► Tesla v8.0 operating system is here
► Latest OS released over air
► Improvements to Autopilot and more
Tesla’s new v8.0 operating system has been rolled out over the air – and it includes myriad improvements to safety systems and comfort features for the evangelical owners of Model S and Model X electric cars.
There’s even a new function to prevent animals from overheating in hot cars during steamy summer months. Very Silicon Valley.
It’s the first major Tesla release since v7 launched in January 2016 and includes upgrades to improve the company’s controversial Autopilot function that was criticised this summer after the first high-profile death when a car driven autonomously crashed, killing its owner.
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So what’s new on Tesla’s v8.0 OS?
A whole host of features are packed into the new operating system, which was released to owners over the air in late September 2016. Key highlights are:
- Autopilot upgrade: Enhanced safety, relies on radar more than cameras, now disables Autosteer when safety warnings are ignored
- Better media player: Improved search, better access for streaming radio and podcasts
- Improved voice recognition: Tips to improve voice controls, feedback on screen
- Full-screen mapping: Maps now expand to fill entire touchscreen, zoom locks on current location, navigate home with a single swipe
- Cabin Overheat Protection: Prevents passengers or pets left in car from overheating or freezing by managing climate control when parked up
Why Tesla believes v8 will improve Autopilot safety
Tesla chief Elon Musk told reporters that he believed the improved Autopilot function could have prevented the fatal crash that killed 40-year-old Joshua Brown in May 2016, when his Tesla crashed into a lorry during Autopilot mode.
‘I think it will make the Model S and Model X by far the safest cars on the road,’ Musk claimed. ‘I don’t think there would be a car that is even within a multiple of the S and the X.’
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