How Tesla Should Handle Nag Removal Concern From NHTSA and Transport Canada

NHTSA and Transport Canada are concerned about Tesla's removal of the Autopilot 'nag' screen

@Greentheonly/Twitter

On the day that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released information about roadway fatalities, reporters were more interested in anything Tesla-related. Reuters stated the acting head of the NHTSA, Ann Carlson, made “comments to reporters on the sidelines of an event in Washington.” Those sideline comments were regarding the government’s review of crashes involving Teslas and the possibility of removing the steer wheel “nag” for Autopilot.

By the way, the NHTSA reported that fatalities due to car crashes in the United States appear to be leveling off after dramatic increases over the last two years. But back to Tesla.

Carlson told reporters that the government agency is investing a lot of resources in the Autopilot investigation that started in August of 2021. The acting head told Reuters, “The resources require a lot of technical expertise, actually some legal novelty, and so we're moving as quickly as we can, but we also want to be careful and make sure we have all the information we need."

Autopilot Changes are Coming

Part of the review is also said to investigate if drivers are paying attention when operating Tesla vehicles in Autopilot. The onboard alert system that assesses driver awareness has been activated in several crashes that the agency is investigating, which is why Carlson took particular interest in Elon Musk's recent tweet.

As we reported, Musk responded to a tweet from @WholeMarsBlog asking users with more than 10,000 FSD miles driven could have the option to disable the “tedious steering wheel nag.” Musk responded, "Agreed, update coming in Jan."

Carlson told reporters, “A very extensive investigation ongoing... We are in conversations with Tesla about this latest communication."

Removing the Nag

Musk also recently tweeted that a significant Full Self Driving update was coming in two weeks, including many major improvements. Given the timeline, this change to the steer wheel tension could be part of the FSD Beta V11.3 update. Therefore, it makes sense that the NHTSA has been in contact with Tesla. The results of its investigation could significantly impact the future of the autonomous vehicle vision that Musk has been working toward for years.

According to a recent tweet from DirtyTesla, he states a source told him that Transport Canada is already considering disallowing FSD Beta in Canada and that the removal of the steering wheel 'nag' could be the deciding factor.

DirtyTesla shared the message on Twitter:

"Transport Canada has been close to recommending they pull the plug on Beta in Canada because they don’t feel testing beta software with road users is safe. If the nag is removed they will most likely recommend it be pulled."

What Tesla Should Do

Tesla's reliance on detecting force being applied to the steering wheel was never a great solution. It doesn't provide continuous monitoring and it doesn't always properly detect resistance on the wheel, causing a lot of "not paying attention" prompts.

It sounds like Tesla is already in talks with the NHTSA, so we are hopeful that they're reaching an agreement they both feel good about. Other Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), such as BlueCruise already have hands-free driving on select highways. BlueCruise only monitors driver behavior through a camera similar to Tesla's in-cabin camera.

Instead of Tesla phrasing this as the 'removal of the steering wheel nag,' they should state that they'll be transitioning to better driver monitoring by leveraging their cabin camera and machine learning. Tesla launched vison-based driver monitoring two years ago. There have undoubtedly been improvements and they should state that they're now ready to transition to a system that allows improved monitoring while also reducing the need to 'nag' drivers at specific intervals.

Over the past seven years, the NHTSA has conducted nearly 40 special investigations where authorities suspected Autopilot was in use so their concern is understood, however, Tesla could do better to put them at ease.

Tesla Hints at Support for Amazon Music Streaming in Update 2024.14.3

Thanks to Tesla hacker Greentheonly, it looks like Tesla will soon offer a native experience for Amazon Music in their cars.

Green decompiled Tesla's latest update, version 2024.14.3, and found references to Amazon's music service, Amazo Music.

In this same update, Tesla added Audible playback, the audiobook service Amazon bought back in 2008.

For Tesla to add support for these music services, they need to have access to APIs that are provided by the music provider. Like everything else, there's likely a deal Tesla and Amazon struck, not only for Audible which was released in this update, but also for Amazon's other services. Given that there are already references to Amazon Music in 2024.14.3, it may not be long before we see the service launch in an upcoming update.

Prime Video 

Although Green doesn't mention any references to Amazon Prime Video specifically, it's possible we may see that service added as well. Tesla's Theater "apps," are essentially links to a browser without the user interface, so detecting references for Amazon Prime Video would be more difficult to discover in Tesla's source code. Since Tesla already implemented Audible and there are now hints of Amazon Music, it’s looking like we may see support for Amazon Prime Video as well.

