Today Tesla is enabling software version 7.0 for the Model S, bringing Autopilot and more.
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Tesla chief executive Elon Musk said the autopilot mode was created to increase driver confidence on the road.
Of course, it’s important to mention that the Model S is not completely autonomous, and even when it’s in autopilot mode Tesla urges drivers to keep their hands on the wheel, in case something happens and drivers need to take over. The forward radar, forward-looking camera, long-range ultrasonic sensors, and digitally-controlled electric assist braking system weren’t able to fully automate the vehicle, but they were used to enable capabilities such as automatic braking. In a press conference via phone, Musk warned that people need to use the new feature with caution. True self-driving cars, Tesla said, are still years away.
Finally, the Model S can now parallel park itself, a feature many new models from other carmakers already have. (That’s an ambitious timeline, and it’s worth noting that both Tesla and SpaceX have historically missed most of their deadlines, sometimes by several years).
New “autopilot” features, designed for cars built after September 2014, would be available on October 15 through an over-the-air upgrade for customers in the United States, Tesla said, while European and Asian owners would have to wait another week. Drivers can also tap the turn signal and the auto will change lanes as long as there isn’t anything in the way.
Automatic Emergency Steering and Side Collision Warning senses when nearby objects, such as cars, get a little too close to the Model S’ sides, and will alert the driver with fluid lines that radiate from the Model S image in the instrument panel. So far Tesla hasn’t revealed much about how it’s gathered detail for that or what its limitations are, but Musk said that the feature is adaptive. The vehicle will automatically stay in lane, slowing down as necessary to avoid traffic and steering around curves.
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Tesla is still awaiting regulatory approval in Europe and Asia, though, and the software update is at least “a week out”. Tesla says that the Model S will park itself, controlling steering and speed.
