Tesla aims to stop hot-car deaths

In case you need to get excited, that includes a Tesla pick-up, a Tesla semi truck, and a Tesla-powered rival to Uber that lets vehicle owners send their autonomous Teslas out to moonlight as taxis.

According to billionaire entrepreneur and company CEO and co-founder, Elon Musk, the “release will be gradual to make sure there aren’t small regressions”.

Tesla says an update to its Autopilot system will disable automatic steering if a driver doesn’t keep their hands on the wheel. Version 8.0 is downloading Wednesday night.

Following CEO Elon Musk’s tweet that teased of a new feature that would protect children and pets from risky overheating deaths while trapped in a vehicle, Tesla has confirmed a new Cabin Overheat Protection feature aimed at safety by keeping safe temperatures within the auto, even while its off. Tesla is defiant that its Autopilot technology is not at fault in causing the death. The update was made after cyber security researchers with China’a Tencent Holdings Ltd (HKG:0700) revealed their findings regarding security holes allowing them to hack a Tesla Model S sedan.

Musk said the upgraded system would likely have prevented the Florida crash that killed driver Josh Brown.

During the trial’s opening session in Beijing on Tuesday, Mr Gao applied for an investigation into whether the autopilot function was activated when the accident occurred, she added.

He said he dished out 873,900 kroner (US$105,350) for his vehicle.

Tesla says the software update should help avoid crashes, since it will enhance the radar system and make Tesla’s vehicles rely more on radar signals – which can see through snow, bright sun and other weather conditions – than cameras.

Musk said that the latest software update will include a feature that lets the owner set a max temperature for inside the vehicle, so that kids and pets never get overheated. That driver — who was using Autopilot — crashed into a tractor-trailer that Tesla’s camera failed to detect. The company also redesigned its indicator lights to more clearly show when Autopilot is engaged.