Tesla’s latest software update has gone live, and has brought with it the capability for the Model S and the new Model X to drive on autopilot. First impressions videos are now steadily rolling out on the Internet, and suffice to say that owners of these Tesla vehicles are in equal parts amazed and freaked out.
Tesla founder Elon Musk has been keen to reiterate that the new mode is named autopilot, not autonomous, meaning that the onus is still on drivers of these vehicles to ensure that they’re kept out of danger. While the cars do seem very capable of sticking to the road when autopilot mode is activated, with them automatically changing lanes and adjusting their speed in response to traffic, Tesla will not be legally responsible if the vehicles are involved in any accidents.
But despite the inherent risk involved in Tesla drivers taking their hands off the wheel in order to let this new mode do its thing, early indicators highlight that it’s almost creepily capable of taking control of the vehicle. Take a look in the video below:
The mode is still in its early stages, and Musk has stated that Tesla vehicles will improve their capability to make best use of their built-in sensors and cameras as time goes on, but already it’s shaping up to be an impressive feather in Tesla’s cap, beating Google to the punch when it comes to bringing self-driving vehicles to the masses.
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Speaking of the future capabilities of the autopilot mode, Musk said: “Essentially it’s like a person – how well can a person figure out what route they should take. Over time it will be better than a person. Long term it will be way better than a person. It never gets tired, it’s never had anything to drink, it’s never arguing with someone in the car. It’s not distracted.”
The software update will be rolling out across North America over the next two days, with these autopilot features costing an extra $2,500 to unlock. The update can be downloaded using a Wi-Fi connection.
