Can absolute autonomous cars corrupt absolutely" Tesla owners may have posted a few too many Autopilot videos for Elon Musk’s comfort, clips that show Model S sedans going out of control without a single finger on the wheel. Now, the fun’s (partially) over.
Model S software version 7.1 fleshes out Musk’s tweet in October when he previewed improvements for Autopilot, the self-driving cruise control active on any road where the car’s single camera can detect lane markings or curbs. According to Tesla, the latest Autopilot version will slow the car down to posted speed limits upon entering a residential area or for any road with opposing traffic not separated by physical dividers. The system will exceed the limit by only five mph. Autosteer functionality is also said to be less confused by passing exit ramps and will keep the car in the current rightmost lane unless the driver activates the right-hand blinker, at which time the car will slow (but not necessarily steer) to prepare to exit. On curves, the Model S will slow down “appropriately.” When approaching vehicles in adjacent lanes, Autosteer will give more wiggle room than it would driving past a barrier or an empty lane. Forward collision and blind-spot alerts will also beep and flash less often, for the sake of fewer false alarms. The instrument cluster display can show multiple vehicles in the general vicinity, and has new graphics for cars, motorcycles, and trucks.

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