Elon Musk just doesn’t rest. Not content with taking a break over the holidays, the Tesla CEO has been hard at work helping to launch a new software update for his vehicles’ Hardware 2 platform. Recent cars that are based on the new platform will support self-driving functionality when it launches next year, thanks to an array of advanced sensors powering the vehicles.
When the cars arrived, they were missing some of the autopilot features found on the old hardware platform. Auto windshield wipers, parking assist and blind spot detection are all features found in older Tesla models that have yet to surface on the new hardware platform. Some, like side collision warning, have been added back in through post-launch updates.
It seems this divide may soon come to an end.
“Looks like we might be ready to rollout most of Autopilot functionality for HW2 towards the end of next week,” Musk said on Thursday.
Hardware 2-powered cars may lack features users have come to expect, but in the future, the expanded set of sensors will enable new functionality previously impossible. By the end of next year, Elon Musk predicts that a software update for Hardware 2-powered cars will enable a Tesla to drive itself across the country, reaching the maximum possible autonomy level as specified by the Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Even over the holidays, Musk is working overtime to bring Hardware 2 models up to speed. Any lucky Tesla fans unwrapping a Model 3 this holiday will have a new bundle of features to look forward to, ahead of full autonomy.
Watch a preview for Hardware 2’s future self-driving capabilities below:
