Tesla partners with TikTok to launch in-car video recording – UPDATE

UPDATE, 12:00pm, 01/04/21: Well done to our readers on uncovering the April Foolishness behind this one. Tesla isn't collaborating with TikTok (although, somehow we wouldn't be surprised). The original story can be found below.

Tesla has teamed up with social media giant TikTok to allow the owners of its electric cars to record, edit and upload viral videos directly from their vehicles.

The Californian car maker has collaborated with the Chinese-owned video-sharing app on a new software update to be made available on all of its cars globally from 1 April 2021.

The over-the-air update will install 'Ego Mode', which allows the car's interior-facing camera – mounted on the rear-vision mirror – to actively record videos.

The mode also allows the car's sound system to function as a backing track, with a full library of licensed music available for owners to dance and lip sync to.

Owners will then be able to edit and upload the video from behind the wheel, via their car's central touchscreen.

To allay concerns over the potential for driver distraction, the system only functions when the vehicle is stationary.

However, it will eventually be usable while on the move once Tesla's Full Self-Driving capability is rolled out.

This means drivers will be able to capture content while on the move as their car drives autonomously.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on Twitter that the collaboration made perfect sense given the car maker's commitment to "championing emerging internet technologies".

"Honestly, I get most of my business ideas from my baby son, X Æ A-12 – he knows what's up," Musk replied to a Twitter follower who simply wrote, "WTF @elonmusk" in response to the TikTok news.

Musk indicated the company also had its sights set on a Bumble collaboration which would allow people to be driven autonomously to blind dates in Tesla taxis.

Recently, Tesla announced it had purchased AU$1.95 billion in Bitcoin and would allow buyers to pay for their vehicles using the cryptocurrency.

CarAdvice understands there will be a media conference held at midday today confirming key details.

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