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Tesla software update said to include UI refresh, improvements to Autopilot

Tesla software update said to include UI refresh, improvements to Autopilot

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Tesla is readying a significant software update for its cars, including a smarter version of Autopilot and a user interface update, reports Electrek. The update, said to be version 8.0, is currently in beta testing. In a statement to The Verge, Tesla said it would have more to share about the update "in the coming weeks."

The report says the update will give Tesla’s autopilot semi-autonomous driving system the ability to take an off-ramp exit on the highway by activating the turn signal. Currently the car will change lanes when the turn signal is activated, but wasn’t able to intelligently take off-ramps. In the past, the car has been known to take off-ramps when it wasn’t desired because it’s following lane lines, though that seems to be less common than when the feature first launched.

Other updates to Autopilot will improve the traffic-aware cruise control and auto steering features.

The user interface is said to have updates to the navigation and route planner, smarter routing depending on battery charge, and the ability to take alternate routes to charge up at different Supercharger stations or to avoid tolls. Voice command will no longer require drivers to hold down a button to talk to the car, and it will show a live transcript of what the car believes you’re saying on the dashboard.

The report says the integrated Spotify app, added to many international Teslas last year, still isn’t coming to the US, though the infotainment system is gaining TuneIn for podcasts and an improved search function.

No word on whether the software will gain more Easter Eggs like the Rainbow Road Autopilot mode from earlier this year — but with Tesla, there’s always a chance.


Letting your Tesla drive itself is a bad idea right now