WiFi" caption="WiFi is now found under Controls > WiFi" credit="MiTMo">
Tesla's latest update has started going out to the fleet in small numbers, and along with the official changes, Tesla has also introduced smaller, undocumented changes that bring consistency across vehicles and introduce a better way to manage WiFi and Bluetooth.
Turn Signals
This update makes a couple of changes to the icons at the top left of the screen while driving.
Turn Signals: The turn signal icons are now plain arrows instead of being inside green circles. This makes it easier to distinguish between the left and right turn signals at a glance and better matches other vehicles.
Bonjour la team On a des flèches pour les clignotants et plus le point rond. 😊 pic.twitter.com/MDo9VO8F1s
Hold Mode: Hold Mode (if enabled), prevents your vehicle from rolling after your vehicle comes to a complete stop.
Previously, when the vehicle was in 'Hold,' it would display the hold icon where the vehicle's speed is normally shown. With this update, Tesla now displays the hold icon next to the other indicator 'lights,' and continues to display your speedometer at all times.
Update: The Hold icon underneath the speedometer instead of replacing the speedometer has been available in Europe for a while and it is not expected to come to additional regions.
New WiFi Menu
There is a new WiFi menu that makes it easier to connect your vehicle to WiFi. The new menu can be found under Controls > WLAN (WiFi).
The updated menu replaces the old dialog box that appeared when you tapped the WiFi icon at the top of the Controls menu.
The status icons at the top of the screen are still present to let you quickly view whether the vehicle is connected to WiFi and its signal strength.
New Bluetooth Menu
Bluetooth now has its own menu
MiTMo
Similar to WiFi, the Bluetooth menu is now located under Controls > Bluetooth, instead of an overlay on the screen.
To make room for the additional WiFi and Bluetooth options in the left column, you can now scroll the column vertically, with WiFi, Bluetooth, and Upgrades being the last options.
The Bluetooth icon will also remain at the top of the screen to quickly let you know whether any Bluetooth devices are connected.
These changes come as Tesla continues to refine their software, making it quicker to find options and easier to use. Given the number of options and devices to connect to for WiFi and Bluetooth, it makes sense that these options would have their own menu instead of a small dialog window.
The changes to turn signals and Hold Mode are also welcomed ones, as Tesla better matches the display in other vehicles. The speedometer and turn signals offer crucial information that you should be glanceable while driving. In hindsight, replacing the speedometer, something drivers always expect to be on screen, with the hold icon may not have been the best choice.
These changes come just two updates after Tesla was asked to make changes to their indicator lights in the vehicle so that they would meet the minimum text size mandated by the U.S. government. The turn signals icons in particular are a small but needed change and it could be Tesla getting out ahead of any potential issues in the future.
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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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