Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk held a press conference on Thursday about an update after building up hype about potentially extending the battery life of the Model S electric vehicle. While the update wasn't for the car's battery, as many expected, Musk did announce something more interesting; an update that would let cars drive themselves.
Musk announced that in three months, Tesla would release a software update that would enable auto-steering in its vehicles.
"We can basically go between San Francisco and Seattle without the driver doing anything," Musk told the audience. The entrepreneur also imagines users having their cars drive themselves out of the garage, or driving on their own to meet their owner where they are.
However, there's one catch; the auto-steering feature will only be available on highways.
"It is technically capable of going from parking lot to parking lot," Musk said, according to The Verge. "But we won't be enabling that for users with this hardware suite, because we don't think it's likely to be safe in suburban neighborhoods."
This ban is likely due to the constantly changing environment, whether it's a stop sign or a child walking across the road. Musk also noted that auto-pilot is not the same as a self-driving car.
"There's certainly an expectation that when autopilot on the Model S is enabled, that you're paying attention," he said. "But it should also take care of you if you have moments of distraction."
While this feature definitely sounds amazing, Americans won't be able to use it on public roads.
"It's not just a philosophical reason why automakers haven't allowed their vehicles to drive themselves," said Karl Brauer, an analyst with Kelley Blue Book. "There's a legal reason, too."
Only Nevada, Florida, California, and Michigan allow autonomous cars to drive in their state. However, those laws were designed for the testing of self-driven cars, not the mass sale of such a vehicle, reports the New York Times.
Musk asked that Tesla owners only use the feature while driving on their private property.
