Tesla is wirelessly adding V10.0 to compatible cars, and we’re not talking about a mighty, sonorous 10-cylinder engine like the one in the Lamborghini Huracán. The Californian electric carmaker’s V10.0 software adds more in-car entertainment options, additional video games, and a cool feature called Smart Summon.
Smart Summon is part of the reason Tesla co-founder and CEO Elon Musk is calling V10.0 the company’s biggest-ever software update. The feature relies on a built-in suite of radars, cameras, and sensors to let owners literally summon their car if they’re close enough to it. The vehicle backs itself out of a spot if needed, and pulls up to where the owner is standing without anyone behind the wheel. That’s bad news if you work as valet. Tesla cautions that owners are responsible for keeping an eye on their car while it’s traveling in Smart Summon mode, so you can’t sue the company if it backs into a pole at Target.
Another new feature included with the V10.0 update is Tesla Theater. It only works when the car is parked and connected to Wi-Fi. After activating the theater mode, owners will be able to play Netflix and YouTube videos, as well as participate in Caraoke, which is exactly what it sounds like — an in-car version of karaoke. On a more serious note, Tesla Theater also includes a series of tutorial videos that help owners learn more about their car’s features.
Tesla also included a version of the video game Cuphead in that can be played by plugging what looks like an Xbox controller into the car’s center console, a feature we’ve never seen in a car before. Beyond entertainment, software version 10.0 also includes a new Feeling Hungry mode that helps owners navigate to nearby restaurants when they’re in need of a snack or a meal.
With the addition of Netflix and YouTube, Tesla opens the door for other streaming services to join its operating system, including Prime Video. For now, content can only be viewed when the car is parked, which will help owners occupy themselves as they wait at a charging station, but Musk added motorists will be able to watch videos while the car is moving in the coming years. The ball is in the government’s court, he opined.
“When full self-driving is approved by regulators, we will enable video while moving,” he noted in a tweet. No timeframe was provided, however, and we don’t anticipate that full self-driving will be happening anytime particularly soon.
Tesla Model 3, Tesla Model S, and Model X owners have started receiving V10 via an over-the-air software update. If you’re a Tesla owner and you don’t see the new software yet, keep in mind that Musk clarified that only cars equipped with the full self-driving option and who have “advanced download” selected in the software settings are eligible to receive the update.
Updated 9-27-2019: Added full information about Tesla V10.0.
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