A feature that is included in the refresh Model S (and Model X once deliveries begin), Auto Shift out of Park, will also be coming to the rest of the fleet in a future software update.
Responding to a tweet from Tesla enthusiast and FSD beta tester @WholeMarsBlog, CEO Elon Musk said the feature will only be available for owners who have purchased the Full Self-Driving (FSD) package, either outright or through the new subscription.
Similar to how the feature works in the Model S, it will be an optional setting in the Model 3 and Model Y
. Musk did not provide a date when FSD owners can expect to see the feature arrive.
You don’t even need to touch the shifter in new S. Auto detect direction will come as an optional setting to all cars with FSD.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 19, 2021
Aside from the yoke steering wheel, Auto Shift out of Park was perhaps one of the most talked about prior to the release of the Model S Plaid last month. The feature, which is still in beta, selects the appropriate gear based on the vehicle’s previous trajectory and surroundings.
After you get into your car the computer will remember its previous trajectory and use its cameras and sensors to automatically shift into Drive. If you backed in to a parking spot, it will remember and automatically shift into Drive. Similarly if there is something in front of you, it will shift into Reverse.
Here’s how Tesla describes the feature to owners in the release notes.
The gear is chosen based on the trajectory that was taken into your current parking location, as well as information from sensors about the current environment. Always check to confirm that the gear chosen matches your expectations before you press the accelerator pedal.
Auto Shift out of Park will only shift gears when transitioning out of park. Shifting between forward and reverse must be performed manually using the gear shift slider on the left side of the center display. Before enabling this feature, make sure that you are familiar with the operation of the gear shift slider.
Since it was released last month, tests of the feature show it works surprisingly well so far. The car doesn’t include any gear stalk, so if owners don’t want to use the beta feature, they have to rely on the on-screen gear selector.
You can see how the feature works in the video below.
