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Musk: Holiday Tesla update adds 'Stardew Valley,' self-driving preview
It's been a few months since Tesla's 10.0 update brought Cuphead, Netflix and YouTube to some of its in-car systems, and it appears more options are around the corner. Elon Musk tweeted tonight that a "holiday" update will add farming RPG Stardew Valley as a playable game, and include a Full Self-Driving "sneak preview," as well as other things. Late last year, Tesla expanded testing of full autonomous features among employees, and Musk has continued to promise it will arrive for the customers who've ordered it on their existing cars to go well beyond the capabilities of its current Autopilot driver assist. We've seen a lot of clips of the carmaker's sedans and SUVs roaming the roads without human input over the years, but if the beta expands beyond employees then such sights could become more common. Earlier this year Musk said Teslas would be capable of self-driving by the end of 2019 before robo-taxi Teslas are a thing in 2020, and there's not much time left to get that done. Update: And if you'd like to know when it will arrive, in a subsequent tweet, Musk told a Tesla fan it "Needs a few more days of validation, then early access, then wide release."
Tesla Autopilot now recognizes traffic cones
Tesla's Autopilot has been adept at recognizing other cars on the road, but those aren't the only things you have to worry about on the road -- what about the traffic cones that wall you off from roadwork? You can relax after today... well, for the most part. Tesla is quietly rolling out an Autopilot update that lets its electric cars detect and display pylons on the road. If you're using Navigate on Autopilot, your EV will even plan lane changes to avoid cones so that you don't have to take control around construction work.
Garmin's new nav system can emergency land small planes
Flying in a small plane is thrilling (and at least slightly terrifying) when things go as planned. It's another story when the pilot of the small plane is, for whatever reason, suddenly unable to fly or land it. Most passengers would have no idea what to do. And for that reason, Garmin has introduced Garmin Autoland. With the push of a button, equipped planes can navigate and land themselves.
Consumer Reports finds Tesla's Smart Summon 'glitchy'
Consumer Reports and Tesla have had a rocky relationship over the years, and it doesn't look like they're about to patch things up any time soon. CR has declared Tesla's Smart Summon feature "glitchy" after several days of testing both at its own facility and in parking lots. The drive-to-you feature only works "intermittently," the publication said, sometimes confusing a parking lot for a public road and shutting off. And while Smart Summon appears to drive the car at cautious speeds, it also wanders "like a drunken or distracted driver" and sometimes veers into the opposite lane.
Tesla reportedly buys AI startup that helps self-driving cars see
It's safe to say that Tesla's self-driving efforts haven't gone smoothly. It took the better part of a year for Smart Summon to arrive, and there's not much time left to fulfill goals of full self-driving (on city streets) before the end of 2019. The automaker might speed its progress soon enough, though. CNBC claims that Tesla is buying the computer vision startup DeepScale. The company specializes in making accurate AI vision technology practical for the low-power, low-memory chips often found in cars.
NTSB says Tesla Autopilot was partly to blame for 2018 crash
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) cited both driver error and Tesla's Autopilot design as the probable causes of a January 2018 crash, in which a Model S slammed into a parked fire truck at about 31 mph. According to the report, the driver was distracted and did not see the fire truck. But NTSB says that Tesla's Autopilot was also at fault, as its design "permitted the driver to disengage from the driving task."
Tesla in Moscow crashes into tow truck while on Autopilot
Another Tesla crash might serve as a reminder that Autopilot isn't flawless. Driver Alexi Tretyakov reported that his EV (said to be a Model 3) crashed into a parked tow truck on Moscow's Ring Road while Autopilot was active. The owner said the August 10th incident occurred while he was driving at the speed limit with his hands on the wheel -- it's just that neither he nor the semi-autonomous system spotted the truck.
European regulators demand changes to 737 Max autopilot
It's not just American officials who think Boeing's 737 Max software needs more polish. A Bloomberg source said that the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has told Boeing to make five changes to the airliner before it can return to service. They're mostly consistent with the FAA's requests, including improvements to the angle of attack sensors, training, manual trim controls and a software flaw linked to a lagging chip. However, the EU regulators also want Boeing to address a previously unmentioned issue with the autopilot failing to switch off in some emergencies -- it might not give pilots enough time to prevent a stall.
Drivers may overestimate Tesla Autopilot because of its name, study suggests
Tesla's Autopilot system might have a catchy name, but it may send the wrong message to drivers, according to a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. A survey the non-profit organization conducted revealed that a lot of people don't fully comprehend newer cars' actual level of automation, because their driver-assistance systems have names that seem to overpromise. The name Autopilot, in particular, is causing drivers to overestimate the technology's capabilities.
Consumer Reports: Tesla's automatic lane change option poses safety concerns (updated)
We found that Tesla's Navigate on Autopilot has its quirks, but Consumer Reports is... slightly more concerned. The publication has claimed that the latest version of the semi-autonomous driving feature poses "serious safety concerns," making automatic lane changes (when enabled) that are overly aggressive and don't properly anticipate human behavior. In tests, it would frequently cut off other drivers, pass on the right and have trouble anticipating fast-moving vehicles approaching from behind.
