An In-Depth Look at Tesla's Updated Climate Menu in Update 2024.26.1

By Not a Tesla App Staff
The new climate menu
The new climate menu
enjustice3192/Reddit (Edited by NATA)

Tesla update 2024.26.1 started rolling out to a small selection of lucky customers early this morning. While the update includes several exciting features such as Amazon Music and Parental Controls, we’ll take a look at the redesigned climate menu in this article.

In the ‘Other Updates’ section of the release notes, Tesla teased a new climate panel. Thanks to the update now going out to customers, we have our first look at Tesla’s updated climate screen.

New Climate Menu

The new climate menu compared to the previous one in update 2024.14
The new climate menu compared to the previous one in update 2024.14
Not a Tesla App

Tesla’s updated climate screen doesn’t look a lot different from the previous one, but there has been a lot of reshuffling.

First, climate options that are used after you exit the vehicle such as Keep, Dog Mode, and Camp Mode (differences between these) have been relocated from the far right side to the top center — directly above the climate panel. This makes them a little more obvious and easier for the driver to reach.

When we first heard of the redesign we were hoping for front and rear climate options to be merged into one screen, but unfortunately, that’s not the case in this update. The tabs to switch from the front to rear climate options have just been relocated from the left to the top center. Although this is just shuffling some of the current options, it makes it easier for a passenger to reach and change rear climate options.

Simplified Look and Options

In general, the updated climate screen tries to simplify the interface. Every option, like AC, recirculate, etc, used to be a button with text or an icon inside of a rectangle. The color of the button also signified whether the feature was on, off, or unavailable. However, now all the buttons are simply text or an icon, without an accompanying rectangle or background color.

To simplify the interface further, Tesla has also removed climate options that are currently unavailable. For example, if you have the climate set to auto, you can't turn off the AC or choose which vents the air is blowing through. Previously, these options were grayed out when Auto was enabled, whereas in the new climate menu, they’re hidden when the option is unavailable. In order to change certain features such as which vents are being used, you’ll first need to turn off Auto mode, which will cause the other options to appear.

The new climate menu with Auto turned off
The new climate menu with Auto turned off
Frank2005/TFF Forum

By simplifying the number of options, it also has allowed Tesla to make the vehicle photo in the climate menu larger, which should make it slightly easier to adjust airflow. The view of the vehicle now goes edge-to-edge, which is about 2” larger width-wise.

Shuffling Options

Various other options in the climate menu have been shuffled around. The defogging, rear defrost, recirculate air and fan speed have been moved to the bottom center. Some of the key options such as climate on/off, Auto, Schedule and seat heaters have remained the same or very similar to their previous locations.

New Scheduling option

The new Schedule options in settings
The new Schedule options in settings
enjustice3192/Reddit (Edited by NATA)

Perhaps more interesting are Tesla’s new scheduling options in this update. To get to the new scheduling options, there is a Schedule button at the top right, very similar to before, but the scheduling options have been greatly improved. Instead of a simple popup menu, the button now appears to take you to the new Schedule option in settings, where you’ll be able to create a schedule name and pick specific start and stop times for preconditioning or charging your car.

While a lot of the changes we’re seeing in this update make sense, there doesn’t appear to be any new functionality besides the improved scheduling options. A lot of the work appears to have been focused on simplifying the climate screen and making buttons easier to access.

Tesla Updates Robotaxi App: Adds Adjustable Pick Up Locations, Shows Wait Time and More [VIDEO]

By Karan Singh
Nic Cruz Patane

Tesla is rolling out a fairly big update for its iOS and early-access-only Robotaxi app, delivering a suite of improvements that address user feedback from the initial launch last month. The update improves the user experience with increased flexibility, more information, and overall design polish.

The most prominent feature in this update is that Tesla now allows you to adjust your pickup location. Once a Robotaxi arrives at your pickup location, you have 15 minutes to start the ride. The app will now display the remaining time your Robotaxi will wait for you, counting down from 15:00. The wait time is also shown in the iOS Live Activity if your phone is on the lock screen.

How Adjustable Pickups Work

We previously speculated that Tesla had predetermined pickup locations, as the pickup location wasn’t always where the user was. Now, with the ability to adjust the pickup location, we can clearly see that Tesla has specific locations where users can be picked up.

Rather than allowing users to drop a pin anywhere on the map, the new feature works by having the user drag the map to their desired area. The app then presents a list of nearby, predetermined locations to choose from. Once a user selects a spot from this curated list, they hit “Confirm.” The pickup site can also be changed while the vehicle is en route.

This specific implementation raises an interesting question: Why limit users to predetermined spots? The answer likely lies in how Tesla utilizes fleet data to improve its service.

Release Notes

While the app is still only available on iOS through Apple’s TestFlight program, invited users can download and update the app.

