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How Tesla Is Making It Even Longer - Official Details


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SEE ALSO: Electric Vehicles - Solution Or Diversion?

Between Charges That Is!

Auto Central March 19, 2015; At a press conference this morning Elton Musk told an audience of journalists and other hanger'ons that Tesla Motors is updating its Model S electric car to help ease drivers' worries about running out of battery charge.

Tesla's updated software will map out the best route to a driver's destination based on the location of charging stations.

It will also warn drivers if battery power is low before they drive beyond an area where they can charge.

The update will also add several safety features, including automatic emergency braking and blind spot detection.

Tesla updates drivers' software for free over the air.

CEO Elon Musk says Tesla is already working on its next update, which will provide an automatic steering option for highway use. That update could be coming in three months.

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Karl Brauer, senior analyst for Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com:

“Incorporating charging locations into a vehicle’s navigation system and trip planning is an excellent feature, but it’s also not new or innovative. The Nissan Leaf offered this feature when it was introduced back in 2010, and nearly every electric car offers it today. Knowing where an electric vehicle charging location is and having enough energy to get to that location are two different issues. It sounds like the Model S will be more capable of alerting the driver when he or she is nearing that threshold, but I’m not sure these warnings equate to eliminating range anxiety. One could argue such aggressive warnings will only remind drivers how critical it is to get to a charging stating before draining the battery pack. And this situation remains a much bigger deal in an electric car than one powered by gasoline or diesel fuel, where a roadside assistance organization can deliver a gallon of fuel and usually get you going in a matter of minutes.”

Matt DeLorenzo, managing editor for Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com:

“This solution to range anxiety reminds me of Ettore Bugatti who responded to one of his customer's complaint that his car was hard to start in cold weather. He reportedly said ‘If you can afford a Type 35, then surely you can afford a heated garage.’ In other words, Musk is giving the buyers of his luxury car an app that says ‘don't drive too far from one of my chargers.’ As for his comment about driving 10 hours and wearing a diaper, obviously he never has taken a road trip of any length. If you take a conventional car, you can drive 10 hours and stop for gas in that time, which takes about 5-10 minutes. In a Tesla, best case scenario, is enforced stops of at least a half hour or more (and what if the charger is in use, then it will take even more time). I think the range anxiety is complicated by the fact that recharging adds additional time to what is already a long road trip.”

Official Detail's Of Tesla Model S Software Update 6.2

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Model S is the only car on the road that improves with time, thanks to Tesla’s free, over-the-air software updates. With each new update, Tesla adds functionality, enhanced performance, and improved user experience to every Model S.

Today’s announcement of software update 6.2 introduces new features that expand the car’s intelligence which eliminate range anxiety entirely, enhance Model S’s active safety features, and bring Model S closer to having autonomous capabilities.

 

Energy and Range


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Our energy and range functions eliminate “range anxiety” and remove the hassle of planning road trips before you embark. By introducing Range Assurance and Trip Planner into Model S’s navigation, long distance travel is now foolproof.

Navigation automatically routes Model S through Tesla’s charging network. Currently 90% of the US population is within 175 miles of a Tesla Supercharger; finding quick and convenient charging has never been easier. Include Tesla Destination Chargers and 95% of the US Population is now within ample range of Tesla’s charging network.

Trip Planner


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Model S owners can now take road trips with confidence. Simply select a destination, and Navigation will now automatically route through the appropriate superchargers if charging is needed for your trip. Trip Planner will select a route to minimize driving and charging time. At each supercharger stop, Trip Planner will notify you via the iPhone app when you’ve charged enough to continue on your trip. Android app users can monitor charging needed for the trip via the Charging screen.

Automatic routing along Tesla’s Charging Network
Drivers can choose a final destination and Model S will route them through charging locations automatically. Navigation will display the fastest route to the destination and break the route into legs between Superchargers, displaying anticipated charge times at each station in a simplified list view.

Push Notifications at Superchargers
Model S will notify drivers via the App when they have enough juice to depart for the next Supercharger or their final destination.

Range Assurance


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Model S does the thinking for you. By continually monitoring and advising owners when they are at risk of driving beyond the range of reliable charging locations, “range anxiety” is gone. When the warning is triggered, Model S provides a list of Superchargers, Tesla Destination Chargers, and locations where the vehicle has previously charged that are within current range. Drivers then select a charging destination from the list and Navigation will provide turn-by-turn guidance along with the predicted battery energy when you get there.

 

Driver Assistance Features

The new Driver Assistance features in 6.2 are designed to intelligently anticipate and react to potentially dangerous situations. Since the unveiling of autopilot in fall 2014, Tesla has pushed a number of active safety features to Model S via wireless software updates that enhance the safety of Model S and bring Tesla closer to rolling out full autopilot capabilities to vehicles on the road.

Automatic Emergency Braking
This new Collision Avoidance Assist feature automatically engages the brakes to reduce the impact of an unavoidable frontal collision. Automatic Emergency Braking will stop applying the brakes when the driver presses the accelerator pedal, the brake pedal, or sharply turns the steering wheel.

Blind Spot Warning
Blind Spot Warning assists the driver to change lanes safely. When Model S is travelling between 20 mph (30 km/h) and 85 mph (140 km/h) and detects a vehicle in the driver’s blind spot, a white arc will appear on the instrument panel near the bottom of the speedometer. If a collision with the vehicle becomes likely, two red arcs will appear, the steering wheel will vibrate, and the driver will hear a chime.

 

Valet Mode

Valet Mode conveniently and discreetly limits Model S’s driving performance and restricts access to certain settings and personal information. With the touch of a button, owners can place a limit on speed, lock the glove box and frunk, and disable personal information like driver profiles and homelink settings.