Elon Musk Says Tesla Cars Will Soon Be Able to Steer and Parallel Park Themselves

Guest Writer

August 3, 2015 2 min read

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For a man deeply concerned about the proliferation of artificial intelligence, this one seems a tad ironic, but here it is regardless: Elon Musk said that Tesla cars will soon be ready to steer and parallel park themselves.

In a series of tweets on Friday, the Tesla CEO announced that the company is primed to release a software update that will allow its cars to auto-steer and parallel park.

Almost ready to release highway autosteer and parallel autopark software update
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 31, 2015

First, however, there is one more kink that needs to be worked out, namely ensuring that the software can decipher light road markings at dusk.

Final corner case is dealing with low contrast lane markings (faded white on grey concrete) while driving into the sun at dusk
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 31, 2015

The software, Musk tweeted, will allow the car to react more expertly over time.

The car will learn over time, but there is a min caliber of starting quality.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 31, 2015

Tesla, of course, isn't the only company actively involved in automated driving. Google has been testing self-driving cars on the open road since 2009.

Musk's announcement wasn’t unexpected. Tesla has already dipped its wheels in the automation space. Available features include sensors that detect objects within 16 feet, lane-departure and blind-spot warnings, as well as adaptive cruise control.

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