Elon Musk: Model S not a car but a 'sophisticated computer on wheels'

In a move that demonstrates how the mechanical and electronic worlds are converging, Tesla Motors plans to update many of its Model S sedans with functions that include automatic braking when the vehicle senses a pending collision, a partial autopilot system, and even a robotic parking program that will tuck a car into its garage while its owner watches from the porch.

With the exception of robotic parking, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Acura and other luxury brands already offer cars with these options. But those features were built into the cars before they were purchased. What’s different with Tesla is its ability to remotely add substantial functions to cars that it has already sold. The autopilot safety features are available to the Model S with the hardware that started being built into cars last October.

Since the invention of the automobile more than a century ago, consumers were pretty much stuck with the car they purchased. They could make some changes in tires, tuning and suspension that could improve the performance of the vehicle. But doing anything big such as adding features or getting more power out of the engine involved the complex and often expensive swapping of parts -- or trading up to a more expensive model.

Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk may be overturning those conventions.

http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-musk-computer-on-wheels-20150319-story.html