Video conferencing from your Tesla is 'definitely a future feature,' according to Elon Musk

Advertisement
Video conferencing from your Tesla is 'definitely a future feature,' according to Elon Musk
Hollis Johnson/Business Insider
  • Musk said video conferencing in a Tesla is "definitely a future feature."
  • The Model 3 has a cabin-facing camera that hasn't been used for anything yet.
  • Musk didn't say when exactly in the future people could expect the feature.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Advertisement

Tesla may soon offer video conferencing using its vehicles' in-cabin cameras.

Tesla boss Elon Musk tentatively confirmed the feature over a Twitter exchange, where he often interacts with fans and owners about product updates and information.

"Do you think we could get video conferencing within a Tesla," the Tesla Owners Silicon Valley account asked, oddly in response to a tweet from Musk about COVID-19 tolls. (Musk recently described coronavirus-related lockdown orders as "fascist," and said to "give people back their goddamn freedom.")

"Yeah, definitely a future feature," Musk responded.

He didn't elaborate further on what in-car video conferencing would look like or which Tesla models would be available with it, but it should probably only work when the cars are parked. Otherwise, it could distract drivers or encourage them to put the car on Autopilot and divert attention from the road. That's already a known problem, with some owners using Autopilot as if it's fully autonomous when it is not.

Advertisement

The exchange was first noticed by Electrek, which noted the Model 3 has come with a cabin-facing camera as standard since launch. Despite this, though, the camera hasn't been used for anything yet.

Per the outlet:

Tesla has yet to implement a feature using this camera, but a software update once referred to the camera being linked to Autopilot and "Tesla Network," which is supposed to be an upcoming fleet of robotaxis operated by Tesla.

There has been speculation that Tesla could use the camera to monitor driver attention when using Autopilot — hence the reference to Autopilot in the software — and monitor passengers in a shared fleet of self-driving cars in order to discourage vandalizing the cars — hence the reference to "Tesla Network."

In April, Musk said the camera's purpose was to support Tesla's eventual plan for robotaxis. As Tesla envisions a fleet of automated taxis, Musk said the camera could help catch passengers and hold them accountable if they damage a car. The in-cabin camera would serve as a monitoring system.

Advertisement

Business Insider also reported recently, however, that Tesla's plan for a million-strong fleet of robotaxis may not even happen this year because Musk said "punctuality is not [his] strong suit."

Musk did not say when in the future this feature might appear.

Read the original article on Business Insider
{{}}