DETROIT (AP) – Tesla Motors is updating its Model S electric car to help ease drivers’ worries about running out of battery charge – and is hinting that in the future drivers can take their hands off the wheel altogether.
Tesla’s latest update – which will be beamed to owners automatically in about 10 days – will map out the best route to a driver’s destination based on the location of charging stations and will guide the car to available spots to charge.
The car will also warn drivers if battery power is low before they drive beyond an area where they can charge. It will take into account elevation, wind speed, air conditioning use and other factors that can deplete the battery.
“You don’t need to think ahead and make any calculations,” Tesla CEO Elon Musk said during a conference call to announce the update. “The car will always take care of you.”
Musk said Tesla is also working on an automatic steering feature on test drives between San Francisco and Seattle. That feature – which could be added with another software update about three months from now – would allow automatic, hands-free driving on a highway with well-marked lanes.