Just a few weeks ago Tesla CEO and founder Elon Musk confirmed that version 10 of Autopilot would be out in August, and with it new movie streaming features including Youtube, Netflix as well as more games and infotainment goodies.
On Sunday overnight (Australian time) Musk has updated this timeline for the first rollouts of these upgrades to Early Access Program (EAP) members to “possibly two weeks” from now.
The introduction of these features has generated great interest on various social media platforms, not least of all – Musk’s preferred form of communication, Twitter.
The ability to watch movies in a Tesla (when parked it must be noted because being able to watch while driving will only become a thing once Full Self Driving is approved by regulators) is especially good, “in large part due to the sound system“, says Musk.
Watching a movie on Tesla V10.0 is great, in large part due to the sound system https://t.co/7Qh2iHEn8i
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 11, 2019
Now, it appears that the upgrade to V10 (which happens “over-the-air” thanks to the ability of Tesla vehicles to update software – owners often comment the joy opf waking up to find their vehicle has new features) may also include the ability to view videos recorded by Tesla’s Sentry Mode.
Musk responded to one Tweep who asked if the upgrade would include the ability to watch Sentry videos, saying, “Working on upgrades to Sentry“.
Working on upgrades to Sentry …
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 11, 2019
And, it could be out within just a few weeks: in response to a question from another Tweep asking about early access rollout for V10, Musk then responded “possibly two weeks”:
Possibly two weeks
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 11, 2019
Sentry Mode, if you weren’t already aware, was introduced to Tesla vehicles in February 2019 and basically gives the car its own integrated security video system.
As per official comment from Tesla:
To further enhance the security of our vehicles and give our customers additional peace of mind, we rolled out a new safeguard – Sentry Mode – to protect against break-ins and theft. Sentry Mode continuously monitors the environment around a Tesla vehicle when it’s left unattended by using the car’s external cameras.
To use it, the owner must insert a USB stick to record the videos, and if a security violation is detected, the video recorded on the USB stick can be used to discover what happened while away from the vehicle.
Recently the US-based Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) that aggregates insurance data to inform consumers about “the human and economic losses resulting from the ownership and operation of different types of vehicles” listed the Tesla Model S and Model X as some of the least-stolen vehicles in the US.
According to HLDI, “Their low theft rate may be related to the fact that, as electric vehicles, they are usually parked in garages or close to a house to be near a power supply.”
HLDI does also say that, “In a separate report last year, HLDI showed that electric vehicles from a variety of manufacturers have lower theft claim rates than comparable vehicles.”
But it can’t be ignored that Sentry Mode has become a useful tool for owners wanting to recover their damaged or stolen vehicle, such as these owners whose Tesla Model S was stolen in Los Angeles earlier in August.
In fact, as noted by Cleantechnica, the 112 out of 115 stolen Teslas were returned to their owners from 2011 to May 2018, compared to the overall recovery rate for all vehicles which in 2016 was just 58.4%.
Of course, if the ability to watch Sentry video becomes available in the next version of Autopilot, we don’t suggest using the knowledge gleaned to take matters into your own hand.
Best to leave that to the law enforcement officers – especially when there could be some new easter eggs to enjoy – another of Musk’s tweets overnight included responding to a follower asking very nicely for some easter eggs based on famous comedy troupe, Monty Python.
Ok
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 11, 2019
So many opportunities for laughs we can’t decide – which Monty Python sketch would you hope for in a Tesla easter egg?
Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model Y and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.