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Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said that the upcoming software update for the Model S will make it ‘basically impossible’ to run down the car’s battery.
That’s thanks to a new feature called ‘range assurance’, which will help prevent drivers from hitting zero charge, as reported by CNBC.
If it seems as though the driver is about to drive out of charging range, the car will plan routes to your destination that run via charging stations.
“It’s basically impossible to run out unless you do so intentionally,” explained Musk, speaking at a press conference today.
That’s a big boon to the Tesla platform, as keeping the car’s battery topped up is one of the primary concerns over electric vehicles amongst consumers.
Musk did also note that Tesla’ charging network has ‘grown dramatically’, and that nearly all of North America will be within Tesla’s charging range in a year’s time.
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The update also brings auto steering technology to the Model S, which will allow drivers to kick back and relax on long haul journeys.
“We can basically go between San Francisco and Seattle without the driver doing anything,” the CEO revealed.
Additional new features include automatic emergency breaking and side-on collision warnings, in hopes of improving safety for the newly semi-autonomous vehicle.
The software will arrive in three months time through an over-the-air update, and will go live across the entire Model S fleet.