Tesla Cars Will Soon Stream YouTube And Netflix But Only When It's Safe
It seems that Elon Musk envisions Tesla's cars as more than transportation machines. Not so long ago, the electric car maker started adding the ability to play games on cars' displays. That naturally requires more interaction than some drivers and passengers might be comfortable with but what about passive forms of entertainment? That may be the line of thinking behind the visionary's revelation on Twitter that cars will soon play videos from Netflix and YouTube but not while it might be dangerous to do so.
More advanced cars are getting screens that would put even large tablets to shame. The Tesla Model S, for example, has a gigantic screen that runs down the aisle of the car. Either way, they are perfect for displaying not just information but videos as well. Or games for that matter, as Musk and Tesla already proved to some extent.
Tesla's in-car games require the car to be parked, especially considering you can only use the steering wheel as the controller. In contrast, Musk's tweet hints that YouTube and Netflix streaming will play as long as the car is stopped. Naturally, that's a safety measure the company will be forced to make.
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.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 27, 2019
It might seem like asking for trouble but this feature has to be framed in the larger scheme of things. It is almost a perfect fit for a full self-driving scenario. Imagine kicking back and watching your favorite videos or series while the car cruises along the highway. Safely, of course.
That's the ideal future, of course, but we're far from reaching that. Additionally, even Musk concedes they'll need regulatory approval before they can enable the feature while the car is in motion. At least when all those pieces fall in places, Tesla EVs will be ready to provide that "cinematic feel" on wheels.