DETROIT (AP) – Some Tesla Motors vehicles can park themselves without a driver inside with a software update beamed to customers over the weekend.
The update also puts new speed limits on Tesla’s semi-autonomous Autopilot mode and makes several enhancements, including automatically slowing when the car is approaching a curve and keeping the car in its lane even when the lane markings are faded.
CEO Elon Musk said the parking feature is a “baby step” toward his eventual goal: Letting drivers summon their self-driving, self-charging cars from anywhere using their phones.
“I actually think, and I might be slightly optimistic on this, within two years you’ll be able to summon your car from across the country,” Musk said on a conference call with reporters. “This is the first little step in that direction.”
For now, though, the system isn’t truly autonomous.