The trio consisting of Alex Roy, Carl Reese and Deena Mastracci just broke the record for the fastest coast-to-coast run in a Tesla Model S P85D, but they were not alone, as the vehicle's autopilot function assisted them on their journey, at least for the most part of it.
Not long ago, Reese and Mastracci along with Rod Hawk set a transcontinental record of 58 hours and 54 minutes in a Tesla Model S, driving from Los Angeles to New York in April. Using the new Tesla Model S variant fitted with an autopilot function, Roy joined up with Reese and Mastracci in embarking on the 2,995-mile road trip, beating the record with an impressive run of 57 hours and 48 minutes, nearly an hour earlier. From Redondo Beach, California to Red Ball Garage in New York, the trio set off from point A at 9:15 p.m. on Oct. 18, Sunday and arrived at point B at 10:03 a.m. EST on Oct. 21.
"Deena and I have been planning this autonomous record for over 11 months. We knew we wanted to be the first group to make the cross-country attempt using the autonomous technology," Reese said in a news release.
We just went Coast to Coast with Autopilot and breaking our previous record. Thank you @AlexRoy144, @P85dDeena https://t.co/ayl9CsMPml
— Carl Reese (@EVrecordattempt) October 21, 2015
Roy is a rally race driver, and he is not new to record-breaking feats. In 2006, he successfully set a coast-to-coast record of 31 hours and 4 minutes using a heavily altered BMW M5 sedan. His vehicle was fitted with a variety of devices from radios to jammers, designed to dodge the police and any potential traffic jam. Guinness World Records decided not to dignify Roy's attempt because he obviously broke the law.
As of now, it's not clear just how much effort the trio put in on the autonomous driving Tesla Model S. But what is clear is that the autopilot software can't do everything, although a record was broken.
"Tesla Autopilot functions like the systems that airplane pilots use when conditions are clear. The driver is still responsible for, and ultimately in control of, the car," Tesla said on its blog regarding its autopilot technology.
The TransContinental Drivers Association is looking into the GPS tracking data to verify the authenticity of the trip.
