Tesla's Software Update Vows To End Range Anxiety

Tesla Motors Inc. Chief Executive Elon Musk unveiled Thursday a software update that will map out charger locations and communicate in real time with the cars' onboard computers to warn drivers before their batteries run out of juice and they drive out of range of a charging station. "You don't have to think ahead or make any calculations," Musk said on a press conference. It'd be "basically impossible" to run out of battery life unless a driver does it intentionally, he said. The update also includes a trip routing feature that will incorporate charging stations into a route. A future software update will include auto steering, and tests are under way in a route from San Francisco to Seattle with the driver almost not touching any controls, Musk said. The CEO also said Tesla plans on releasing software updates every three to four months. Tesla cars, he said, are "computers on wheels." Tesla shares fell deeper into the red as the press conference unfolded, and were recently down 1.5%.