Rumor: Tesla will release Autopilot 2.0 this year
An anonymous source has said that Tesla Autopilot 2.0 will be available soon. That Tesla is expanding the sensors for Autopilot had already been noticed by the addition of two additional front cameras on a test car.
TechBuffalo’s source says on the site that the dual camera system can respond to traffic lights and stop signs without a driver having to intervene. Tesla’s autopilot function currently needs another car in front of it to slow down or stop and is therefore still a long way from a truly autonomous driving car. Autopilot 2.0 is still very much in beta, according to the source. It is not clear which models may receive an update to Autopilot 2.0 in the future.
The hardware that may have to do with Autopilot 2.0 has already been spotted by TeslaPittsburgh. Photos show a two-tone Tesla Model S with a new type of front. Above the front is what appears to be a duplicate front piece, but this may be related to the raised bumper on Model X.
Source: TeslaPittsburgh
At this time, Tesla is embroiled in issues surrounding a recent fatal accident that involved the Autopilot feature. A Model S crashed on May 7, after which Tesla reported the accident to authorities on May 16. According to Tesla, the function where an accident is automatically forwarded to Tesla no longer worked, so Tesla had to hear about the accident from the local authorities.
Tesla raised $1.46 billion on May 18 and 19 through the sale of shares. The accident only became public knowledge after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced an investigation into the accident on June 30. Tesla is defending its decision not to make the accident public before announcing a federal investigation to Reuters. A spokesperson makes a comparison to the number of people who die in a car accident each year, one million, and that no car brand reports every accident to investors, especially not before an investigation is completed.
In questions from Fortune to Elon Musk about the accident and the sale of the stock, he says that if “one bothered to calculate how many deaths Autopilot would save if it were widely available, it would show that half a million people would still be alive.” to live’. He concluded by commenting, “Please, take five minutes and do the bloody math before you write an article that misleads the public.” Fortune then wondered who is deceiving whom.