Tesla's New Model 3 Includes a Drowsiness Warning, an Air Compressor and More

November 2, 2023

By Kevin Armstrong

The new Model 3s are coming with an air compressor

greggertruck/X

Tesla's upgraded Model 3 is hitting the roads around the world. With no date set for North America deliveries, we have to rely on Tesla enthusiasts worldwide to tell us what they are finding with the car originally known as the Highland.

Highland Model 3's Air Compressor Accessory

One of the Model 3's new features is the inclusion of an air compressor accessory, setting it apart from other editions. This built-in air compressor is not just a handy tool for tire maintenance, ensuring optimal pressure and thereby improving vehicle efficiency, but it also serves various other purposes. Whether inflating camping gear during outdoor adventures or ensuring sporting equipment is game-ready, the Highland Model 3 positions itself as the ideal companion for those who demand more from their vehicle, both on and off the road.

Smart Shift

The concept of manual gear shifting is evolving, thanks to Tesla's Smart Shift technology. The new Model 3 simplifies the driving process by automatically determining whether to shift the car into reverse or drive. Upon starting, drivers will now be greeted with the "Press Brake to Drive" message on the screen. This eliminates another step from starting the vehicle. Thanks to Tesla's phone key and electric drivetrain, drivers don't need a car key, or a start button, and now they don't even need to shift the vehicle into drive. Just simply hold the brake, to have the vehicle check for a valid phone key and then gently press the accelerator.

Drowsiness Detection: A Lifesaver on the Road

The new Model 3 software has a drowsiness warning that appears on screen

Enhauto/X

Safety remains paramount at Tesla. As Green told us a few weeks ago, another safety feature is in the new Model 3 - a drowsiness warning system. Utilizing the cabin camera and advanced algorithms, the system monitors the driver's alertness levels. If it detects signs of fatigue or inattention, a chime goes off and an alert is sent to the driver, prompting them to take a break or be more attentive. This proactive approach to safety could be the difference between a close call and a mishap.

Firmware Updates: An Insider's Note

New Model 3 owners might notice the unique version number: 2023.31.600. This version might seem unusual initially, but Tesla aficionados will recognize this odd-numbered sequence. For new vehicles equipped with factory firmware, Tesla typically uses an odd number after the year in the version to differentiate it. These new Model 3s wil eventually receive the same software updates as other vehicles.

Update: This article has been updated to remove the reference to the ambient lighting cycling through different colors while the Rainbow Road easter egg is activate. Although this could be a feature Tesla implements in a future update, the original video (below) was done manually by having the passenger cycle through the various colors in settings.

Tesla's Rainbow Road easter egg may one day take advantage of the vehicle's ambient lighting

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Tesla FSD V12.4 - Features and Release Date

May 16, 2024

By Not a Tesla App Staff

The greatly anticipated FSD v12.4 is around the corner, with Elon Musk mentioning that it will be going to employees this weekend, with limited external testers next week.

Several significant improvements are coming with V12.4, which is being compared to the leap in performance that was previously seen between V12 and V11.

Improved Comfort and Reduced Interventions

There are quite a few improvements expected with V12.4, which Musk has said will be focused on user comfort by reducing hard accelerations and sudden braking. According to Musk, FSD v12.4 is also expected to have a 5-10x improvement in time between user interventions, which means that Tesla is rapidly approaching its goal for the Robotaxi announcement on August 8, 2024.

Steering Wheel Nag Removal

FSD V12.4 is expected to eliminate the steering wheel nag, as Musk confirmed its removal last week. The camera-based driver monitoring system will be taking over, providing a hands-free experience. These improvements will most likely benefit owners who have cabin cameras with infrared lights the most, while Tesla may continue to use steering wheel nag as a fallback mechanism.

Driverless Autopark

The second key feature that may be included in v12.4 will be Banish Autopark, previously known as Reverse Summon, allowing you to choose a parking spot, exit the vehicle and have the car park itself. Whether this feature makes it in v12.4 is yet to be seen, but Musk has mentioned that parking without a driver is coming soon.

Automatically Seek Parking Spot at Destination

Finally, your Tesla will now traverse a parking lot and automatically enter Autopark mode when arriving at a destination, according to a post from Musk.

Eligibility and Branch

Tesla recently added FSD v12.3.6 to the 2024.14 branch with updates 2024.14.5 and 2024.14.6. This makes it very likely that Tesla’s next FSD version will also be based on 2024.14, meaning that it will be available to any vehicle on 2024.14.x.

For users on update 2024.3.25, this means that they’ll receive all of the features included in updates 2024.8 and 2024.14, which should make it a massive update.

Release Date

Musk has mentioned that FSD V12.4 is going out to employee vehicles for internal testing this weekend, with external testing starting next week. The rollouts typically go slower than predicted but looks like we may see this begin shipping to customers by the end of the month.

U.S. Raising Tariff Rates on Imported EVs and Batteries From China: How It Affects Tesla

May 15, 2024

By Not a Tesla App Staff

Today, as part of a broader change of tariff rates on Chinese goods, U.S. President Joe Biden announced that he’ll raise tariffs on electric vehicles imported from China, increasing the rate from 25% to 100%, effective this year.

This increase won’t just impact the import of vehicles, but also the rate for lithium-ion batteries produced in China, which will be moving from 7.5% to 25%.

Impact on Competition

The immediate impact of this new regulation is significant for Chinese manufacturers, who have been regarded as Tesla’s largest and greatest competition. Given the tariff hike, this means that new Chinese manufacturers, such as Nio, XPeng, or BYD, will either need to set up production in North America, or be subject to the increased import tariff.

Nio’s vehicles cost between $40,000 USD to $70,000 USD in China based on today’s conversion rates, and with an import tariff of 100%, an imported vehicle’s price would be doubled to $80,000 USD to $140,000 USD, not including other fees. Chinese manufacturers will have to closely weigh the advantages and disadvantages of opening up the North American market, with challenges including vehicle homologation, new tariffs, and a difficult EV market.

Tesla and Chinese Tariffs

Elon Musk recently visited China, engaging with officials to build a foundation for what is currently the world’s largest electric vehicle market. With the potential import of Chinese EVs becoming restricted to the United States, this places Tesla in an advantageous position over its Chinese competitors who have yet to establish their brands in North America.

On the other hand, this could also impact Tesla, as they import Chinese batteries for usage in some vehicles in the United States.

Tesla does not import Gigafactory Shanghai vehicles to the US, but has been increasing North American battery production lately, with expansions in Lathrop, California and a new facility in Sparks, Nevada.

Canadian Tariffs

In Canada, the Model 3 and Model Y are currently being imported from Gigafactory Shanghai. Given Canada’s close following of US foreign policy, this could impact either the prices of Tesla vehicles in Canada or have Tesla shipping vehicles from Fremont and Texas to the United States once again, should Canada also adopt a similar tariff policy.