When you drive a Tesla, every time of the year is good, but December is just a little bit better. That’s because we know Santa Musk and the engineer elves have worked hard to create the best update of the year. To refresh your memory about how epic these updates are, check out our history of the Holiday Update.
A post on Reddit detailed more than 150 things that Tesla owners have on their wish list for the 2023 holiday update. We’ve narrowed it down to the items mentioned the most and added some themes. We will start our series with map and navigation enhancements.
Waze Integration: Real-Time Insights for the Road Ahead
The potential integration of Waze into Tesla's navigation system is possibly already on its way. Tesla hacker, Green, has done some poking around in the code and found enough clues that have the reliable X user reporting Waze-like features are in the works.
Known for its user-generated real-time traffic reports, Waze could offer Tesla drivers valuable insights into speed camera locations, road conditions, traffic jams, and even hazards on the route. However, it is not a collaboration with Waze, Tesla is incorporating its own features - as usual. The difference in Tesla implementation is that users won’t have to manually mark road debris, accidents, etc. Instead, Tesla will automatically pick up such incidents using their vision system, and share the data with the fleet.
This would lead to more efficient route planning, helping drivers avoid unexpected delays and maximize Tesla's electric range. It's a move that emphasizes community and shared knowledge, aligning perfectly with Tesla's vision of a connected and environmentally conscious future.
Traffic Lights and Stop Signs on the Map
One of the most requested features is the integration of traffic lights and stop signs directly into Tesla's navigation maps. This addition is more than a mere convenience; it would provide needed situational awareness by displaying real-time visibility of traffic controls. Tesla drivers can anticipate stops and navigate more smoothly through complex intersections, leading to a safer and more efficient driving experience. Voice guidance could then leverage this new information and say things like, turn left at the traffic light, instead of having to rely solely on distance. This feature would help Tesla maps remain comparable to other mapping solutions like Google Maps and Apple Maps that already display these details.
Another navigation feature that appears to be coming soon is the continuous display of alternate routes as you drive, instead of just showing two or three routes when you begin your drive. Green found evidence of this enhancement back in October, in the 2023.38 update.
3D Buildings for Immersive Navigation
Owners would also like 3D buildings included in Tesla's maps; this is not just about aesthetics but context and clarity. Navigating through unfamiliar urban landscapes can be daunting. Including 3D buildings offers drivers a more intuitive understanding of their surroundings, making locating destinations and navigating busy city streets easier.
It's a feature that brings the virtual world closer to reality, providing a more natural and familiar way of viewing the world through the lens of technology. We have had some significant map upgrades in Korea that include some things more owners want to see globally.
This is just the beginning of a list that Tesla owners have provided. In our next entry to our wish list, we will look at what owners would like to see with autonomy.
Tesla has begun to reach out to customers in the United States and is offering demo drives of the Cybertruck on an invite-only basis. @brandonhd on X shared the first invite image, and it looks like it's going out quite quickly to multiple locations that have Cybertrucks on display.
Up until now, display vehicles have been for just that – looking, but no touching. Some Tesla delivery centers and showrooms have also allowed viewers to take a seat inside and open it up, but most are still locked away behind the velvet rope.
It’s exciting to see that Tesla has begun to demo them – and it can only be so long until demo drives open up to everyone.
Advisor-led Demo
This Demo Drive is led by a Tesla Advisor – while you’re driving, the advisor will be in the passenger seat, walking you through the experience. They’ll explain steer-by-wire, off-road controls, and will introduce new-to-Tesla buyers to all the features that are currently available.
The list of locations so far for demo drives appears to be fairly limited, but we will hopefully see demo drives roll out throughout the United States, and eventually Canada too. Here is the current list of city/state locations that have seen demo drive invites.
Actually Smart Summon, the successor to Tesla’s Smart Summon feature, has been confirmed to be coming as soon as next month as per Elon Musk. Colloquially known as “ASS”, Actually Smart Summon is supposed to improve on the regular Smart Summon capabilities, which have historically used ultrasonic sensors (USS) to navigate parking lots.
We’re looking forward to Actually Smart Summon, and we’re quite excited about what other features will be unlocked once it finally shows up at our doorstep.
Vision-based Improvements
ASS is supposed to bring Smart Summon to vehicles that don’t have USS – using Tesla Vision. Most recently, Tesla has brought Autopark to vehicles without USS, and Vision-based Autopark has been a huge success. It is faster, more reliable, and smoother than the older USS-based solution. It can also park and maneuver in tighter locations.
Today, Smart Summon is sometimes useful at best, usually a party trick, or downright dangerous at worst. It’s excellent and best used in straight lines, where you have a clear line of sight of the vehicle, and can stop it if doesn’t see an obstacle.
I used Smart Summon today, just before writing this article – my 2022 Model Y (with USS) – did manage to show up just fine – in a straight-line location from where I was parked, after exiting the parking spot fairly cleanly. However, I’ve previously used Smart Summon and have had the vehicle turn towards obstacles, such as cart returns or curbs. Overall, it’s a sometimes-useful feature that has a lot of drawbacks right now.
Smart Summon is also restricted to a certain distance – and it's pretty small. The max distance is shorter than most parking lots, being only about 215 ft (65m). If you’re lucky enough to park close, it's very useful to bring your car right to you.
Actually Smart Summon
ASS will bring FSD V12-like capabilities to Smart Summon – the vehicle will primarily use Vision to drive toward you (or the location you’ve indicated). ASS has been supposed to be coming since about September 2022 and has seen many delays – we’re almost at the 2-year point today.
We’re looking forward to Actually Smart Summon being able to bring the vehicle – safely – right to you. ASS is also one of the key steps towards bringing some other cool features that Elon Musk has previously mentioned – Park Seek and Banish Autopark.
We’re also hopeful that Actually Smart Summon will increase the maximum range a vehicle can be summoned, because the current range is fairly small. Alongside Park Seek and Banish Autopark, we’re closing in on a Robotaxi-based future.
Park Seek and Banish Autopark
When the FSD v12.4 showed up, Elon also mentioned that going forward, vehicles would automatically park themselves when arriving in a parking lot – Park Seek – and that if you got out of the car at the entrance to a business, you could get it to automatically park itself in the parking lot – Banish Autopark. These are two features that are needed for Robotaxi to work – which itself is delayed to October 10th of this year. We’re looking quite forward to them – as in combination with Actually Smart Summon, Tesla has reached the cusp of vehicle autonomy.
A vehicle that arrives, driverless, at the location you’re at, then drives somewhere, parks itself there, and waits for you – is the definition of a Robotaxi.
While we’re likely to have to wait for Banish Autopark and Park Seek just a bit longer, Actually Smart Summon being around the corner is exciting! Gone will be the days of having to run out to your car when you forgot your umbrella – your car will just come right to you instead.
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Although we share official Tesla release notes, we are not affiliated with Tesla Motors. We are Tesla fans and supporters.
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