You can now use a smartphone to park your Tesla car

SELECT Tesla Motors vehicles can park themselves without a driver inside, thanks to the latest software update which was pushed out to customers over the weekend.

 A number of Tesla Motors vehicles can now park themselves, thanks to a new software update.

The updated software – Tesla version 7.0 – also brings new speed limits on the US firm's semi-autonomous Autopilot mode.

It also brings several enhancements, including automatically slowing when the car is approaching a curve and keeping the car in its lane even when the lane markings are faded.

CEO Elon Musk said the parking feature is a "baby step" toward his eventual goal – allowing drivers to summon their self-driving, self-charging cars from anywhere using only their smartphones.

 "I actually think, and I might be slightly optimistic on this, within two years you'll be able to summon your car from across the country," Mr Musk said on a conference call with reporters. "This is the first little step in that direction."

For now, though, the system isn't truly autonomous.

"It's more like remote-control parking," SpaceX and Telsa founder Elon Musk said.

Owners must line up their Model S sedan or Model X SUV within 33 feet of the space they want it to drive or back into.