Will Tesla October 17 Event Announce Next-Gen Autopilot 2.0?

Tesla CEO Elon Musk says that a new product unveiling is on its way and October 17^th marks the date. As Electrek reports, a cryptic Twitter post from the business tycoon over the weekends drops a not-so-subtle hint that the announcement will come as a surprise to many.

One theory is that Tesla’s October 17th event could be a new Autopilot 2.0 announcement that will enable retrofit upgrades to select existing electric cars. This, according to a recent tweet hours after Musk’s announcement that says a “source” confirms that the upcoming Tesla event will revolve around Autopilot. Purportedly, vehicles began getting hardware updates last week.

Speculation also points to the possibility that Tesla will reveal some updates on the upcoming Model 3 design car--a Model 3 part 2 event. The now confirmed Tesla/SolarCity event taking place during the following week on the 28^th has everything to do with future energy products. According to Auto World News, the 2-year wait for the Model 3 release date to arrive is tempting electric vehicle buyers to shift their attention elsewhere.

Pre-orders are piling up and Tesla may have made an executive decision to show off some new add ons. Consumers have a few EV alternatives to the Model 3 already available on the market including the Nissan Leaf and the Renault Zoe, so why wait? Nothing is definite but Tesla may offer up a few reasons that the Tesla 3 is worth the virtue of patience. Perhaps the reveal of higher-end optional specs or a more comprehensive look that the final product.

Just a few months ago, leaks let the cat out of the bag, suggesting that the Model 3’s internal engine inverter will be something to brag about. As a reminder, the late 2017 Tesla 3 model car will go from 0 to 60 real quick, in just under 4 seconds. The new beast of an electric vehicle will have a range of over 300 miles on a full charge and cost $35,000.