Tesla has just announced its new 7.0 software for the Model S electric sedan which will provide the car with a number of self-driving features.
After initially announcing the autonomous functions last year, all Tesla Model S cars produced since September 2014 have been installed with the required hardware to allow autonomous driving. It is not until now however that Tesla has finished work on the algorithms and software to actually enable these new functions.
The primary feature of the autopilot system has been dubbed ‘Autosteer’. It allows the Model S to remain in its lane while also varying the car’s speed to ensure the optimum distance from cars ahead. Also found within the 7.0 software update is Auto Lane Change which with the press of the indicator, will see the Model S move into the desired lane automatically. There is also an Autopark system which scans for parking around the car and once a spot is found, the car will park itself.
The hardware making all of these features possible is a forward radar, 360-degree ultrasonic sensors, GPS, forward-facing camera and Tesla’s navigation maps software. In the near future, the 7.1 software will be introduced with it enabling the car to park in a garage on its own.
