Tesla releases new software update: features

The Tesla Model
3.
Hollis Johnson/Business
Insider

• Tesla said
  on Friday that the latest version of its vehicle software had
  begun rolling out to customers.
• New features include the ability to record and store
  video taken from a front-facing camera, the use of cameras in
  the automaker’s blind spot monitoring feature, and the addition
  of classic Atari video games as hidden Easter Eggs.
• The company said new features for Autopilot, its
  semi-autonomous driver assistance system, will arrive “in the
  coming months.”

Tesla
said on Friday that the latest version of its vehicle software
had begun rolling out to customers. The automaker’s CEO, Elon
Musk, had previously said the update would produce “significant”
advancements for Autopilot, the company’s semi-autonomous driver
assistance system, though in a
post on its website Tesla said the Autopilot updates will
arrive “in the coming months.”

Here are the highlights of Tesla’s new software update that
are currently available:

• Owners can prompt software updates with their phones outside
  of the vehicle.
• Owners can send a destination to their car’s navigation
  system remotely with a mobile phone.
• Vehicles built with hardware that became available in August
  2017 can record and store video taken by the vehicle’s
  front-facing camera.
• Tesla’s blind spot monitoring feature now uses cameras, in
  addition to ultrasonic sensors, and will show vehicles in an
  owner’s blind spot on the touchscreen.
• If a vehicle senses an object in its path while driving at
  low speeds, it will automatically reduce its ability to
  accelerate to help prevent accidental acceleration.
• Classic Atari arcade games are now available as hidden
  Easter Eggs on the touchscreen when the vehicle is parked.

Tesla also described some of the forthcoming Autopilot features,
like the ability to recommend lane changes, navigate transitions
between highways, and take exits, with driver
supervision. In its current iteration, Autopilot can
keep a car in its lane and adjust its speed based on surrounding
traffic, among other features. 

Recent accidents involving the feature
have raised
questions about whether drivers place too much
trust in it and fail to pay attention to the road. Tesla has
repeatedly said Autopilot is meant to be used with an attentive
driver whose hands are on the wheel, but the most visible
accidents involving Autopilot have included reports
of distracted drivers. 

On Thursday, Consumer Reports
released its rankings of four semi-autonomous driver
assistance systems. The publication ranked Autopilot second,
behind Cadillac’s Super Cruise. Autopilot received the
highest rating for capability and performance and ease of use but
received the lowest rating for keeping drivers
engaged. 

Have a Tesla news tip? Contact this reporter
at [email protected].

Get the latest Tesla stock price here.