The cars can also be summoned from a parking spot, according to the company, which said the tools remain in a beta, or test, version.
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Using a feature called “summon”, Model S drivers can park their cars from outside the vehicle in tight spots and the cars can also park themselves in perpendicular spots to the curb.
“I think within two years you’ll be able to summon your auto from across the country”, Musk said, allowing that he might be a little optimistic about the time frame.
The restrictions on the Autopilot driving system have been implemented by Tesla against the backdrop of recent reports that a number of Model S drivers have been clicking pictures of themselves driving hands-free in risky situations. Musk said he’s not aware of any accidents caused when a Tesla was driving in Autopilot mode.
“It’s probably better than a person right now (at driving)”, Musk said during a conference call with reporters.
Owners can “Summon” their Tesla the next day to come out of the garage.
Beyond the Autopilot refinements, the most significant upgrade is the implementation of “Summon”, a self-parking system.
To summon your Tesla, you just tap your phone or key to send for it, and by the looks of several videos posted online, it goes off without a hitch, and yes, it opens the garage door for you.
Once a Model S has been updated with the new automated software, it will only let its driver take their hands off of the wheel on residential roads or those without central dividers.
Along with the new feature, Tesla also tightened the operation of previously rolled out autopilot features such as the Autosteer and Trip Planner as well as enhanced the autopilot visualization. Digital control of motors, brakes, and steering helps avoid collisions from the front and sides, as well as preventing the vehicle from wandering off the road.
The visualization of Autopilot has also been improved.
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Trip Chowdry, an analyst at Global Equities Research, said existing carmakers were “destined to fail” if they could not compete with Tesla by providing remote software updates that do not require a visit to a dealership.
