Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently took to Twitter to tease the idea of an upgrade to the troubled autopilot system. Musk tweeted, “Looks like significant improvements possible via [over-the-air] software update.”
Musk teases Autopilot upgrade
On Sunday, Musk said he had a “promising” call with German technology supplier Bosch, which makes the radar sensor used in Tesla’s Autopilot system. Musk did not stop there; he went on and thanked both camera supplier Mobileye and tech supplier Bosch for their assistance and support in making the Autopilot feature better. Musk further said that all the criticism for the Autopilot-related incidents should be directed at the EV firm.
He said not to blame the supplier and, “Please direct all criticism at Tesla.”
In recent weeks, Tesla’s Autopilot feature has come under fire after a man named Joshua Brown died in a car crash. The car he was driving was reportedly being operated in Autopilot mode and collided with a tractor-trailer truck on a Florida highway, taking the driver’s life. According to the electric car maker, its Autopilot system was not at fault for the crash. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is, however, still investigating.
In October, the automaker added Autopilot functionality via a software update, but it did stress that the feature was not fully functional. At that time, the EV maker said that drivers still need to have their hands on the wheel to operate the car properly. However, the recent crash proves that not every Tesla driver pays attention to those instructions.
Tesla CEO back to work on masterplan
As Musk was busy with his other company, SpaceX, he did not share any more details about the possible upgrade, including when the updates might occur. SpaceX has successfully landed another rocket back on Earth. However, the CEO did take out some time to address a recent call by Consumer Reports to disable the feature.
“Tesla customers are v smart & don’t want media speaking on their behalf abt Autopilot. Recent poll: 0.0% want it disabled — not 0.1%, 0.0%,” Musk tweeted.
In the meantime, we could soon learn about the mysterious “Top Secret Tesla Masterplan” that Musk hinted at last week. Musk recently tweeted that he was back to work on the masterplan.
On Monday, Tesla shares closed up 2.65% at $226.25. Year to date, the stock is down almost 5%, while in the last year, it is down almost 18%. The stock has a 52-week high of $286.65 and a 52-week low of $141.05.
