The automobile industry is now banking on autonomous technology for the next phase of its growth. Tesla Motors has already made its mark on the electric vehicle ecosystem but it is now looking to make the cars drive themselves. The company has already started embedding the required self-driving hardware in vehicles and will be accompanied with a new and updated Autopilot software. Till date, there have only been speculations about the launch date but we now have a certain time frame. Tesla will probably launch all of its new enhanced Autopilot support feature in mid-December.
Elon Musk, founder and CEO of Tesla while replying to a user query on Twitter said that the software update will start rolling out in three weeks from now. In October, Tesla cars declared that their upcoming automobiles will be equipped with self-driving hardware including the Model 3. The enhanced Autopilot support feature will enable Tesla owners to achieve Level 5 autonomy. This update along with eight new cameras and ultrasonic sensors will enable the vehicle to be self-driven. Regarding the same, Tesla says,
Enhanced Autopilot adds these new capabilities to the Tesla Autopilot driving experience. Your Tesla will match speed to traffic conditions, keep within a lane, automatically change lanes without requiring driver input, the transition from one freeway to another, exit the freeway when your destination is near, self-park when near a parking spot and be summoned to and from your garage.
Tesla is taking major steps in the autonomous vehicle market. With version 8.1 having Autosteer capabilities, we could see an Autopiloted electric vehicles circle our local streets by the end of 2017. The Autosteer feature will allow vehicles to exit freeways on its own. Tesla also talks about its safety concerns for consumers. It plans to take the safety rating to a higher rating by providing an intelligent transportation system. It would also create time utility for the users. The new updates are available for the consumers on an incremental basis.
However, the release of Autopilot 8.1 coincides with the self-driving hardware steadily becoming ubiquitous in the automobile industry. As a leading innovator and tech designer, such updates are paving a way for a stronger base for Tesla Motors.
