It can drive by itself, comes when called through a smartphone and has the ability to differentiate between a car, motorbike and a truck.
Welcome to the world of electric-car maker Tesla Motors, where the Model S sports sedan - the only model available in Australia - has been described as a "computer on wheels".
On Thursday, Tesla spokesman Heath Walker was at Federation Square in Melbourne to show off the Model S and all of its new updates as part of the innovation festival Pause Fest.
These included the autopilot function, first released in October last year, which has in the last week been upgraded to enable the car to self-steer road bends and identify motorcycles and trucks.
Mr Walker says the autopilot differs from standard cruise control by allowing the car to steer autonomously along straight roads, and even some bends.
"Although we recommend drivers have their hands on the wheels, in theory the technology allows it to steer without human drivers," he told AAP during a test drive.
Sensors all around the car enable it to "read" surrounding traffic and traffic markers.
"It senses the cars around you, and looks at line markings to make sure it stays within the lane," he told reporters.
It can change lanes by itself too, when the driver touches the indicator button.
Prices range from $128,000 for the most basic Tesla model to $250,000, which includes luxury features such as better performance, heated seats and more.
However, it was the summons feature that drew the most interest on Thursday, despite not being available in Australia yet for regulatory reasons.
Tesla owners in the US and China can "call" their cars from their garages or a car park by using a smartphone, smart watch or just the car key.
"So while you're standing outside the car park you can use your mobile app to call the car and the car comes to you," Mr Walker said.
He said the ultimate aim of the summons feature would be to allow drivers to summon their cars from across the country, such as from Sydney to Melbourne.
The Tesla Model S vehicles are on display in Pause Fest until February 14.
Share
