Tesla Motors Inc. will begin rolling out the first version of its highly anticipated Autopilot features to some owners of its all-electric Model S sedan Thursday. Autopilot is a step toward the vision of autonomous or self-driving cars, and includes features like automatic lane changing, auto steering and the ability to parallel park itself.
When equipped with version 7.0 of Tesla's software, a Model S can change lanes with the flick of a turn signal, parallel park on its own or help drivers steer in basic highway use. It also includes side-collision warning and a new look to the screens and digital gauges. Model S cars made in the last year will have their software updated over the air during the next several days, Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk told journalists Wednesday.
"At Tesla we try to pioneer new technology," said Musk. "The two most profound innovations in automotive are electrification and autonomy. It makes sense to try to pioneer things in those two arenas."
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