Elon Musk has revealed on Twitter that Tesla cars will soon have the ability to stream Netflix and YouTube videos.
Tesla Adding Netflix, Hulu Streaming To Its Cars
In a tweet posted on Saturday, the Tesla CEO revealed the electric car company is adding video streaming feature to its vehicles, albeit it isn't yet clear when this feature will be rolled out.
Ability to stream YouTube & Netflix when car is stopped coming to your Tesla soon! Has an amazingly immersive, cinematic feel due to the comfy seats & surround sound audio. — e^ (@elonmusk) July 27, 2019
Streaming Features Available Only When Car Is Stopped
The news doesn't mean Tesla owners can soon stream Stranger Things on their in-car screen while driving around, since the streaming feature can only be used when the car is parked.
Musk nonetheless said that once regulators give the green light for self-driving, Tesla will soon allow passengers to stream videos while the car is in motion.
Owners of Model 3 and upcoming Model Y are expected to have the best in-car video experience since these have horizontally oriented screens. The Model S and Model X have larger screens but these have vertical orientations.
Musk did not give further details on the functionality, but said it would have an immersive and cinematic feel.
Safety Concerns Over Watching Videos Behind The Wheel
The idea of being able to catch up on one's favorite Netflix series or YouTube channels in the car may be appealing for some people, but there are concerns that come with this feature even with self-driving technology.
In 2018, a fatal car crash occurred in Tempe, Arizona when an Uber self-driving test car struck a woman who was crossing the street with a bicycle. Investigations on why the car failed to avoid the woman revealed that the car driver, Rafaela Vasquez, was streaming a television show on her phone until about the time of the crash.
Police report claimed that the fatal accident could have been avoided had the driver been paying more attention.
