????在中國電商阿里巴巴集團（Alibaba）首次公開募股和蘋果（Apple）iPhone 6開售吸引了所有關注的當天，特斯拉汽車公司（Tesla Motors）對其旗艦車型Model S的無線軟件進行了升級，添加了許多新特色，這一舉動給關注科技的大眾再添了一筆談資。其中最有特色的功能是一款可以根據位置進行變化的空氣懸架，它可以記住坑洼和陡峭的車道，并自動調整高度避開它們。

????這一功能只有裝配空氣懸架的Model S車型可以使用，它能夠記憶駕駛員之前選擇的懸架高度，并自動在這些位置提高汽車底盤。

????Model S通過無線軟件升級實現的其他功能還包括：基于交通情況的導航系統（該導航會根據其他特斯拉汽車共享的路況數據作出決定），與司機的智能手機同步的日歷，遙控啟動，電源管理，以及給汽車“命名”。車主注冊昵稱后，該昵稱將會出現在特斯拉的移動應用，以及車內17英寸觸摸屏上的“關于你的特斯拉”菜單中。

????美國權威汽車價值評估網站Kelley Blue Book的分析師卡爾?布勞爾表示，升級汽車無線軟件并非獨特的技術，但特斯拉根據位置自動調整的空氣懸架是一個他從未見過的有趣特色。

????布勞爾說：“任何擁有內置無線網絡的汽車，從技術上講都能夠升級其軟件。比如，裝有安吉星（OnStar）的通用汽車（GM）都具有遠程啟動功能，該軟件有些時候也會進行無線升級?！?/p>

????但是，特斯拉汽車軟件的無線升級不僅是為了修復漏洞，還會借此推出新的特色以增強汽車性能、為客戶量身營造駕駛體驗，這體現了汽車業內的一種轉變。

????Navigant Research公司研究總監約翰?高德納表示：“保持軟件升級，維持汽車和汽車制造商之間通訊鏈的重要性會日益增加，并將成為推動汽車業繼續發展的關鍵因素。”

????高德納補充道，所有的汽車都將朝這個趨勢發展，但電動汽車制造商在這點上尤其干勁十足。

????電動汽車依靠軟件和計算能力驅動，它們可以通過無線升級推出新的特色功能，在競爭中保持領先。

????有時候，這也會用于幫助和加速召回工作。

????今年1月，在主動召回29,222輛Model S汽車后，特斯拉升級了無線軟件，讓汽車的車載充電系統能夠檢測輸入電源中任何非正常的電壓波動或電阻升高。

????軟件升級的目的是解決用戶對電源適配器、電線和墻面電源在充電時過熱的擔憂。不過與其他官方的主動召回不同，特斯拉的車主不需要把汽車送到代理商那里維修。（財富中文網）

????譯者：嚴匡正

????On a day dominated by the initial public offering of the Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba’s and the first sales of Apple’s new iPhone 6, Tesla Motors added to the tech-centric buzz by wirelessly upgrading its Model S electric car with a number of new features. Among them? A location-based air suspension that remembers potholes and steep driveways and automatically adjusts to avoid them.

????The feature, which is only available in Model S cars equipped with air suspension, remembers where the driver previously selected high ride heights and automatically raises the car in those spots.

????Other features, which were added to Model S sedans through a wireless software upgrade, include traffic-based navigation that will take into account data shared by other Tesla vehicles on the road, a calendar that syncs with a driver’s smartphone, remote start, power management, and ability to “name” your car. Once the car registers the car’s nickname, it will appear in the Tesla mobile app and in the About Your Tesla section on the 17-inch touch-screen display.

????The ability to wirelessly upgrade a vehicle’s software isn’t unique, according to Kelley Blue Book analyst Karl Brauer, who noted Tesla’s location-based air suspension was an interesting feature he hadn’t seen before.

????“Any car with built-in Wi-fi technically has the ability to update its software,” said Brauer. “For instance, GM cars equipped with OnStar have been able to remote start cars or make wireless upgrades for some time.”

????Still the Tesla’s practice of wirelessly upgrading the car’s software to not only fix bugs, but also roll out new features that improve performance and customize the driving experience, illustrates a shift within the auto industry.

????“The importance of software upgrades and maintaining a communication link between the car and the automaker will increase and become more pivotal moving forward,” said John Gartner, research director with Navigant Research.

????All vehicles are moving in that direction, but electric vehicle manufacturers are particularly aggressive on that front, added Gartner.

????Electric vehicles, which rely on software and computing power, use wireless upgrades to introduce new features and stay ahead of the competition.

????In some cases, it’s been used to facilitate—and speed up—a recall.

????In January, after voluntarily recalling 29,222 Model S vehicles, Tesla used a wireless software update to enable the car’s on-board charging system to detect any unexpected fluctuations in the input power or higher resistance connections to the vehicle.

????The software upgrade aimed to address concerns that the adapter, cord or wall outlet could overheat while charging. But unlike other official voluntary recalls, Tesla owners didn’t have to bring their cars to a dealership for a fix.