Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on Thursday (US time) that the EV maker’s self-driving software will automatically change the height and damping level of the car’s suspension.
Slated for the Cybertruck and available on “Raven” versions of the Model S and Model X, Tesla’s adaptive air suspension is designed to provide passengers with a smooth ride while also change the ride height according to driving conditions.
However, it is currently controlled via the touchscreen, meaning changing the settings requires a driver or passenger to give visual attention to the interface.
In response to a request on Twitter for voice commands for air suspension and height, Musk said, “Ok. Overall air suspension height & damping algorithm is getting a lot of attention.”
He also said, “Will be linked to FSD, so acts automatically.”
Ok. Overall air suspension height & damping algorithm is getting a lot of attention. Will be linked to FSD, so acts automatically.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 26, 2020
Musk has previously flagged a dynamic adaptive air suspension for the Cybertruck, which will be built in Texas and it would seem, designed for optimum off-roading.
In August, Tesla rolled out an upgrade for adaptive air suspension that allows drivers to choose custom settings for ride comfort and handling in addition to the pre-set Comfort, Auto and Sport settings.
In September, the EV maker updated the centre display for the Model S and Model X to include a suspension widget that gives visual feedback on compressions and rebound.
The latest announcement from Musk could, when rolled out, mean that Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) would use the vehicle’s 4D autonomous technology to judge road surface and driving conditions.
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.