Tesla vehicles will soon “talk” to pedestrians.
“This is real,” company CEO Elon Musk tweeted on Sunday.
In an accompanying video, a Tesla Model 3 passes by, goading anyone within earshot.
“Well, don’t just stand there staring. Hop in,” it says, clear as day.
Whatever comes next—something about practicing an expression?—is slightly muddled as the car moves forward.
The automaker in October teased an upcoming option to customize horn and low-speed movement sounds: coconuts (a reference to Monty Python and the Holy Grail), baaing, and farting among them.
Because one of the world’s most preeminent entrepreneurs is a seven-year-old child.
Musk also said the company “will consider” allowing vehicle owners to upload their own sound clips—a lawsuit waiting to happen.
In 2018, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced requirements for “quiet cars” to emit a specific warning sound when moving at speeds below 20 mph.
So Tesla may be bound by regional requirements to provide specific movement sounds to alert pedestrians.
NHTSA, however, is considering relaxing the rules to allow a suite of alerts from which drivers may select their preference.
It’s unclear whether the Jarvis-esque voice heard in Musk’s Twitter clip will be among the available alternatives.
Or, for that matter, whether motorists can speak directly to folks outside the car via a PA system. (Another lawsuit waiting to happen.)
As Geek sister site Mashable pointed out, the Tesla Model 3 already comes equipped with a speaker in the front grill, making this a “convenient, cost-efficient” feature.
Particularly for those tapping into the Sentry Mode security function, which uses external cameras to monitor surroundings and detect potential threats like break-ins or theft.
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