Tesla frequently updates its software without announcing the changes or gaining consent from Tesla owners, sometimes to improve existing features and sometimes, allegedly, to milk extra money out of its customer base.
In a recent case, luckily for its customers, Tesla has reportedly improved an existing feature. Tesla fan site Not A Tesla App reports that the company has improved the rear camera view by eliminating the portions of the view blocked by the trunk and bumper. The site writes that this change "[paves] the way for a clearer, more centralized perspective of the environment behind the vehicle."
In addition, another update has reportedly upgraded the video quality in the rear camera view.
Currently, the software upgrades apply only to Tesla models equipped with Hardware 4 (HW4), which include the Model S, Model X, and Model Y from Fremont and Texas.
Any update to safety features is a step in the right direction for Tesla, which has recently been hit with several different safety-related investigations from regulators.
The company's Full Self-Driving and Autopilot features have been involved in at least 736 crashes and 17 fatalities, according to reporting from the Washington Post, over the relatively short course of their existence. Meanwhile, Tesla recently removed safeguards that require drivers to monitor the road while using the features, making them even less safe than they previously were.
Tesla is also under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration over claims that its seatbelts are not adequately attached and could come loose in a crash.
While it is good that the company has improved the rear camera view in its newer and pricier models, the recent changes have not addressed these other pressing safety concerns.
Tesla's practice of updating its software without customer consent whenever a car is connected to WiFi has also proved controversial, as some customers have complained that they are "uniquely at the mercy of the maker of their cars," leading a few of them to launch a class action lawsuit after their older models had their driving ranges allegedly reduced by up to 20% by automatic software updates.
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