The Model 3 refresh may come with ventilated seats according to the latest rumor
JayinShanghai
Tesla's pursuit of enhanced comfort in its EVs continues with a potentially groundbreaking addition to the upcoming Project Highland — ventilated seats. A new video on Twitter may be the latest change to the Model 3. This rumor, stemming from the Project Highland discussions, suggests that Tesla aims to introduce a feature that is available in the Model S and Model X to the Model 3.
The rumor mill began churning after a patent filing for "Enhanced vehicle seat ventilation and construction techniques" by Tesla last year, sparking speculation of this luxury feature making its way to more affordable models.
A Glimpse into the Future: Video Leaks and Test Vehicles
Evidence supporting the ventilated seats theory emerged from a video leak showing a Model 3 seat with distinctive perforations, a vital element of the seat ventilation process. The leak indicates that the fundamental seat design might remain essentially unchanged, while adding perforations will allow for enhanced airflow. While the video does depict a Model 3 seat with perforations and even a Tesla-branded cooling fan at the bottom, will these cooled seats be similar to the ones available in the Model S and Model X?
More Than Just Seats: Ambient Lighting and Sound System Upgrades
Project Highland doesn't stop at ventilated seats. Other rumored features include ambient lighting and an upgraded sound system. Ambient lighting, a sought-after feature by many Tesla owners, could finally make its way into the Model 3, elevating the vehicle's interior aesthetics. The upgrades in the sound system, while remaining under wraps, could include additional subwoofers, providing a richer sound experience for Tesla owners.
Speculations for the Model 3 Extend to Cybertruck and Model Y
The possible addition of ventilated seats to the Model 3 is more than an isolated upgrade — it could signal the direction for other Tesla models. With Cybertruck's production expected to start soon and the Model Y due for a refresh next year, these models might also get the ventilated seats feature.
Project Highland: A Gateway to Enhanced Luxury in EVs
While the updates are still in the realm of speculation, the possible additions highlight Tesla's commitment to bringing luxury car features into the EV world. The patented ventilated seats could provide unmatched comfort, especially for drivers in warmer climates. Alongside the rumored ambient lighting and sound system upgrades, these changes can substantially improve the driving experience, setting Tesla apart in the EV market.
As we eagerly await the unveiling of Project Highland's new design, adding these comfort-enhancing features could mark a significant milestone for Tesla, elevating the Model 3 to new heights of luxury and comfort in the electric vehicle industry.
With the Spring Update and FSD V12.4 around the corner, Elon Musk shared that Actually Smart Summon and Banish (Autopark) are coming soon, along with some other updates to the new vision-based Auto Park.
FSD to Automatically Park at Destination
On FSD v12.3.6, which now includes the new Vision-based Autopark for vehicles with ultrasonic sensors, users have to manually search for and select a parking spot if they want to use Autopark. However, according to a post from Musk, FSD will automatically enter Autopark mode upon arriving at its destination. This will essentially combine the current FSD capabilities with Autopark and add the ability for the vehicle to traverse a parking lot looking for an empty space.
Banish Autopark Coming Soon
Smarter Summon and Banish Autopark, with the ability to send the car to and from a parking space without anyone in the car, will be coming soon, as per Musk’s recent X post.
Banish Autopark, previously known as Reverse Summon, is expected to include various parking options, such as “closest to the door”, “near cart returns”, or “end of the parking lot”. This would drop the owner off at the entrance to a location while having the vehicle automatically find a parking spot and then park itself. At least that is Tesla’s full vision, as Musk has talked about before. It’s not clear whether the Banish Autopark feature, will actually include all of these capabilities in v1, or if Tesla will slowly add more features to it. What we know now is that Tesla is working on having the vehicle park itself without a driver inside. It may simply be an extension of the Autopark we have today, where the driver finds a parking spot, selects it, and then exits the vehicle as it parks itself. This could be exceptionally useful for parking in tight spaces.
Actually Smart Summon Coming to Vehicles Without USS
Smarter Summon on the other hand, is an update to the existing Smart Summon functionality that is currently available on cars that have ultrasonic sensors (USS). Actually Smart Summon is expected to bring that functionality to Vision-only cars as well.
In traditional Tesla fashion, Tesla is building upon what it already has. Tesla first released Summon, which allowed the vehicle to move only forward or backward in a straight line. Tesla then released Smart Summon which allowed the vehicle to move toward a target, navigating obstacles on the way, and soon we’ll have an even more capable version of Smart Summon.
Release Date
Musk has previously mentioned that upcoming updates to FSD V12, will have various focuses on improvements. V12.4 will focus on user comfort, while v12.5 will focus on more complex scenarios.
These next two major FSD versions will probably take us to the end of the year. Banish Autopark will probably be arriving closer to v12.4 as a comfort improvement, while Actually Smart Summon, which relies upon the ability to reverse, may arrive in FSD V12.5.
Tesla has finally issued an update that will give owners on Tesla update 2024.8.x access to FSD v12. Yesterday Tesla released update 2024.14.6, which includes FSD v12.3.6, the latest version of FSD. FSD v12 is also available on update 2024.14.5, however this release appears to have stopped going out. FSD v12.3.6 is the same version that FSD owners have with update 2024.3.25.
Updating to FSD v12
FSD v12 was previously based on branch 2024.3, and since Tesla doesn't allow vehicles to roll back in software versions, it meant that FSD v12 was only available to vehicles on update 2024.2 or older. This became an issue for vehicles already on update 2024.8.x, which included FSD v11.
FSD Trial
FSD v12 came with a free one-month trial which started going out last month, however, vehicles on 2024.8.x weren’t eligible for FSD v12 and therefore weren’t eligible for the free trial. With update 2024.14.6, these vehicles will finally be eligible for FSD v12 and should receive their one-month trial of the software.
Rollout
The rollout has just started, so in typical Tesla fashion, it'll slowly roll out to more and more vehicles. 2024.14.6 has so far only been released in the U.S. and appears to focus on getting users onto FSD v12. It's currently available to about 1% of the Tesla fleet. Keep a close eye on our 2024.14.6 rollout statistics page to see when new waves go out.
For vehicles already on FSD v12 with update 2024.3.25, they’re also eligible for this update, which won’t include any improvements to FSD, but it’ll include the vast amount of new features in update 2024.14, as well as the features that were on update 2024.8 that they’re skipping over.
These vehicles will receive access to 2024.8 features such as one-time charge limits, ultra-wideband phone key support for the new Model S and Model X, and various undocumented changes such as updated turn signal icons, new WiFi and Bluetooth menus and more.
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