Tesla has added a trip progress bar and traffic light countdown in China
Not a Tesla App
Tesla's latest software update, version 2023.44.100, has brought an innovative feature to its vehicles in China - a countdown for traffic lights. The update displays the traffic light status and the remaining seconds for the next intersection in navigation mode. The feature requires Tesla's premium connectivity.
The concept isn't entirely new; Audi introduced a similar technology years ago using vehicle-to-infrastructure technologies. Audi's Traffic Light Information system, part of Audi Connect PRIME, also offers a countdown for traffic lights and other benefits like recommended driving speeds for fuel conservation.
How Does It Work?
The functionality of Tesla's new feature is likely to be based on principles similar to Audi's TLI. It's speculated that Tesla might be using signals from traffic lights or government data accessed via the internet in China. This method would align with Audi's approach, where data on traffic light patterns is collected and analyzed to provide real-time updates to drivers.
The traffic light countdown is more than a convenience feature. It can improve traffic flow and reduce fuel consumption by advising drivers on optimal speeds and reducing unnecessary idling at traffic lights. Cities can use the aggregated data to optimize signal timing, further enhancing traffic management.
Trip Progress Bar
At the bottom of the photo, we can also see that Tesla has added a “progress bar” in the bottom navigation module that typically displays additional nav options and your estimated arrival time, distance to travel, and more. The progress is displayed with a red triangle marking the vehicle’s trip progress along the gray and blue line.
It seems that Tesla could add this feature to any additional regions in the future, as it doesn’t depend on any additional data, unlike the traffic light countdown.
The Future of Connected Driving
The adoption of 5G-powered cellular vehicle-to-everything technologies will enhance these systems. Such advancements could allow for near-instantaneous communication between vehicles and infrastructure, increasing driver safety and efficiency. There has been speculation of this before from Tesla when talk of the HELP system surfaced. Not only would it change the hazard light features, but if a Tesla encountered a hazard, it would alert other vehicles approaching the area of the danger.
Audi's journey in traffic management technology dates back to the mid-2000s with their Travolution project in Ingolstadt, Germany. This project involved direct wireless communication with traffic signals to relay information, significantly reducing time spent at traffic lights and decreasing fuel consumption. The expansion of Travolution to other cities and the evolution into TLI marked Audi's commitment to innovative traffic management solutions.
Introducing this technology will allow municipalities to improve traffic flow and pedestrian-friendly intersections. The continuous data exchange helps optimize traffic signal timings and reshape road layouts based on traffic patterns. For drivers, this translates to a smoother driving experience with fewer stops and starts, ultimately leading to more efficient and less stressful journeys.
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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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