Photo: Tesla Motors
Last week, Tesla introduced what it called the 8.0.1 update for its vehicles, and one of its features meant that the +5 mph leeway compared to the speed limit that the Autopilot used to have was now gone.
In other words, if you were using the Autopilot on a non-divided road, the system would not allow you to set a speed higher than the one prescribed by the traffic signs on the side of the road. Naturally, Tesla owners were not too happy about it, and not because they are speed freaks who feel a rush of adrenaline every time they go 5 mph over the legal limit, but because they feared their cars would turn into obstacles for every other driver on the road that used their two hands and two feet to control their cars, and so were free to set whatever speed they wanted.
After the initial reaction, a few more tidbits of information are beginning to surface, and it looks like the reasons behind this change were not so much to comply with the law, but to ensure a safe trip. Proof of that came in the form of a tweet from famous Tesla hacker, Jason Hughes. He posted an image of his car's instrument cluster with the road showing a speed limit of 65 mph and the vehicle informing him that Autosteer was restricted to 50 mph.
Undisclosed inside sources talking to Electrek claimed that, before anything else, this was a safety measure. The Autopilot will factor in things that are around the car and decide it can't handle it at the speed instructed by the driver. That means they can either reduce the speed or take control of the vehicle.
If you think about it, it makes perfect sense. The speed limits are set with human drivers in mind, but the Autopilot - and other advanced driver aid systems alike - might not feel comfortable cruising through a particular section of the road at said speed. Besides, conditions may vary - from the number, proximity, and speed of the vehicles around to the road surface. If the system decides it wants to go slower, you can either comply, or resume driving yourself.
But there's good news as well. In another Twitter message (where else?), Elon Musk responded to somebody (Jeff Putnam) who was complaining about the disappearance of the 5 mph margin. The CEO said that the feature would be restored shortly in situations where there is a leading car, even if driving on an undivided road.
After the initial reaction, a few more tidbits of information are beginning to surface, and it looks like the reasons behind this change were not so much to comply with the law, but to ensure a safe trip. Proof of that came in the form of a tweet from famous Tesla hacker, Jason Hughes. He posted an image of his car's instrument cluster with the road showing a speed limit of 65 mph and the vehicle informing him that Autosteer was restricted to 50 mph.
Undisclosed inside sources talking to Electrek claimed that, before anything else, this was a safety measure. The Autopilot will factor in things that are around the car and decide it can't handle it at the speed instructed by the driver. That means they can either reduce the speed or take control of the vehicle.
If you think about it, it makes perfect sense. The speed limits are set with human drivers in mind, but the Autopilot - and other advanced driver aid systems alike - might not feel comfortable cruising through a particular section of the road at said speed. Besides, conditions may vary - from the number, proximity, and speed of the vehicles around to the road surface. If the system decides it wants to go slower, you can either comply, or resume driving yourself.
But there's good news as well. In another Twitter message (where else?), Elon Musk responded to somebody (Jeff Putnam) who was complaining about the disappearance of the 5 mph margin. The CEO said that the feature would be restored shortly in situations where there is a leading car, even if driving on an undivided road.
@pcwizardllc Will be restored soon where there is a lead vehicle, ie you are being overtaken a lot due to true traffic speed being higher than the sign
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 23, 2016
Google News