Tesla boss claims self-driving cars will let motorists sleep safely at the wheel

Robot cars will be so good by late 2020 that drivers will be able to nap at the wheel, it is claimed.

Tesla boss Elon Musk said he was confident people in his vehicles could “essentially fall asleep and wake up at their destination”.

Much of the technology will be ready by the end of this year, he added. But was not able to say when the cars will be legal to use on roads.

Mr Musk, 47, went on: “The car will find you in a parking lot, pick you up and take you to your destination.”

At present Teslas have the technology to drive on motorways but cannot cope with city driving.

But John Trafcik, chief of Google ’s Waymo self-drive cars, says they will need driver assistance for decades.