autopilot
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Tesla starts charging $7,000 to add Full Self-Driving features post-delivery
Tesla is splitting its self-driving function into two tiers -- Autopilot and Full Self-Driving Capability -- and charging a few thousand extra dollars for Navigate on Autopilot, Autopark, Summon and other features coming out later this year.
Tesla’s Navigate on Autopilot takes on LA’s insane freeways
I'm talking and not paying attention to the Model 3's turn-by-turn navigation when the vehicle's blinker turns on. Tesla's "Navigate on Autopilot" turns the wheel to take the off-ramp to an interchange. My hands are on the wheel (as they should be with all driver assist features) and I double-check the traffic around me. No problems to be seen, and I let the car do its thing. It's smooth, it's impressive and it's available to all US Teslas with full self-driving hardware (All Teslas built on or after October 19, 2016, that is).
Tesla tests Autopilot navigation for traffic lights and roundabouts
Tesla has teased that Navigate on Autopilot will gradually handle more and more driving responsibilities, but those aren't just fanciful long-term plans -- they're very much on the roadmap for the near future. In the midst of a public pitch for Navigate on Autopilot, Elon Musk mentioned that Tesla is currently testing "traffic lights, stop signs & roundabouts" in pre-release software. It's hard not to be a bit skeptical of Musk's claim that you'll soon travel to work with "no driver input at all," but this is promising if the very thought of entering a busy roundabout makes you nervous.
Tesla celebrates one billion Autopilot-assisted miles
Vehicle companies are big fans of marking achievements by mileage. Google's self-driving vehicles clocked up 1.2 million miles without getting a ticket back in 2015, earlier this year Waymo announced its self-driving cars had hit 10 million miles. Now, Tesla is upping the ante with news that its drivers have covered more than one billion miles with autopilot engaged.
Tesla's 'Navigate on Autopilot' goes live in North America tonight
When Tesla rolled out its 9.0 software to vehicles earlier this month, it held back one feature for some additional testing: Navigate on Autopilot. Now, CEO Elon Musk tweeted that a beta test of the feature will become widely available across North America tonight. In a move that Musk has previously described as a time when "we will begin to enable full self-driving features," it gives more control over to the car from highway on-ramp to off-ramp.
Tesla shelves the full self-driving option you couldn't use
Ever since Tesla hinted at its autonomous future, there's been a "Full Self-Driving Capability" checkbox on the order page for its cars -- spend several grand and your car would one day steer itself. It has yet to materialize, though, and now Tesla has removed the option from its site. You can still order it "off menu" for a week as of Musk's tweet (approximately October 25th) or add it to your existing car for $5,000, but new customers will have to 'settle' for Enhanced Autopilot.
Tesla defends Autopilot in first quarterly safety report
Over the past year, Tesla has received a lot of flak for being involved in crashes and accidents while Autopilot was engaged. Back in March, a Model X crashed into a median barrier, claiming the life of an Apple engineer. A few months after that, a Model S crashed into a parked police SUV in Laguna Beach. Now, the automaker is defending itself and Autopilot in its first ever quarterly vehicle safety report for Q3 2018. According to the company, it has only registered one accident or "crash-like event" for every 3.34 million miles driven with Autopilot engaged over the past quarter.
Cadillac outranks Tesla in Consumer Reports semi-autonomous tests
It's tempting to assume that Tesla's Autopilot represents the gold standard for semi-autonomous driving features, but Consumer Reports would beg to differ. The outfit has released the results of its first rankings for automated driving systems, and Cadillac's Super Cruise edged out Autopilot to receive the top rating. Both rivals fared well in terms of abilities -- Cadillac's advantage was in safety.
Tesla's built-in dashcam feature is coming with Autopilot 9
Tesla's upgraded Autopilot hardware comes with eight cameras equipped all over a vehicle. All those "eyes" will eventually enable full autonomy, but they also make another smaller-but-important feature possible: a built-in dashcam for Tesla's cars. The automaker has been working on the feature for quite a while, and now according to company chief Elon Musk, Tesla is giving its customers a way to use their vehicles' cameras as a dashcam with Autopilot version 9.
Tesla's prototype Semi has a 'Mad Max' Autopilot mode
You didn't think Tesla's Semi truck would go without a Ludicrous-like software setting just because it's meant for work, did you? Sure enough, it exists. Elon Musk has revealed that the prototype electric cargo hauler has a Mad Max mode. No, this won't give the Semi a battering ram or a flame-spewing guitar -- rather, it influences Autopilot's blind spot threshold. Musk didn't elaborate on what that meant, but his photo of the settings page suggests the semi-autonomous driving feature will make lane changes with even more gusto than the "aggressive" option.
