Some Tesla owners will soon have more to do in their cars than simply driving them. Karaoke, anyone?
On Thursday, Tesla, the car company rolled out its latest software update, Version 10, which will propose several new features that range from a self-driving feature to Caraoke, a tool that brings a collection of songs and lyrics in numerous languages to the car’s center console.
Customers will start getting a notification to update their cars’ software in the upcoming days. Terming it Tesla’s (TSLA) “biggest software update ever” Version 10 “is yet another instance of how Tesla ownership carries on to get better over time,” the company said in its blog post revealing the progress.
Tesla provided a record 95,000 cars in the three months ending in June, but it has still fought to earn a profit in recent quarters. The company predicted it would grow incomes for the quarter ending in September, a goal that may be helped by the new offerings. Electrek reported a leaked company email in which Musk said that Tesla might be able to make 100,000 vehicle deliveries in the third quarter, which would be a record.
Here’s a summary of some of the new software’s features:
Smart Summon
Named “Smart Summon,” this innovative feature will make it possible for cars to direct through a parking lot to its owner — without a driver — so long as the vehicle is within the possessor’s line of sight. Smart Summon is accessible for customers who acquired full self-driving capability or enhanced autopilot on their cars.
“It’s the perfect character to use if you have a brimful shopping cart, are dealing with a fussy kid, or simply don’t want to walk to your car because you are too tired,” Tesla said in a blog post. The company did warn, though, that customers who use the feature “must remain in charge for the car and monitor it and its environments at all times.”
In-car entertainment
With the upgrade, Tesla customers who drive a Model X, Model S or Model 3 will be able to connect their Hulu, Netflix (NFLX) and YouTube accounts to the middle console to watch — as long as they’re parked. China-based clients will be able to connect Tencent and iQiyi Video, and Tesla said it expects to add more entertainment and streaming services over time.
The centre console will also have Tesla tutorial videos available to teach customers more about their automobiles, something Tesla executives stated as a priority on the company’s last earnings call. They said many customers visit service centres only out of confusion over how to use the autopilot option.
Tesla is also increasing music offerings, with access to Spotify Premium, and adding games to Tesla Arcade. Tesla’s latest software update features lyrics and songs on the center console screen so users can do “Car-aoke.”
Exploring with Tesla
The new features “I’m Feeling Lucky” and “I’m Feeling Hungry” activation in the cars’ navigation systems will stimulate people’s cars to lead them to a close restaurant or “point of interest.”
“In testing, we’ve been taken to gourmet meals, national parks, hole-in-the-wall restaurants, city landmarks and more,” the company said in the post.
Also new in navigation: Tesla said it has upgraded its maps so search results will be classified by distance to each destination, and drivers can choose a destination to view business ratings, start a phone call or being navigating to that location.
Remote Access
Along with the Version 10 update comes new mobile software, which will allow people with the Tesla app to defrost the vehicle’s cabin, open and close their garage doors, and open and shut windows remotely from the app.
