The Tesla Model 3 might be off to a slower production start than the company would’ve liked, but there are big improvements coming for the vehicle once Tesla gets on top of its assembly backlog. Tesla CEO Elon Musk responded to a customer question on Twitter (via Business Insider) regarding additional voice control options with an affirmation that indeed, plenty more voice-enabled features for controlling the car are on the way.
Musk replied to the Model 3 owner that eventually, you’d be “able to do pretty much anything via voice command” in the vehicle. For now, the team working on Model 3 software is focused on getting the core product right, but the plan is to add additional features quickly once that’s taken care of.
Definitely. You will be able to do pretty much anything via voice command. Software team is focused on core Model 3 functionality right now, but that will be done soon, then we will add a lot more features.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 15, 2018
Voice control in vehicles is fast becoming a key user interface, since infotainment and vehicle control systems are getting more complex over time, thanks to ADAS and connected entertainment features. Competitors like Mercedes-Benz are investing in building context-aware, intelligent learning in-car voice assistants, using the same GPU tech that underlies intelligent autonomous driving technology.
As this Model 3 owner pointed out, there’s a lot going on in the vehicle’s single central touchscreen console, which offers up all cabin and vehicle controls. Making more of those available via voice control would definitely help out with general drivability and minimization distractions.
