Elon Musk adds full driverless mode to Tesla – with dashboard that shows what the cars ‘see’
TESLA cars in the US can now drive themselves without requiring assistance from a driver following a recent software update.
Tesla last week released a beta, or test version, of what it calls a "Full Self Driving" upgrade to an undisclosed number of "expert, careful" drivers.
The release prompted online posts by excited recipients who shared video snippets of their car driving autonomously on city streets at night.
On YouTube, user said the update caused the dashboard display to change "into a computerised graphic from the future" that showed what the car's onboard computer was seeing.
During a Tesla earnings call on October 21, Tesla boss Elon Musk said the latest upgrade was planned to be widely released by the end of this year.
The 49-year-old billionaire added that the system would become more robust as it collected more data.
They also posted a picture of the software update release notes, which said the system "may do the wrong thing at the worst time," urging drivers to keep their hands on the wheel and pay extra attention.
Tesla could not be reached for comment on NHTSA's statement and to confirm the authenticity of the release note.
Who is Elon Musk?
Here's what you need to know...
Controversial billionaire Elon Musk was born in Pretoria, South Africa in 1971.
As a 12-year-old child he taught himself computer programming and sold the code of a video game to a PC magazine for $500 (£300).
At 17, he moved to Canada to study, before gaining two degrees in physics and business at the University of Pennsylvania.
At the age of 24 he moved to California to start a Ph.D. in applied physics and material science at Stanford University - but left the programme after just two days to pursue other projects.
Now 49, he is the founder and CEO of SpaceX, co-founder, CEO and product architect of Tesla Motors, co-founder and chairman of SolarCity, co-chairman of Opan AI, co-founder of Zip2 and founder of X.com, which merged with PayPal.
He's also working on a human brain chip project called Neuralink.
Musk's stated aim is to reduce global warming and save humans from extinction by setting up a colony on Mars.
The billionaire inventor is also working on the world's largest lithium-ion battery to store renewable energy.
Autonomous vehicles are also on their way to Britain, which currently has plans to allow driverless cars on UK roads as soon as 2021.
The British government is due to close a consultation on October 27 that could lead to some form of automated driving on British motorways.
That could include the use of Automated Lane Keeping Systems (ALKS) that would allow drivers to take their hands off the wheel and let the vehicle drive itself.
Experts have said the technology may put lives at risk because it falls well short of human driving capabilities.
In other news, Musk fired his own Tesla roadster into space in 2017 – and it's just made its closest flyby of Mars yet.
A reckless Tesla driver was allegedly caught sleeping at the wheel with their seat fully reclined on a US highway last month.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
And, a new electric car from California start-up LucidAir boasts an enormous range of more than 500 miles (800km) – enough to get you from Brighton to Edinburgh on a single charge.
What do you think of Tesla's full self-driving mode? Let us know in the comments!
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Tech & Science team? Email us at tech@the-sun.co.uk