Musk tells fans 'full self driving' Teslas are near. And the roadster will have rockets.

Thursday, 14 June 2018

In August, Tesla electric cars will offer 'full self driving features' - well, according to CEO Elon Musk.

But aside from that brief description, written in response to an owner's comments about Tesla's Autopilot suite of driver-assist features, Musk didn't give any more details about just how autonomous his cars would be.

In the tweet, which addressed a concern about Autopilot wavering in high-traffic lane-merging situations, Musk said 'that issue is better in latest Autopilot software rolling out now & fully fixed in August update as part of our long-awaited Tesla Version 9.'

Elon Musk has made some vague claims on Twitter about 'self-driving' and rocket assisted Teslas not being too far away.

He added that 'to date, Autopilot resources have rightly focused entirely on safety (and) with V9 (version 9), we will begin to enable full self-driving features.'

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Elon Musk has a history of making bold claims on Twitter. As well as dressing like a villain from a James Bond movie.

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Musk says the Roadster will feature a 'SpaceX pack ' that will use rocket thrusters to improve acceleration, braking and cornering.

Just what 'full self driving' means to Musk remains in question. Tesla would not comment beyond the CEO's tweets.

The Society of Automotive Engineers has a ranking system for self-driving cars, with SAE Level 1 referring to systems such as basic cruise control, while Levels 4 and 5 refer to vehicles that need little to no human oversight.

Is Musk serious about a Tesla with rocket thrusters? No one thought he was serious about selling flame throwers, but he did...

Tesla's Autopilot is considered an SAE Level 2 system, which combines adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assist technology. Tesla repeatedly has asserted that its system needs driver monitoring and is not meant to replicate self-driving tech.

Fully and semi-self-driving auto tech has been under a microscope lately as federal investigators continue to investigate crashes of vehicles that were using such systems.

In March, an Uber self-driving car killed a pedestrian in Arizona when its sensors and on-board safety driver failed to notice the woman crossing in the middle of the road in the dark.

And two recent Tesla crashes involved Autopilot, one in which a California driver was killed when his car veered into a highway barrier and another when a distracted Utah driver hit a parked fire truck at 90kmh. Neither had their hands on the wheels for some time before the crash.

Tesla electric cars such as the Model S and Model X are known for their sleek looks, hefty price tags and rapid acceleration. The company is rushing to ramp up production of its entry-level Model 3 sedan.

And there's a chance Tesla could soon be rocket-ship fast. Musk also tweeted that the new version of his Roadster two-door will feature a SpaceX option, a nod to his rocket company.

'SpaceX option package for new Tesla Roadster will include 10 small rocket thrusters arranged seamlessly around car,' Musk tweeted. 'These rocket engines dramatically improve acceleration, top speed, braking & cornering. Maybe they will even allow a Tesla to fly …'

It's tempting to see this as a joke. But with Musk, you never know. After all, most people thought he was joking about selling flame throwers, and now they're in customer hands.

- USA Today