Tesla Adds Parental Controls for Safer Teen Driving in Update 2024.26

By Not a Tesla App Staff
Not a Tesla App

In Tesla update 2024.26, which is now in employee testing, Tesla is launching a set of parental controls. The parental controls allow you to limit certain vehicle options for teens or other drivers.

The new restricted controls are focused on safer driving. They will limit the vehicle's top speed, acceleration, enforce safety features and even notify you if the vehicle is driven late at night.

Reducing Speed & Acceleration

One of the biggest features of the new parental controls is the ability for you to set a maximum speed and reduce the vehicle's acceleration. Tesla already included a max speed option that could be enforced in Valet Mode, but with this update, it could now be enforced for other drivers as well. Once a profile is tagged as a restricted driver, then they will need to enter a PIN code to modify or turn off the max speed. You will also be able to limit the acceleration mode to Chill, meaning that the vehicle's horsepower and torque are limited.

Enforcing Safety Features

With parental controls, the owner could also force specific safety features to remain on. These features include Speed Limit Warning, Automatic Emergency Braking and Forward Collision Warning. Although these features aren't a nuisance, parental controls prevent them from being turned off accidentally.

Notifications When Driving at Night

The last feature Tesla is adding to parental controls in update 2024.26 is the ability for the vehicle's owner to receive notifications if the vehicle is driven past a certain time. For example, if you set a curfew of midnight, then you'll receive a notification if the vehicle starts driving past this time.

Set Up Parental Controls

You'll be able to set up parental controls through the Tesla app or in the vehicle. In the vehicle, navigate to Controls > Safety and scroll to Parental Controls.

In the Tesla app, the feature is expected to be under the Security & Safety section, where you can already limit the top speed.

Any driver profiles that are limited will have a "training wheels" icon next to the driver's name.

Beyond Teen Drivers

It's possible that the new restricted profiles may also be able to useful if you rent your vehicle on Turo or another rental service as well. While you may not want to receive notifications for night driving, you may want to prevent drivers from going over 100 MPH, or from turning off important safety features.

Be sure to check out the other features of update 2024.26 such as YouTube Music, Amazon Music and others.

Tesla Introduces Hands-Free Frunk Opening in Update 2024.32.3

By Karan Singh
Not a Tesla App

In Tesla’s upcoming update, 2024.32.3, Tesla has added hands-free support for opening the vehicle’s frunk. This follows the Spring Update (2024.14), which added Hands-Free Trunk support for certain vehicles.

When hands-free trunk support was added earlier this year, it was supported on vehicles that include an ultra wideband chip, which includes the refresh Model S, new Model X, and the 2024 Model 3. Due to the hardware requirement, these will be the same vehicles that support the new Hands-Free Frunk feature. Legacy vehicles without UWB will unfortunately not support either feature due to the hardware requirement. UWB enables far more accurate tracking of the phone key, allowing Tesla to pinpoint its exact location relative to the vehicle.

The Cybertruck interestingly also includes an ultra wideband chip, however, it didn’t include the automatic opening of the gate earlier this year. However, we expect the Cybertruck to also receive the hands-free frunk opening in this 2024.32.3 update or relatively soon afterward.

Update: The Cybertruck is receiving hands-free frunk support in the 2024.32 update as well.

Hands-Free Frunk

The Hands-Free Frunk works similarly to the trunk feature – with an iPhone 11+ and a recent version of the app, you’ll be able to stand in front of your vehicle, and the Frunk will unlatch after sounding a chime. On some vehicles, the frunk will immediately open after being unlatched, however, you’ll need to manually close it.

This new feature isn’t enabled by default – you’ll need to go to Settings > Locks > Hands-Free Frunk to enable it.

At this time, Tesla doesn’t support UWB on Android devices, though both the Hands-Free Trunk and Hands-Free Frunk support will come to Android users in a future app update, according to Tesla.

Exclude Home

With the addition of the hands-free frunk opening, Tesla has also added a new option. You can now choose to disable the automatic opening when your vehicle is located at home to prevent you from accidentally opening. This will apply to the automatic frunk and trunk. In addition, in the Model X, you’ll also be able to disable the self-presenting doors at home. This is a great addition as many people have kept the hands-free feature disabled due to it awkwardly opening in the garage.

In the 2024.32.3 update, Tesla also mentions that they’ve improved the detection of the phone key, which should make the feature more reliable and faster when approaching the vehicle from the front or rear.

Tesla’s Referral Program Launches in Europe

By Karan Singh
Not a Tesla App

Following its recent launch in the United States and Canada, Tesla has launched their referral program in several European countries as well.

The program is available in Germany, Norway, France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and possibly others. The program is almost the same as the one available today in North America, with rewards for each referral and a discount for those referred. The cap in Europe is also ten per year.

This program comes right on the heels of a 0% financing offer for the Model Y in Sweden and France. While referrals aren't currently available in Sweden, the 0% financing still is.

European Referrals

The European Referral program accounts for country and local currency, where applicable.

Country

Referral Discount

Referral Award

UK

£1,000

£500

Germany, France, Netherlands

€1,000

€500

Norway

kr11,500

kr5,750

The referral reward program is comparable to the one available in North America. After exchange rates, there is only an approximately 10% difference between the available rewards in the US and EU.

Other Countries

We expect this program to start rolling out to other European countries over the next few days or weeks, as Tesla continues to expand its referral program.

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