Musk predicts fully autonomous cars will be produced in two years

The Tesla CEO Elon Musk says he thinks fully autonomous Level 5 cars will be in production "within two years".

The website thedrive.com says that when Musk responded to a question on the subject by saying that vehicles sold at that time will be equipped with the technology that would enable drivers to "essentially be a passenger in their own car".  It says drivers still must be understanding that no system is perfect, so they should still remain alert - but they should feel comfortable enough with the decisions that the car is making.

However the report points out that there is a difference between selling the cars and actually using them for self-driving.  "Though the cars may be sold with the equipment and have the software ready, regulations may prevent driverless cars in states until thorough testing has been completed, it says.

It adds that Musk states Tesla is on track to complete a fully autonomous trip from Los Angeles to New York - no commands, no button presses, no human intervention what-so-ever, by the end of 2017. Once that testing completes, it will give a much more clear timeline on readying the technology for the public.