Following the outrageous ways people have been using the autopilot function on Tesla models, the car maker shows an updated Autopilot system with restrictions.
It feels like just yesterday we were condemning the guy who filmed himself sitting in the backseat of his Tesla, while the car was driving itself on a highway. As impressive as self-driving car might be and look, the behavior displayed by that particular owner was (and still is) dangerous, especially as the car manufacturer clearly stated that the system wasn’t meant to have complete control over the car (yet), as it’s only in its infancy.
Unfortunately – but unsurprisingly – that wasn’t an isolated case, as multiple other videos depicting similar behavior determined Tesla to put an end to the charade. In fact, Teslarati reports that the car maker’s latest firmware update (7.1) restricts the Autopilot’s capabilities to speeds below the posted speed limit, while potentially disabling Autosteer under the same conditions.
Of course, the new update – allegedly already available to select beta testers – has upset some owners, who expressed their disapproval (on the Tesla Motor Club forum) with Tesla’s attempt to subtract features after their release, going so far as refusing to install the updates, as Teslarati quoted a user saying:
“If there’s an update that removes a functionality that is useful for ME then I’m not going to install it. Moreover, I’ll sue Tesla if they update my car without asking me. This screenshot with 45 mph restriction is now a line in the sand for me.”
The restrictions are apparently only applicable to highway driving, while Tesla’s active cruise control doesn’t seem to be affected by the updates.
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