Tesla's Model 3 catches up on Autopilot and WiFi features
Tesla is still rushing to give the Model 3 some of the features you might take for granted in its EV stablemates. As part of a broader update across the lineup (including increased Autopilot nagging), Model 3 units now support a few key features, most notably Summon -- that is, the ability to move the car into and out of a parking space using either Tesla's phone app or the key. It's been something of a given for Model S and X drivers, but it'll definitely be appreciated if you'd rather not contort yourself to enter the 3 in a small garage.
US regulator blocks sales of device that fools Tesla's Autopilot
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has demanded that the company behind a gadget called the Autopilot Buddy stops selling the device in the US. The gizmo makes Tesla's Autopilot think a driver has their hands on the steering wheel, and stops the system from urging drivers to put them there. Autopilot only works when a driver's hands are in the correct place and apply some pressure.
Tesla Autopilot nags drivers to hold the wheel more often
In light of recent crashes where Tesla said drivers didn't pay sufficient attention while on Autopilot, it's rolling out updates to address the problem. The first one, issued several days ago, nags drivers to "hold steering wheel" more frequently than before -- some have seen it as often as every 15 seconds, though the frequency of the alert can vary due to speed, surrounding traffic, visibility and other similar factors. However, drivers didn't get that just grabbing the wheel alone didn't stop the warnings. So, Elon Musk explained that Tesla will be "adjusting the screen alert to clarify that we mean 'slight up or downward force on the wheel,' not really "hold the wheel."
Tesla will start enabling full self-driving features in August
Tesla has been promising true self-driving features in its cars for the better part of two years, but there has been precious little to show for it. Now, though, you might get what you paid for. Elon Musk has revealed that Autopilot version 9 should arrive in August, and Tesla will "begin to enable" the full autonomous driving features with that release. The company has "rightly focused entirely on safety" with previous versions, Musk said, but now it's time to spread its wings.
Tesla involved in fatal crash sped up before hitting road barrier
The NTSB released its preliminary investigation report concerning the fatal Tesla crash that occurred on March 23, 2018 in Mountain View, California today. The agency does note that the report is subject to change.
Tesla teases the Model Y yet again
While Tesla is still working on ramping up Model 3 production, it doesn't sound like its future vehicles' development has fallen by the wayside. The automaker has revealed another shadowy sketch of the Model Y crossover SUV during its most recent shareholders meeting. Based on the photo Electrek grabbed, it doesn't reveal a lot about the vehicle -- the design sketch at least shows Model Y from a different angle than what the first photo showed -- but Tesla chief Elon Musk shared a few details about the crossover. He said Model Y won't have any leather and even joked that it might not have a steering wheel at all.
Tesla Model S in Autopilot collides with police SUV
A Model S driver in Laguna Beach has crashed into a parked (and thankfully unoccupied) police SUV while her EV's Autopilot was reportedly engaged, sustaining minor injuries in the process. It's not yet known what the driver was doing at the time of the collision, but the incident is once again raising questions about Tesla's role in educating drivers about its semi-autonomous feature.
Tesla settles class action suit over Autopilot issues
Tesla has agreed a class action lawsuit settlement with Model S and Model X owners who claimed the Autopilot feature was "dangerous" and "essentially unusable." The settlement, which was filed at San Jose federal court late Thursday, doesn't cover any claims about the safety of Autopilot -- instead, it's compensation for the fact that Telsa has gone through a number of delays in rolling out updates to Autopilot to address these issues. A district judge still has to rubber stamp the settlement, Reuters reports.
Tesla releases source code for some of its in-car tech
Tesla doesn't have many fans in the open source crowd. It based its car platforms on open platforms like Linux and BusyBox, but it has gone years without sharing the source code their license (the GPL) requires. The company is finally setting things right, though -- more or less, that is. It has posted the source code for both the material that builds the Autopilot system image as well as the kernels for the Autopilot boards and the NVIDIA Tegra-based infotainment system used in the Model S and Model X. While they don't represent the absolute latest code, Tesla is promising to keep pace with newer releases.
Tesla crash driver admits to checking phone while in Autopilot mode
Tesla is facing another National Highway Traffic Safety Administration probe after a Model S crashed into the back of a fire truck while Autopilot was on -- but only to gather info about the incident. While it may take a while before the NHTSA reveals its findings, the South Jordan Police Department has already shared a report based on the data logs Tesla extracted from the vehicle. According to those logs, the driver kept on taking her hands off the wheel and would only put them back for a few seconds every time a visual alert flashed. The cops gave her a citation after the logs were released, and she admitted that she was looking at her phone and stepped on the brake pedal merely a few seconds before she crashed into the truck.