Tesla adjusts Autopilot to comply with new EU regulations
Tesla will push an updated Autopilot in Europe that scales back on a couple of functions in order to comply with new regulations. The changes will require faster lane changes and limit how far you can turn the steering wheel on Autosteer. Electrek reports that while Tesla's Autopilot was approved under older rules, it had to be dialed back in order to comply with the new UN/ECE R79 regulation on driver assistance systems. The update only impacts Model S and Model X vehicles; Model 3 already complies with the new rules.
NTSB says Tesla's Autopilot was active during fatal Model 3 crash
The National Transportation Safety Board said in a preliminary report that Tesla's Autopilot system was active at the time of a fatal Model 3 crash in Delray Beach, Florida. Data showed the car's driver, who died in the March 1st incident, activated Autopilot around 10 seconds before the collision. In the approximately eight seconds before the Tesla crashed into a semi truck, the car didn't detect the driver's hands on the wheel.
Tesla sued over fatal 2018 Model X crash with Autopilot engaged
Last spring, Apple engineer Walter Huang aka Wei Lun Huang died in a crash when his Tesla Model X hit a median on Highway 101 in Mountain View while the car's Autopilot driving assist was engaged. Now ABC 7 News and NBC Bay Area report that Huang's family has filed a lawsuit against Tesla and the state of California. According to ABC reporter Dan Noyes, the lawsuit claims Huang's Model X was "defective" in its design, and blames the state for not making safety repairs on a safety barrier within the required amount of time.
Tesla's $35,000 Model 3 is only available as a special order
Tesla has halted online sales of the $35,000 Model 3, and will only sell it by telephone or in its stores, the EV maker announced. On top of that, it has made the Autopilot driver assist features standard on all its vehicles (except the aforementioned $35K model) and increased prices accordingly. The Model 3 Standard Plus, for instance, used to cost $37,500 plus $3,000 for Autopilot, and it now starts at $39,500.
Tesla's Navigate on Autopilot won't need to confirm every lane change
Tesla has long asked you to flick the turn stalk to confirm Autopilot's lane changes, but you won't have to do that for much longer. The EV designer is rolling out an update to Navigate on Autopilot that gives you the option of disabling the turn stalk requirement. Toggle that and the car will change lanes on its own, delivering notifications through a visual prompt as well as an optional chime. If Tesla made your car after August 2017, you can also get a cue through steering wheel vibrations.
Tesla's Autopilot may make room for cars entering your lane
Tesla's Autopilot system can ease some of the burden of driving, but it's not always polite (just ask anyone who's been cut off). Now, however, it appears to be learning some added manners. After a couple of weeks of off-hand reports, drivers now believe that Autopilot cedes the right of way when it detects that a car up ahead wants to switch into your lane. If a vehicle is making its intentions clear, Autopilot appears to make that car stand out on your instrument cluster and slow down to create a space. It's not certain what Tesla's technology is looking for (most likely the signal lights), but it seems to work just like what you'd expect from a courteous driver.
Tesla unveils its Model Y crossover
To say Tesla has been busy lately is a bit of an understatement. It finally opened orders for its long-awaited $35,000 Standard Range Model 3, it reversed a decision to shutter some of its showrooms, and it showed off its V3 Supercharging. So why not keep the news coming with the unveil its next car... err SUV, the Model Y
Tesla's change of heart will bring Autopilot prices 'back to normal'
Tesla's partial about-face on vehicle pricing will also have an effect on Autopilot pricing. Elon Musk has confirmed that prices for Enhanced Autopilot and Full Self-Driving will "revert to normal" on March 18th. The company shouldn't have dropped prices in the first place, Musk said, and only did so "because some simply couldn't afford it." Some existing owners felt as if they'd been ripped off after paying higher prices for features that still weren't fully unlocked.
US agencies investigate fatal Tesla Model 3 crash in Florida
American safety officials are looking into the circumstances surrounding another fatal Tesla crash. Both the NTSB and the NHTSA have confirmed that they're investigating a collision between a Model 3 and a semi truck in Delray Beach, Florida on March 1st. According to the police report, the truck was turning left to enter a main thoroughfare when the Model 3 crashed into the semi's trailer, shearing off the car's roof and killing the driver. It's not certain if Autopilot was active, although the Model 3 kept traveling for more than 500 yards before coming to a stop.
Tesla cuts Autopilot upgrade prices for existing EV owners
Tesla's across-the-board price drops have been helpful for new car buyers, but painful for veteran owners who just watched their EV's value plunge. There's some consolation, however: Tesla is lowering the prices of its autonomy upgrades. Anyone who bought a vehicle before the price drops can buy the Autopilot upgrade for $2,000 after delivery, or half as much as before, while springing for the Full Self-Driving pack on top of that costs $3,000 instead of the earlier $7,000. You're saving about $6,000 if you go all-in, Tesla said.
