High-end electric vehicle maker Tesla is taking a major step toward self-driving cars by installing new autopilot software?Thursday in North America to automatically change lanes, manage speed and even hit the brakes.

Self-driving capabilities — previously limited to cars tested by technology titans such as Google — hit the streets "overnight" with the latest Tesla Version 7.0 software, according to the company.

The feature is being added to thousands of Tesla's Model S cars already on the road. By June 30, Tesla had already sold nearly 80,000 of the four-door sedans.

The so-called Version 7.0 software is due to hit the European and Asian markets next week after obtaining the required authorization.

"We're being especially cautious at this early stage so we are advising drivers to keep their hands on the wheel just in case," Tesla founder and Chief Executive Elon Musk said.

"In the long term, people will not need hands on the wheel, and eventually there won't be (steering) wheels or pedals."

Autopilot allows Model S to steer within a lane, change lanes by tapping a turn signal and manage speed using "traffic-aware" cruise control.

The car can also scan for available parking spaces, alert drivers when one is spotted and then parallel park on command.

A year ago, the California-based company began equipping Model S cars with radar, cameras, ultrasonic sensors and other hardware to begin incrementally introducing self-driving capabilities.