Tesla included these release notes in update 25.7.0 of the Robotaxi app:

  • You can now adjust pickup location

  • Display the remaining wait time at pickup in the app and Live Activity

  • Design improvements

  • Bug fixes and stability improvements

Nic Cruz Patane

Why Predetermined Pick Up Spots?

The use of predetermined pickup points is less of a limitation and more of a feature. These curated locations are almost certainly spots that Tesla’s fleet data has identified as optimal and safe for an autonomous vehicle to perform a pickup or drop-off.

This suggests that Tesla is methodically “mapping” its service area not just for calibration and validation of FSD builds but also to help perform the first and last 50-foot interactions that are critical to a safe and smooth ride-hailing experience.

An optimal pickup point likely has several key characteristics identified by the fleet, including:

  • A safe and clear pull-away area away from traffic

  • Good visibility for cameras, free of obstructions

  • Easy entry and exit paths for an autonomous vehicle

This change to pick-up locations reveals how Tesla’s Robotaxi Network is more than just Unsupervised FSD. There are a lot of moving parts, many of which Tesla recently implemented, and others that likely still need to be implemented, such as automated charging.

Frequent Updates

This latest update delivers a much-needed feature for adjusting pickup locations, but it also gives us a view into exactly what Tesla is doing with all the data it is collecting with its validation vehicles rolling around Austin, alongside its Robotaxi fleet.

Tesla is quickly iterating on its app and presumably the vehicle’s software to build a reliable and predictable network, using data to perfect every aspect of the experience, from the moment you hail the ride to the moment you step out of the car.

Tesla Will Face $2 Billion in Lost Profit as 'Big Beautiful Bill' Kills EV Credits

By Karan Singh
Not a Tesla App

The massive legislative effort titled the "Big Beautiful Bill" is taking direct aim at what has become one of Tesla’s most critical and profitable revenue streams: the sale of US regulatory credits. The bill could eliminate billions of dollars from Tesla’s bottom line each year and will slow down the transition to electric vehicles in the US.

The financial stakes for Tesla are absolutely immense. In 2024, Tesla generated $2.76 billion from selling these credits. This high-margin revenue was the sole reason Tesla posted a profit in Q1 2025; without the $595 million from regulatory credits, Tesla’s reported $409 million in profit would have been a $189 million loss.

How the ZEV Credit System Works

Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) credits are part of state-level programs, led by California, designed to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles. Each year, automakers are required to hold a certain number of ZEV credits, with the amount based on their total vehicle sales within that state. Under this system, automakers that fail to sell a certain percentage of zero-emission vehicles must either pay a significant fine or purchase credits from a company that exceeds the mandate.

Automakers who fail to sell enough EVs to meet their quota have a deficit and face two choices: pay a hefty fine to the state government for each missing credit (for example, $5,000 per credit in California) or buy credits from a company with a surplus.

As an all-EV company, Tesla generates a massive surplus of these credits. It can then turn around and sell them to legacy automakers at prices cheaper than the fine, creating a win-win scenario: the legacy automaker avoids a larger penalty, and Tesla gains a lucrative, near-pure-profit revenue stream. 

This new bill will dismantle this by eliminating the financial penalties for non-compliance, which would effectively make Tesla’s credits worthless. While the ZEV program is a state law, the Big Beautiful Bill will fully eliminate the penalties at a federal level.

A Multi-Billion Dollar Impact

The removal of US ZEGV credits would be a severe blow to Tesla’s financials. One JPMorgan analyst estimated that the move could reduce Tesla’s earnings by over 50%, representing a potential annual loss of $2 billion. While Tesla also earns similar credits in Europe and China, analysts suggest that 80-90% of its credit revenue in Q1 2025 came from US programs. 

Why the Program Exists

While the impact on Tesla would be direct and immediate, the credit system has a wider purpose. It creates a strong financial incentive for legacy automakers to develop and accelerate their zero-emission vehicle programs, whether it’s hydrogen, electric, or another alternative.

Eliminating the need for these credits would remove that financial pressure. This could allow traditional automakers to slow their EV transition in the US without the fear of a financial penalty, potentially leading to fewer EV choices for consumers and a slower path to vehicle electrification in the country.

Big, But Not Beautiful

On Sunday Morning TV, Elon Musk was asked his thoughts on the Big Beautiful Bill. They were pretty simple. A bill could be big, or it could be beautiful - I don’t know if it can be both, Musk stated.

The bill poses a threat to Tesla’s bottom line and to the adoption of EVs in the US market, where automakers will no longer have a financial incentive to transition to cleaner vehicles, a market they’ve regularly struggled in when competing against Tesla.

Tesla will have to work carefully in the future to cut expenses to remain profitable after the elimination of these regulatory credits.

Latest Tesla Update

Confirmed by Elon

Take a look at features that Elon Musk has said will be coming soon.

More Tesla News

Tesla Videos

Latest Tesla Update

Confirmed by Elon

Take a look at features that Elon Musk has said will be coming soon.

Subscribe

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter