Photo: Tesla
Ever since it was introduced on the Model S in 2014, Tesla’s Autopilot has proven to be a game-changing technology for autonomous driving, but also an endless source of debate about the dangers of humans not being in control of their cars.
Autopilot is in fact a suite of driver assistance features that can otherwise be found on cars of other makes, but its near-full-self driving capability has put it years ahead of any competition.
Despite repeatedly claiming Autopilot is the best tech on the market to help reduce crashes, Tesla is aware of the criticism and is also aware that there are some that simply don’t use the tech.
Combining that with the fact that Autopilot cannot be used on every single road, the carmaker announced on Thursday an expansion of the assistance technologies so that they could work even when Autopilot is off.
There are two new systems planned by Tesla, both relating to keeping the car in its lane: Lane Departure Avoidance and Emergency Lane Departure Avoidance.
The former gives drivers the option to have correcting steering applied by the car even when Autopilot is off. The Lane Departure Avoidance will also automatically kick in when the car departs a lane with the turn signal off, and if the driver’s hands are not detected on the steering wheel. This time, it’s role is a bit different than just keeping the car in its lane.
The system will at first warn the driver to place his hands on the steering wheel, and if that doesn’t happen, it will slow down to 15 miles below the speed limit or the set speed, and turn the hazard lights on.
This second capability of Lane Departure Avoidance works when the car’s speed is between 25 and 90 mph. Drivers can opt not to have the Lane Departure Avoidance engaged when driving.
The Emergency Lane Departure Avoidance takes over the car’s steering when the system determines departing a lane will result in a crash. This feature automatically engages at the start of every drive, and needs to be turned off for each trip is the driver doesn’t think it’s needed.
Both new features will be made available to Tesla Model 3 owners as an over-the-air update. In the following months, all Tesla cars built after October 2016 will get it.
Despite repeatedly claiming Autopilot is the best tech on the market to help reduce crashes, Tesla is aware of the criticism and is also aware that there are some that simply don’t use the tech.
Combining that with the fact that Autopilot cannot be used on every single road, the carmaker announced on Thursday an expansion of the assistance technologies so that they could work even when Autopilot is off.
There are two new systems planned by Tesla, both relating to keeping the car in its lane: Lane Departure Avoidance and Emergency Lane Departure Avoidance.
The former gives drivers the option to have correcting steering applied by the car even when Autopilot is off. The Lane Departure Avoidance will also automatically kick in when the car departs a lane with the turn signal off, and if the driver’s hands are not detected on the steering wheel. This time, it’s role is a bit different than just keeping the car in its lane.
The system will at first warn the driver to place his hands on the steering wheel, and if that doesn’t happen, it will slow down to 15 miles below the speed limit or the set speed, and turn the hazard lights on.
This second capability of Lane Departure Avoidance works when the car’s speed is between 25 and 90 mph. Drivers can opt not to have the Lane Departure Avoidance engaged when driving.
The Emergency Lane Departure Avoidance takes over the car’s steering when the system determines departing a lane will result in a crash. This feature automatically engages at the start of every drive, and needs to be turned off for each trip is the driver doesn’t think it’s needed.
Both new features will be made available to Tesla Model 3 owners as an over-the-air update. In the following months, all Tesla cars built after October 2016 will get it.
Google News