Musk confirms Tesla’s 8.0 software update has begun
The CEO of electric automotive company Tesla, Elon Musk, has confirmed that version 8.0 of its proprietary vehicle software has begun rolling out. Customers with a Tesla Model S or Model X will see new features added, including a new maximum temperature control. The feature will automatically keep the temperature below 40°C by venting the car and enabling the air conditioning to stop children and pets dying in overheated cars. The feature will work until the battery is below 20% charge, and will be enabled for up to a year on a full charge.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk went on a tweet binge yesterday, revealing that version 8.0 of the firm’s vehicle software would begin its rollout last night, amongst other things.

Those with a Model S or Model X can expect a number of new features within the next week or so (if not sooner). The initial tweet of the tweet dump did note that the release of V8.0 would be gradual, though, so a bit of patience may be in order for some people.

V8.0 starts downloading tonight. Release will be gradual to make sure there aren't small regressions. Many car configs, many environments. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 21, 2016

Commenting on the importance on the release, Musk noted that it was a “major overhaul,” much more of a change than when they updated to V7.0.

This is a major overhaul on almost every level compared to V7. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 21, 2016

Elon went into a little more depth, revealing a few important changes:

My favorite new feature is the always-on max temp control for keeping kids and pets safe from overheating. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 21, 2016

Tesla keeps temp below 40C/105F by automatically venting cabin & turning on AC when needed. Can do this for up to a year on a full charge. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 21, 2016

can't always detect babies and pets — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 21, 2016

"smart" preconditioning should be less dumb in 8.0 — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 21, 2016

currently stops at 20% state of charge. This number will be configurable. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 21, 2016

I read a story about a father whose son died incredibly quickly. Can be as little as half an hour in hot sun. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 21, 2016

And on a somewhat unrelated note:

Tesla is sometimes criticized for government support, but all US car companies (plus some non) got loans and only Tesla has paid its back https://t.co/yRW2hGUcxW — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 22, 2016

Have any Tesla owners reading this gotten the update yet? Any thoughts on V8.0 would be appreciated.

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