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Elon Musk: Tesla software update makes driving out of range 'impossible'
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IMAGE: LI XIAOFEI/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tesla drivers won't need to worry much about the range of their electric cars anymore.
With an over-the-air software update, the Tesla Model S sedan will be able to better predict and warn the driver when it gets close to its range limit. It will also better incorporate Tesla's network of charging stations into trip planning, CEO Elon Musk announced Thursday on a conference call with reporters.
"The Model S, by virtue of software updates, actually gets better, smarter and faster over time," Musk said. "I think most people who own a Model S don't actually have range anxiety, but for people who don't drive a Model S, it might put their mind at ease."
The version 6.2 update lets the Model S communicate with the Tesla supercharger network in real time with a feature called Range Assurance, and it will warn the driver if he or she selects a route that may take the car out of range. Musk said the driver will need to confirm the selection of such a route twice before the in-car navigation will accept it.
The software update makes it virtually impossible to run out of range unintentionallyThe software update makes it virtually impossible to run out of range unintentionally," Musk explained.
When calculating the best route for a journey, the navigation system doesn't just take into account the charging network, but whether or not other cars are using it, the duration of a "normal" stop on a road trip, and even changes in elevation and wind resistance, which can also affect the range of the vehicle.
During charging stops, drivers will get alerts on their smartphones, telling them when the Model S has enough charge to proceed on the next leg of the journey.
The update includes a couple of safety features: It adds automatic emergency braking, which will engage in the event of an unavoidable collision. There's also now a side-collision warning (the Model S already has front and rear collision warnings).
Musk also teased the next major update to Tesla software, version 7, which will add Auto Steering — essentially making the Model S a self-driving car, albeit a limited one. The update — due in three months' time — will feature a "complete UI overhaul," Musk said, since it will change how the driver interacts with the car. He also said Auto Steering will make it possible for someone to drive from San Francisco to Seattle without ever touching a steering wheel.
The version 7 update will also add the "valet" feature, where you can summon the car from a parking spot via smartphone, which Musk showed off at Tesla's "Unveil the D" event in fall 2014. Musk clarified the valet would only be available on private property.
It's been a big week for Tesla. Musk headlined the GPU conference in San Francisco, where he made waves by suggesting human drivers might someday be illegal on roads filled with self-driving cars. Then on Wednesday, the state of New Jersey made it legal for Tesla to sell its cars there directly to buyers, ending a controversial debate about entrenched, mature industries vs. disruptors.
Today's update at least partially addresses one of the common concerns about fully electric cars: That they're not suitable for long trips because of their range limitations. Even as charging stations become more common, recharging a battery that powers an automobile takes time. Tesla also began a pilot program of battery-swapping stations to combat that particular issue.
Musk teased today's announcement on Twitter earlier in the week, promising to end "range anxiety" for Model S owners via an OTA software update.
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