Electric vehicle maker Tesla Motors Inc yesterday took a major step toward self-driving cars by installing a new autopilot software in North America to automatically change lanes, manage speed and even hit the brakes.
Self-driving capabilities — previously limited to cars tested by technology titans such as Google Inc — hit the streets “overnight” with the latest Tesla Version 7.0 software, the company said.
The feature, unveiled on Wednesday, is being added to thousands of Model S cars already on the road. As of June 30, Tesla had sold nearly 80,000 of the four-door sedans.
Photo: Reuters
The Version 7.0 software is due to hit the European and Asian markets next week after obtaining the required authorization.
“We’re being especially cautious at this early stage so we are advising drivers to keep their hands on the wheel just in case,” Tesla founder and chief executive Elon Musk told reporters in Palo Alto, California.
“In the long term, people will not need hands on the wheel, and eventually there won’t be [steering] wheels or pedals,” he said.
Autopilot allows Model S to steer within a lane, change lanes by tapping a turn signal and manage speed using “traffic-aware” cruise control.
The car can also scan for available parking spaces, alert drivers when one is spotted and then parallel park on command.
However, the new software has its limits. It still cannot recognize the color of traffic lights, though it can alert drivers to parking spots.
On its Web site, Tesla acknowledged that “truly driverless cars are still a few years away.”
“Tesla autopilot functions like the systems that airplane pilots use when conditions are clear,” it said. “The driver is still responsible for, and ultimately in control of, the car.”
Tesla sold about 11,580 Model S cars during the third quarter. Model X SUVs, which the group put on the market several weeks ago in a limited release, are also due to get the software.
Vehicle owners will have to pay an extra US$2,500 for the autopilot software, either at the time of purchase or later.
Among the best developed autopilot prototypes is Alphabet Inc’s Google Car, already on the road in several US states, while Mercedes has a futuristic car with a traffic-jam assist that allows the car to steer, brake and accelerate on its own at slow speeds.
Earlier this month, Toyota Motor Corp presented a car that can drive itself along a highway. The car, a modified Lexus GS, uses sophisticated sensors to navigate roads, merge lanes and overtake other vehicles.
However, South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Co has warned about the complex legal challenges of self-driving cars.
While fully autopilot systems without any human involvement could be ready by 2025, such technology would also bring with it “huge, huge challenges for our legal systems,” Hyundai’s European operations chief Thomas Schmid said.
“Who is responsible for what? I’m not convinced until now that is a process which can be done in the next 10-15 years,” he said.
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