Tesla rolled out the latest update to its cars’ software this week, which lets owners of the high-performance electric vehicles engage automatic steering at up to 80mph, among other improvements.
Most of the 8.1 software update focuses on adding back features that were dropped from the current-generation Autopilot, Electrik reported on Wednesday. Tesla released the new Autopilot in January, and it runs on a new hardware and software platform, which initially didn’t support many of the automation features to which owners were accustomed.
In addition to boosting the automatic steering speed limit to 80mph, the 8.1 update also introduces a beta feature that lets owners move their vehicle in and out of parking spaces without anyone in the car, according to Electrik. That parking feature was also available in the first-generation Autopilot software, and requires several days of calibration while driving at highway speeds before it’s ready for use.
Automatic lane changes are another first-generation Autopilot feature that’s being reintroduced, Electrik reported. If Autosteer is active, it allows drivers to move into an adjacent lane using only the turn signal. Tesla’s Vice President of Autopilot Software, Chris Lattner, said in a tweet that 8.1 is the “biggest update yet” for cars with the second-generation Autopilot hardware.
Not all Tesla owners have sprung for the pricey Autopilot add-on, though. Even those who didn’t will see improvements with the 8.1 software, including improvements to voice commands and the addition of Google ratings in the Maps app, according to Electrik.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk is known for surprising customers, and the 8.1 update is no exception. Musk hinted at the presence of Easter eggs, asking owners in a tweet to “tap the the T on center screen three times,” which, according to Electrik, will open up a sketch pad on the car’s center display.
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