Palo Alto, California - Newer Tesla Motors Model S sedans will be able to steer and park themselves under certain conditions starting from today - although Tesla boss Elon Musk says we should keep holding the steering wheel.
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.
Musk cautioned that autopilot functionality was in beta mode and full “hands-off” driving was not recommended.
“We're being especially cautious at this stage so we're advising drivers to keep their hands on the wheel,” Musk told reporters at the company's Silicon Valley headquarters. “Over time there will not be a need to have your hands on the wheel.”
Reporters who took Model S sedans with the new features for a test drive and took their hands off the wheel saw a notice saying “hold steering wheel” illuminate on the dashboard.
In more difficult navigating conditions, an audio alert will come on and if that also is ignored, the car will slow and eventually stop.
‘STILL EARLY DAYS’
Musk said: “We're making it very clear this is not a case of abdicating responsibility. That will come at some point in the future, but this is still early days.”
Instructions to drivers say “autosteer is a hands-on feature. You must keep your hands on the steering wheel at all times”.
Tesla, which also unveiled its Model X SUV this month, has been the US pioneer in luxury electric cars powered by batteries, while its expertise in software has made it a leader in self-driving features, which more traditional carmakers have been slower to develop.
Musk estimated that within three years, cars would be able to drive “from your driveway to work without you touching anything,” but regulatory approval could take years.
He said regulators would need data showing that self-driving cars work.
Teslas already on the road would help the autopilot constantly improve and become more reliable, he said.
“The whole Tesla fleet acts like a network. When one car learns something they all learn it,” he said. “As more people enable autopilot, the information about how to drive is uploaded to the network. Each driver is effectively an expert trainer in how the autopilot should work.”
Reuters