Not the First Time Tesla Has Hinted at Amazon Music

Back in 2020, we saw Tesla add hints of supporting Amazon Music, although the code was scrapped in a later revision. The same source code in 2020 had references to Pandora, Audible and Apple Music. Since then we've seen Tesla add support for two of those services, with Pandora being the only one left out.

Top Music Services in the World

According to Exploding Topics, Amazon Music is the fourth most popular music service in the world as of February 2024 with a 13.3% share of the market. Number one is not surprisingly Spotify, with Apple Music and Tencent (Chinese music service) taking the second and third spots respectively.

Who Will Get Access

Amazon Music will actually be a great addition, especially if you don't pay for a separate music service like Spotify or Apple Music, but have Amazon Prime.

In the U.S., LiveOne, previously known as Slacker is the default music service that comes for free with Tesla — although Premium Connectivity is still required to listen while driving. Tesla simply calls it "Streaming" in the vehicle since this was named before Tesla had support for multiple music services. Tesla currently supports LiveOne, Spotify, Apple Music, TIDAL, TuneIn and SiriusXM on the Model S and Model X.

Although LiveOne is free, it has several limitations on audio quality, music curation and song selection. It also doesn’t allow you to jump to certain parts of a song.

Amazon Music offers a much more robust solution, so it's expected to be a nice upgrade for owners who already have access to the music service.

If you subscribe to Amazon Prime and get the free version of Amazon Music, it's expected that you'll have access to it in your vehicle without any additional charges, just like you do on your phone and other devices.

Amazon also offers a premium plan for $10 per month that includes higher-quality audio and access to a larger music library. However, we don't believe the premium plan will be required to use the service in the vehicle.

Tesla update 2024.14.3 is currently rolling out to customers around the world, although it could be several weeks before most customers have access.

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Cybertruck Receives 9 Exclusive Features in Tesla Update 2024.14.3 as Tesla Shares Off-Road Guide [Video]

Tesla released a major software update for the Cybertruck with version 2024.14.3 that introduces nine exclusive features, including locking differentials, Trail Assist, Off-Road Mode and many others that add completely new capabilities to the Cybertruck. Telsa also released a guide focused on the new off-roading capabilities of the Cybertruck and how to use each driving mode.

In the same update, the Cybertruck also received additional features that were previously available on other vehicles such as the Colorizer feature, Front Passenger Air Vent and Zoom.

In a video titled “Can The Tesla Cybertruck Really Off-Road?” (video below), the BBC publication TopGear tested the latest off-road software from Tesla in a Californian desert with a Rivian R1T as a benchmark.

New Accessories

TopGear also had access to new prototype Cybertruck accessories, including a Cybercooler and a CyberInflator that lets you adjust tire pressure. Tesla is also planning the launch of Cyberboxes that fit underneath the CyberTent case and safely slide in the bed rails, as shown in the video.

Cybertruck Update

Cybertruck’s Off-Road Mode improves its performance on challenging terrains such as gravel, deep snow, rock, and sand. “All Purpose” mode will automatically adjust the tire slip based on the amount of available traction.

The new CyberTent Mode levels the vehicle using the air suspension so that you get a perfectly flat sleeping surface. It also allows you to control features like lights, air conditioning, and outlets activated — if needed.

The Trail Assist helps maintain a set cruising speed so drivers can focus on steering. The feature works as both a hill ascent and descent control preventing the wheels from slipping, Tesla explained.

Wade Mode, which was previously available allows drivers to enter and drive through “shallow bodies of water, such as defined crossing points of rivers or creeks” whereas the new “Baja Mode” will improve the vehicle’s balance. The vehicle will also handle more freely when Stability Assist is set to Minimal.

The new update also increases the sensitivity of the Cybertruck’s frunk, so that it stops earlier when it meets resistance. The model saw also its turning circle improved by 1.6 feet, making parking and low-speed maneuvers easier.

The adaptive suspension of the Cybertruck was also upgraded with more accurate payload estimations and automatically adjusting damping to deliver a more comfortable ride and better handling.

Off-Road Guide

Cybertruck Off Road Mode

The Off-Road Guide offers a comprehensive overview of Cybertruck features, detailing the various new driving modes and controls, including instructions on using Overland and Baja modes, adjusting ride height, and managing vehicle settings for different terrains.

Furthermore, the guide offers best practices for driving off-road, with tips on navigating various surfaces such as sand, mud, and rocks.

Tesla first started delivering Cybertrucks in November of last year. Despite some setbacks, Tesla continues to scale up the production of the Cybertruck at its Gigafactory in Austin, Texas.

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