Tesla CEO Elon Musk posted a series of tweets on Saturday, mapping an update schedule that is more often seen among smartphone makers than traditional automakers. The schedule indicates that the automaker is expecting to release major updates to its vehicles every 12-18 months, according to MarketWatch.
Retrofits to slow down Tesla’s progress
Older-model cars will not be equipped with the latest sensors or hardware, and this is worrying some Tesla owners who are seeking upgrades to their vehicles. Musk’s response to these complaints was essentially “tough luck.”
“Tesla will never stop innovating. People are buying the wrong car if they expect this. There will be major revs every 12 to 18 months. . . . If we applied resources to doing super complex retrofits, our pace of innovation would drop dramatically,” Musk tweeted.
Adding self-driving tech to earlier vehicles would require replacing 300 parts, something that needs stripping the “entire car,” he added.
According to Musk, cars with HW2 technology made after October 2016 are now getting Autopilot. Musk also warned owners to be careful while their car’s cameras readjust. Responding to his tweet on Sunday, Musk said the auto-steer mode is limited to 45 mph for now, but once the company gets more driving data, it will raise the speed.
Tesla more a tech company
Before making any major upgrade launches, traditional automakers usually keep the same base technology for about five years. Tesla is known for operating more like a tech company and less like an automaker, not to forget its fondness of conducting beta tests and constant lineup adjustments. This all strengthens the belief that the EV firm has no plans of settling into the familiar patterns of its conventional rivals, notes Engadget.
However, it has both positive and negative aspects associated with it. On one hand, it guarantees owners cutting-edge tech whenever they buy a Tesla, while on the other hand, it means that owners will find their cars outdated in record time. This could make owners hesitant to buy one if they suspect they will miss out on a must-have feature, notes Engadget.
Of course this means the only way for owners to keep their vehicles the most up to date is by buying new Teslas.
