After a long wait, Tesla has finally released the much-awaited over-the-air software updates for ‘full self-driving Beta v9. This might not be the autonomous option for users but certainly, the more advanced driver-assist system. The software update started after midnight exactly as it was promised by Tesla’s chief executive officer Elon Musk. The update will help thousands of owners who purchased FSD option access to advance autopilot driver-assist features. These self-driving features will be available on local, non-highway streets. The update was long due and Musk has been promising if for a while now.
Musk first promised that the update will be available in August 2018. But the update failed to see the light of the day. He then promised in 2019 that a year from now, there would be thousands of cars with self-driving software. Earlier this month, he announced that the long-awaited update is shipping soon. Now when the update is finally available, the question is that whether it is ready for primetime. Musk replied to this question but in a very vague way. The Tesla CEO said that the new updated will address the most known issues. “However, there will be certainly unknown issues. So please be paranoid,” he said. Safety has always been a top priority at Tesla, he added.
The release warned that the update may do wrong things at the worst time. It also warned that cabin cameras may need improvement for better visualisation and attentiveness. The electric carmaker has asked drivers to keep their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel while using in self-drive mode. Tesla will gather data and monitor it to remove any bugs in the system. It is important to mention that autopilot is considered a Level 2 ‘partially automated’ system. But consumer advocates said that the recent fatal crash has brought back the attention of how Tesla’s system needs to update to make sure that is not tricked into believing that someone is in the driver seat.