The statement came in a video message at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) where Musk claimed Tesla had already solved many of the fundamental challenges involved with self drive cars.

I feel like we are very close. I remain confident that we will have the basic functionality for level five autonomy complete this year.

You're able to handle the vast majority of situations. But then there will be something very odd. You need a kind of a real-world situation. Nothing is more complex and weird than the real world. Any simulation we create is necessarily a subset of the complexity of the real world.

Elon Musk – Tesla, CEO

Perhaps most interestingly was Musk’s hints that a future software update could activate L5 autonomy in Tesla cars with absolutely no new hardware required.

However, it’s worth noting that back in April ’19, Musk made a similar statement, in which he said Tesla would probably develop a fully autonomous car by the end of the year and that he would be "shocked" if that is not achieved by the end of 2020 at the latest.

Currently Tesla have a L2 autopilot system which still requires the diver remain alert with their hands on the wheel as the car drives along.

Although many car firms and tech companies are working on self-drive technology, most sector experts believe we’re still years away from it reaching customers.

Achieving L5 autonomy in laboratory test conditions is very different from everyday use on public highways. Combine that with the need for regulatory legislation to catch up with the technology and it’s (unfortunately) unlikely we’ll see fully autonomous cars anytime soon.