I have seen the future, and it is in the form of the Tesla Model S P90D. Not only is it all electric, but it also is the first car I’ve driven with full autopilot.

I’ve been riding in cars since I was born. And I’ve been driving cars since I got my driver’s license at 16, but until I drove the P90D, I had never both driven and ridden in a car at the same time. We’re not yet at the point where you get in, type in an address, and the car takes you there, but the autopilot function of the Tesla is amazing, and I’m sure it’s a glimpse of things to come. By using cameras, active sensors, GPS and high-resolution digital maps, Tesla computers use lane markers and radar to automatically keep you in your lane and a specified distance behind other cars. It senses what nearby cars do so you can easily go with the flow of traffic by pulling a lever and letting it take over. It’s most useful on the highway and in stop-and-go traffic, where it can keep you moving and stopping without your input. You can adjust the following distance or your speed if there’s no one ahead of you, and if you hit the turn indicator, it will change lanes for you when clear. It also parks itself. You have to steer to exit and turn, so it’s not for city driving. The car lets you know if you should control the wheel or if it hasn’t received input for a while. It’s a machine, and you still have to pay attention to your surroundings.

The Tesla Model S is a great-looking hatchback sedan with a trunk in the front and plenty of cargo room in back under the rear hatch. There’s even deep storage below the rear floor. In fact, there’s so much room in back that Tesla offers a rear-facing third-row seat for children that fits under the hatch. Front heated seats are comfortable and well bolstered, and rear seat room is good. The rear seats folds 60/40 to create a very large cargo area. All vehicular controls are managed from a giant touch screen in the center of the dash that is easy to use. Because the car can connect to the internet, Tesla automatically downloads new or improved software to all models. Having an electric motor, all the torque is available instantaneously unlike a gas engine, so acceleration is blindingly fast. In ‘ludicrous’ mode (yes, that’s how they refer to it), 0 to 60 miles per hour can be achieved in 2.8 seconds. Regenerative braking adds electricity back to the batteries and slows the car like a manual transmission. Despite its 4,600-plus pound weight (due to the heavy batteries), the Tesla handles well, in part to its all-wheel-drive. Range on the P90D is 294 miles, which means unless you’re traveling interestate, you don’t need to worry about running out of charge. Even so, Tesla has an extensive series of free superchargers across the country, which the navigation system will guide you to before you run out of juice, so ‘range anxiety’ should be a thing of the past. Even charging at home, the cost is minimal. To drive 50 miles is estimated to cost about $2 (probably less in St. Louis), which saves almost $4.50 off the cost of traveling the same distance using gasoline. To fully charge takes less than nine hours.

For someone like me who loves to drive, autopilot is a double-edged sword. I don’t like having the pleasure of driving taken away from me. But I can see the advantages: to make today’s cars safer, cleaner and more efficient. We are truly living in a brave, new automotive world.

technicals>>model S P90D
price:
>Base $110,700, including delivery
>As driven with options, $139,700

gas mileage:
>All electric
>91 city, 100 highway mpg equivalent
>Driving range: 270 miles

drivetrain:
>Front engine; all-wheel drive
>3-phase, 4 pole induction electric motor
>532 horsepower equivalent
>Single-speed transmission

Robert Paster (robertpaster.com) is also an attorney in private practice, concentrating in estate planning and probate.