Tesla Asked for Improvement Ideas - Here Are the Most Popular Requests

Tesla seeks customer feedback for continuous improvement and innovation

Tesla

Following the lead of Airbnb's CEO, Tesla turned to Twitter to ask for owner feedback with a simple question: "What should Tesla improve?" The tweet quickly gained traction, with over 8.7 million views and 24,000 responses.

Brian Chesky, Airbnb's CEO asked for input on Twitter last week. Elon Musk noticed, tweeting: This kind of interaction with users is awesome. Other companies should take note. One of his other companies did take note, Tesla. We've curated some of the top suggestions that could pave the way for Tesla's continuous improvement and innovation.

Users Offer Insights for Enhancing Tesla Ownership Experience

Improve service times and location site counts: Customers emphasized the need for faster service times and more service locations, making the Tesla ownership experience more convenient. They also called for more accessible human support to assist with their needs.

Make Full Self-Driving (FSD) transferable: Many users suggested making FSD transferable between vehicles, offering added value and flexibility for Tesla owners who may upgrade or change their vehicles in the future.

Add 360° bird's eye view: Respondents proposed the addition of a 360° bird's eye view feature to improve the parking experience, providing added convenience for Tesla drivers maneuvering in tight spots or navigating unfamiliar parking areas.

Enhance referral program: Users expressed a desire for a more robust referral program, which could offer even greater incentives for Tesla enthusiasts to promote the brand within their networks.

Address sensitive wipers in FSD Beta: Several customers noted that wipers in the FSD Beta version are overly sensitive, activating even when it's not raining. They suggested that Tesla address this issue in future software updates to enhance the overall driving experience.

Will Tesla Share Top Suggestions, Following Airbnb's Lead?

Tesla's decision to seek customer feedback has garnered a massive response, showcasing its commitment to listening to its user base. Airbnb recently tweeted some of their most mentioned suggestions, demonstrating transparency and a proactive approach to addressing customer concerns.

While Tesla has not yet followed suit, it would not be surprising if they take a similar approach in sharing the most popular suggestions with the public. This would not only demonstrate transparency but also highlight Tesla's dedication to acting on customer feedback. The connection between Elon Musk and Twitter, given that he owns the platform could potentially further encourage Tesla to utilize Twitter as a tool for engagement and communication with their customers.

The Importance of Customer Feedback for Continuous Improvement

Tesla's quest for feedback and its potential to share top suggestions emphasize the value of customer input in driving a company's growth and development. By actively seeking opinions and engaging with users, Tesla and Airbnb exemplify how successful companies prioritize customer satisfaction and leverage feedback to stay ahead of the curve in their respective industries.

As Tesla continues to expand its product lineup and global presence, customer feedback will remain a critical component of its innovation strategy. If Tesla does decide to share the top suggestions on Twitter, it will further solidify the company's reputation for being responsive, adaptive, and committed to delivering an exceptional customer experience.

In conclusion, the decision to gather suggestions and the possibility of sharing them with the public not only strengthens Tesla's relationship with its customers but also sets a positive example for other companies to follow. Engaging with users and acting on their feedback is a powerful approach to fostering innovation, continuous improvement, and overall success in today's rapidly evolving business landscape.

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Tesla Increases Price of Model S; Starts Offering Free Lifetime Supercharging

Not a Tesla App

For the first time in quite a while, Tesla has increased the price of one of its vehicle offerings. The Model S Long Range and the Model S Plaid have both received a hefty price increase. However, not all is bad - as Tesla also added a new benefit for buyers.

Price Increase

The price increase for the Model S is $5,000 - currently only in the United States. This price increase will likely impact other markets, including Canada, in the coming days.

The Model S Long Range now starts at $79,990, while the Model S Plaid now starts at $94,990. The Model S and Model X now have the same starting price. Interestingly, that’s also the same pricing point for the Cybertruck AWD and Cyberbeast Trimotor non-Foundation Series. 

The vehicle configuration does not appear to have changed, so the new pricing is simply an increase rather than the addition or removal of features. Tesla previously cut the price of the Model S and Model X by 15% in 2023, so this could simply be an adjustment to ensure that the vehicle pricing stays in line with inflation and other factors.

Free Lifetime Supercharging

For those on the fence about ordering a Model S, Tesla has brought back Free Lifetime Supercharging when you order a new Model S on or after December 13, 2024. As always, Free Lifetime Supercharging is restricted to the buyer’s Tesla account and to that specific vehicle. It cannot be transferred to another vehicle or another owner after ownership transfer. It’s worth noting, that it also doesn’t exclude the owner from receiving Supercharger idle fees or congestion fees. There is currently no end date for this promotion.

There are currently no changes to the Model X, neither a price increase nor the addition of Lifetime Superchargering. However, when Tesla makes changes to one of their premium vehicles, it usually affects the other one as well. So be on the lookout for potential changes to the Model X offering in the coming days.

We’ve seen Tesla value Lifetime Supercharging at $5,000, so this falls in line with the price increase we’re seeing. It’s possible that Tesla will begin to bring back Lifetime Supercharging as a perk for buying into their more premium Model S and Model X cars, or this could be another temporary promotion to get buyers who are on the fence to go ahead and make their purchase while this promotion lasts.

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Tesla’s Optimus Robot Learns to Walk Without Vision [VIDEO]

Optimus Falls - but catches itself!

Not a Tesla App

Tesla recently showed off a demo of Optimus, its humanoid robot, walking around in moderately challenging terrain—not on a flat surface but on dirt and slopes. These things can be difficult for a humanoid robot, especially during the training cycle.

Daily walks help clear your mind pic.twitter.com/dUsW58trS6

— Tesla Optimus (@Tesla_Optimus) December 9, 2024

A Look Behind the Curtain

Most interestingly, Milan Kovac, VP of Engineering for Optimus, clarified what it takes to get Optimus to this stage. Let’s break down what he said.

Optimus is Blind

Optimus is getting seriously good at walking now - it can keep its balance over uneven ground - even while walking blind. Tesla is currently using just the sensors, all powered by a neural net running on the embedded computer. 

Essentially, Tesla is building Optimus from the ground up, relying on as much additional data as possible while it trains vision. This is similar to how they train FSD on vehicles, using LiDAR rigs to validate the vision system’s accuracy. While Optimus doesn’t have LiDAR, it relies on all those other sensors on board, many of which will likely become simplified as vision takes over as the primary sensor.

Today, Optimus is walking blind, but it’s able to react almost instantly to changes in the terrain underneath it, even if it falls or slips. 

What’s Next?

Next up, Tesla AI will be adding vision to Optimus - helping complete the neural net. Remember, Optimus runs on the same overall AI stack as FSD - in fact, Optimus uses an FSD computer and an offshoot of the FSD stack for vision-based tasks.

Milan mentions they’re planning on adding vision to help the robot plan ahead and improve its walking gait. While the zombie shuffle is iconic and a little bit amusing, getting humanoid robots to walk like humans is actually difficult.

There’s plenty more, too - including better responsiveness to velocity and direction commands and learning to fall and stand back up. Falling while protecting yourself to minimize damage is something natural to humans - but not exactly natural to something like a robot. Training it to do so is essential in keeping the robot, the environment around it, and the people it is interacting with safe.

We’re excited to see what’s coming with Optimus next because it is already getting started in some fashion in Tesla’s factories.

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