Exclusive: What Tesla is Changing to Improve Sentry Mode Efficiency

November 19, 2024

By Karan Singh

Not a Tesla App

Tesla recently rolled out power efficiency improvements to its Sentry Mode feature for the Cybertruck with software update 2024.38.4. These updates drastically improve the vehicle’s power consumption when Sentry Mode is active.

We’ve now uncovered more details on how Tesla achieved such drastic improvements in the vehicle’s power consumption, which Tesla estimated to be a 40% reduction.

Tesla made architectural changes to how it processes and analyzes video — optimizing which components handle which tasks. While the Cybertruck is the first to benefit from these advancements, Tesla plans to extend these upgrades to other vehicles in the future.

Sentry Mode Power Consumption

Tesla vehicles feature two main computers: the MCU (Media Control Unit) computer, which powers the vehicle’s infotainment center, and the FSD computer, which is responsible for Autopilot and FSD. Both of these computers remain on and powered any time the vehicle is awake, consuming about 250-300 watts.

Typically, the vehicle only uses this power while it’s awake or actively driving. It’s not a major concern since the car automatically goes to sleep and shuts down its computers after about 15 minutes of inactivity. However, the larger issue is that these computers also need to remain on when Sentry Mode is active, causing a 250-watt draw whenever Sentry Mode is on.

Interconnected System

Today, the vehicle’s cameras are connected to the FSD computer, which connects to the MCU, which is finally connected to the USB ports. Because of this interconnected setup, everything needs to remain powered. Footage needs to be streamed from the FSD computer into the MCU, where processes like motion detection occur. The data then needs to be compressed before finally being written to the USB drive. That’s a lengthy process, requiring multiple computers to remain on in order to be able to record and save live video.

Architectural Changes

Tesla is making some architectural changes to address Sentry Mode’s high power consumption by shifting the responsibilities of the vehicle’s computers. By shifting motion detection and possibly the compression activity to the FSD computer, Tesla will now be able to keep the MCU computer asleep. The MCU is still required to push the video to the USB drive, but Tesla can now wake up the system only when it’s needed.

For instance, the FSD computer will still handle the connection to the vehicle’s cameras, but it will now also detect motion. When that Sentry event occurs, it can wake up the MCU to write the data to the USB drive and then have it go back to sleep.

This approach ensures the MCU isn’t continuously powered to analyze and compress video, instead activating it only when data needs to be written.

Processor Isolation & Task Allocation

Tesla’s current architecture separates the Autopilot Unit (APU) from the MCU. This is done for several reasons - but first and foremost is safety. The MCU can be independently restarted even mid-drive without impacting the APU and key safety features.

Additionally, by isolating the APU from the MCU, tasks that are optimized for each unit—processing versus image transcoding—can be offloaded to the processing unit that’s better suited for it. This helps keep both the APU and MCU operating at their optimal power and performance parameters, helping to manage energy consumption more efficiently.

Kernel-Level Power Management

Tesla’s been working on more than just FSD or new vehicle visualization changes and has been putting in the effort to optimize the operating system’s underlying kernel. While not in heavy use, Tesla is underclocking the processors of both the MCU and APU, reducing power usage and heat generation.

Of course, other kernel optimizations and programming tricks, such as the ones Tesla uses to optimize its FSD models, also factor into the increased overall efficiency of the vehicles.

Additional Benefits

Since Tesla vehicles also include a Dashcam that processes video, it’s possible we may also see these additional power savings whenever the vehicle is awake. This could also affect other features, such as Tesla’s Summon Standby feature, which keeps the vehicle awake and processing video to give users almost instant access to the vehicle’s Summon feature.

Roll Out to Other Vehicles

While the Cybertruck was the only vehicle to receive these power improvements to Sentry Mode, we were told that they’re coming to other vehicles too. Tesla is introducing these changes with the Cybertruck first, leveraging its smaller user base for initial testing before expanding the rollout to other vehicles.

USB Port Power Management

To further conserve energy and reduce waste, Tesla now powers down USB ports, even if Sentry Mode is active. This change has impacted many users who rely on 12v sockets or USB ports to remain powered to keep accessories such as small vehicle refrigerators on.

It’s not immediately clear whether these changes to Sentry Mode impact this change or whether power to 12v outlets was removed strictly due to safety concerns.

The Original Design and Inspiration of the Tesla Cybertruck

March 17, 2025

By Not a Tesla App Staff

Not a Tesla App

The Cybertruck is something that’s completely out of this world—so much so that when people are unfamiliar with it, their first reaction is often, “What is that?”

