Bloomberg: Tesla's Elon Musk discussing self-driving car partnership with Google
What's next for Tesla's Model S? Road safety and assistance tools may be on the docket, including self-driving technology that Elon Musk refers to as "autopilot," according to a Bloomberg report. The CEO has reportedly been in talks with Google about assistive tech -- the feature could be similar to what we've seen in Mountain View's recent self-driving demos, though a system developed in-house by Tesla is more likely. Bloomberg states that some automakers, such as Nissan, think autonomous vehicles could be a decade away, so don't expect a next-gen Model S to navigate roads on its own.
Meanwhile, a hidden configuration page in current vehicles reveals some additional features, including Blind Spot Detection, Adaptive Cruise and Lane Departure Warning. All three are currently disabled, but they could bring at least some additional automation to the all-electric car. It's unlikely that the required hardware is installed within sedans already on the road, but those features are clearly on the company's radar, giving us hope that some of the concerns we outlined during our review may soon be addressed.
