Tesla has provided an extraordinary addition to the modern driving experience once again with the new Model D enhancement to their current line of Model S cars. The “D” in Model D stands for “dual motor” which a large portion of the online community had already guessed. But at the unveiling event last week on October 9th, Tesla had much more up their sleeve to surprise their growing fan base.
This image of the Model D unveiling was taken from “Automobile Italia”
We could write an entire blog post on how this dual electric motor system has now set the world record for the fastest sedan at 0-60 mph in 3.2 seconds. Or that the all-wheel-drive feature now makes the car more efficient, unlike their gasoline counterparts. You can read all about that stuff here. But we know why you’re interested in this blog, so let’s talk about how this relates to automated transportation.
Other big car companies have added automated features like parking and cruise control, so what’s the game changer here? Well let’s start with the new technology on the car. The new model D’s come equipped with “forward radar, 12 long range ultrasonic sensors positioned to sense 16 feet around the car in every direction at all speeds, a forward looking camera, and a high precision, digitally controlled electric assist braking system.” You can read more direct quotes from Tesla on their blog. With all these different methods of sensors backing each other up, it enables the car to have several autonomous features, even in the worst of weather conditions.
The biggest area where this new software comes into play is on the highway. Because of the 360 degree ultrasonic sensors and the forward radar connected to the steering system, the car can detect the lanes of the road and stay on the correct path, as well as change lanes safely when the driver signals. In addition to this, with the use of the front facing camera, the advanced system can recognize speed limit signs and slow down accordingly to the specified speed. Traffic obstructions, pedestrians, and things like snow and sand, do not pose a threat to the safety of the driver because of the highly sensitive sensors and automated brakes on the car. Tesla even boasts that (while you’re on private property) you can program the car to sync to your calendar, and meet you at your front door when you desire to leave in the morning. It can also warm or cool your car to your preference, and even have your favorite music already playing right when you get in the car.
All of these features aren’t just a teaser from Tesla that we have to wait for either, the automated software has already been installed in the cars for the past three weeks.
This is just the first step towards a fully driver-less vehicle from Tesla, and they have made some serious headway with this release. At the rate technology is advancing, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a fully automated vehicle from Tesla in the near future.
Autonomous Vehicles Today 