And stepping inside only reinforces that impression. With its hidden-button doors and sleek, futuristic interior, the Cybertruck truly feels like something from another world. Recently, Tesla’s Chief Vehicle Designer, Franz von Holzhausen, revealed that an image shared by the official Cybertruck account on X is actually the original sketch that inspired its radical design.

Many Iterations

The Cybertruck has undergone numerous design iterations, and we’ve had the chance to explore some of Tesla’s earliest concepts for a truck that would define the future in many ways. These insights come from Walter Isaacson, who detailed them in his biography of Elon Musk.

Originally shared in 2023, the images revealed a dramatically different vision—one without the now-iconic angular rear sail. The design drew inspiration from various art forms, including video games, books, and movies—essentially, anywhere sci-fi had imagined a sleek, futuristic, or rugged truck.

The Nighthawk

The infamous F-117 Nighthawk.

Staff Sgt. Aaron Allmon II | http://www.defenselink.mil/

The design that ultimately made it to production wasn’t one of those early concepts. Instead, it was inspired by none other than the infamous American F-117 Nighthawk—a now-retired, single-seat stealth bomber developed by the secretive Skunk Works for the U.S. military. As the world’s first stealth aircraft, the F-117 revolutionized aviation with its groundbreaking design.

Much like the Cybertruck’s deluge of new technologies, the F-117 brought innovations that reshaped modern aircraft design. Its angular, faceted surfaces were engineered to deflect radar waves and reduce its infrared signature—features that directly influenced the Cybertruck’s distinctive geometry. When wrapped in black, the resemblance to the Nighthawk is undeniable.

Now, while we can’t say for sure if the Cybertruck is truly “stealthy”—since it turns heads wherever it goes—it does reflect radar waves. That said, don’t expect it to help you evade speed cameras or slip past the police unnoticed.

Super Stealthy

Not a Tesla App

The Nighthawk’s angular design also required advanced computerization—because, at first, no one believed it could even fly. Without its onboard computers to fine-tune the pilot’s inputs, it simply wouldn’t have. Similarly, the Cybertruck’s steer-by-wire system and rear-wheel steering give it an unexpected level of agility—especially for a massive stainless-steel vehicle that’s this fast.

The Cybertruck is truly one of a kind—there’s nothing else like it on the road today. Franz von Holzhausen delivered on Elon Musk’s vision of a truck from the future, and Tesla’s engineering team brought that vision to life in a way that few thought possible.

Tesla Starts Rolling Out HW3 Support for FSD to Chinese Employees

March 16, 2025

By Not a Tesla App Staff

Tesla Newswire

Tesla is getting ready to start rolling out FSD support for hardware 3 vehicles in China. Tesla is internally testing what appears to be a build of FSD V12.6 on HW3 vehicles with its employees.

A post on Chinese social media platform Rednote initially shared the software update details and was then shared by Tesla Newswire. We’ve verified that the vehicle in question is a 2023 Model Y, confirming it falls within the HW3 hardware generation.

Tesla initially introduced FSD for HW4/AI4 vehicles in China in late February, making this a surprisingly fast follow-up to extend support to HW3 vehicles. The Chinese rollout of FSD also came just a couple weeks after Tesla introduced FSD in Mexico.

FSD V12.6 Primer

We reviewed FSD V12.6 in depth here, and provided a comparison to FSD V13 here, but here’s the key points you’ll need to know.

FSD V12.6 is Tesla’s latest revision of FSD for HW3 vehicles and it’s is very comparable to FSD V13 in terms of features. It includes 3 speed profiles, Chill, Standard, and Hurry, which control how aggressive FSD is in making lane changes and ensuring it stays at, near, or above the speed limit.

This version of FSD also comes with an improved controller, as well as earlier and more natural lane change decisions, making it far more capable than V12.5 or V12.3 builds.

For Chinese customers getting their first taste of FSD after using Autopilot for years, it’s mindblowing. It can handle city level streets, hanlde turns and traffic control signs and get you to your destination with minimal interventions.

When Does It Release?

Given’s China’s more crowded streets and more complex road layouts, we weren’t sure whether Tesla would introduce support for HW3 vehicles in the market. This news is a positive and encouraging sign, not only for FSD in China, but for all HW3 vehicle owners out there.

Tesla usually releases updates to employees in advance of releasing them to its general customers - providing them with a second chance to find and fix bugs. Usually, once updates make their way to employee vehicles, and barring any major issues, they begin rolling out to customers within one to two weeks.

China currently requires owners to buy FSD, as FSD subscriptions aren’t available in the country yet. If you’re in China and bought FSD on a HW3 vehicle, it may not be long before you have access to FSD.