Tesla, take your hands off the wheel, go to sleep and wake up at your destination, Musk said about two years. No Tesla allowed that by 2019, and FSD still requires an awake driver. Electrek Sep 2025 — Tesla changes the meaning of 'Full Self-Driving' ↗

The Progression

Apr 28, 2017
The promise: “I think that's about two years.” · TED 2017 interview, Apr 28 2017 (transcript) ↗
Apr 28, 2019
Deadline passed. Asked at TED in April 2017 how far away it was to buy a Tesla, take your hands off the wheel, go to sleep and wake up at your destination, Musk said about two years. No Tesla allowed that by 2019, and FSD still requires an awake driver. Electrek Sep 2025 — Tesla changes the meaning of 'Full Self-Driving' ↗
Today · Oct 12, 2026
Status: Missed · 2,724 days past due. Never happened.

At TED in April 2017 Chris Anderson asked when someone could buy a Tesla, take their hands off the wheel, fall asleep and wake up at their destination. Elon Musk answered: about two years.

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Receipts

LAST CHECKED 2026-10-11

Tesla’s record

Delivered
70
53% of resolved claims delivered.
Missed
63
Deadline passed, still no-show.
Still open
37
On the clock now. All 170 Tesla claims →

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← 'Less than two years away from complete autonomy' (Code 2016) Self-driving covers all modes of driving by end of 2019 (SXSW 2018) →
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