Voice Control To Be Backseat Driver For Tesla Model 3

Voice-activated assistants are all the rage. Recently, Tesla CEO Elon Musk turned to Twitter to weigh in on what the technology will mean to the connected cars of the future.

Spotted by Business Insider, Musk, who has recently been active on Twitter, answering customers’ questions, said over the weekend that the Model 3 from Tesla will soon be able to handle voice control capabilities.

“Can we look forward to more voice control before level 5 to maximize safety while driving?” a Model 3 owner asked Musk via the social media platform. Musk’s response: “Definitely. You will be able to do pretty much anything via voice command.” Musk noted in the tweet that the company is “focused on core Model 3 functionality right now,” but will focus more on adding new features in the coming weeks.

The comments on the part of Musk come a few weeks after Walmart revealed that it’s partnering with Tesla to do test runs of the company’s soon-to-be-released electric tractor trailers. Five of the pre-ordered vehicles will service Walmart in the U.S.; 10 will service Walmart in Canada.

“We have a long history of testing new technology — including alternative fuel trucks — and we are excited to be among the first to pilot this new heavy-duty electric vehicle,” the company said in a statement to CNBC at the time. “We believe we can learn how this technology performs within our supply chain, as well as how it could help us meet some of our long-term sustainability goals, such as lowering emissions.”

The expansion of personal electric cars into the commercial arena began in November 2017, when Musk revealed the new truck was designed to go 500 miles on a single charge and is electronically connected with a fleet management system. Tesla Semis allow drivers to stand, with the steering wheel positioned in the center of the vehicle, with a touchscreen panel on both sides of the driver. The truck is scheduled for production in 2019 — though Tesla has a long and glorious history of falling behind schedule.