Tesla started pushing its latest software update for vehicles with second generation Autopilot hardware this weekend. It removed the speed restrictions on Autosteer – bringing the feature to parity with Tesla’s first generation Autopilot on Mobileye’s technology.
Owners have started testing the new update with impressive results so far.
The biggest difference with the latest update is that the new and more relaxed speed restrictions are making Autosteer usable off highways or on undivided roads.
They are the same as with the first generation Autopilot:
- On highways: Autosteer and Traffic Aware Cruise Control have speed limits of 90 mph.
- Off highways: Autosteer is no longer restricted to 35 mph.
- Autosteer has a speed limit of 5 mph faster than the detected speed limit, unless you’ve specified a lower speed limit offset.
- If Model S does not detect a limit, then the maximum speed the vehicle can drive is 45 mph.
That’s the result of Tesla improving its overall computer vision technology that has been replacing Mobileye’s technology on second generation Autopilot.
Chris Lattner, Tesla’s VP of Autopilot software, said that both “performance and feel” have been “much improved”:
Another big HW2 release: https://t.co/WqhluqR5we Not mentioned in the release notes, but performance/feel is much improved as well
— Chris Lattner (@clattner_llvm) May 6, 2017
While the update is still spreading across the fleet, some owners have already been putting it to the test.
Youtuber Tesla Trip was among the first to post an extended unedited test drive:
The previous Autosteer update in March already made some great improvements on highways, but this latest update shows solid performance on undivided roads with only little to no markings.
Tesla has been making better use of the front-facing cameras. Autosteer was dropping at a much higher rate in previous updates and we are seeing some significant improvements in handling during turns and curves.
The detection of speed limits is definitely a bummer. It’s one thing to be limited to 5 mph over the speed limit, but if it doesn’t detect the right speed limit – it’s another thing. Though it shouldn’t be too difficult to fix.
It’s something to keep an eye on for the next update.
Update: Here’s also a night time test with the latest update (8.1 17.17.4) by Josh McCullough:
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