When viewing details for a Point of Interest (POI) on the map, you can now tap on “Nearby Parking’ to get directions to nearby parking lots or garages. This should make it easier to find parking for big events or busy areas.
Lower Volume in Reverse
@g3st4l1
Tesla has added a new option under Controls > Safety that lets the vehicle automatically lower the volume of any audio being played when the vehicle goes into reverse. The option is right next to Joe Mode, which lowers the volume of all sounds like turn signals and Autopilot beeps.
Set Arrival Energy
@g3st4l1
You can now choose the amount of energy you’d like to arrive with at your destination. Tesla will then take this into account when determining charging stops and charging times.
The Set Arrival Energy is a new option under trip details which you can get to by swiping up (or pressing the …) in the navigation module that shows your destination and ETA.
Adjust Passenger Seat On Screen
@g3st4l1
Tesla has added a new Seats option to its settings. It appears that it has several purposes, not only letting you turn on/off seat heaters, but also letting you move the passenger seat forward and backward. This could be especially useful if you have a baby seat behind the passenger seat and sometimes need the extra room.
Unfortunately, there are no presets or memory, so you’ll need to adjust the seat each time. It does not allow you to adjust other seat functions, such as the seat back or lumbar support.
For the Model X, it also lets you move the middle seats backward or forward.
Vehicle Maintenance Summary
@tslaway
Owners can now view their vehicle's maintenance history. This builds upon the Maintenance History feature Tesla added recently, which lets you add digital vehicle records when maintenance is performed. It includes a wide variety of items, from adding windshield washer fluid to replacing the vehicle’s battery or motor.
However, with the Holiday Update, Tesla is adding an easy-to-view “consumer” version of vehicle history that lets owners view maintenance records without having to go into Service Mode. The Vehicle Maintenance Summary is under Controls > Service > Maintenance and provides a read-only view for vehicle owners. You’ll have to go into Service Mode to add any maintenance records, which are permanent and can not be erased, even after a factory reset.
@tslaway
When viewing the owner version of Maintenance Summary, owners can quickly view when tires were last rotated, when the cabin filter was replaced and more.
Autopilot Lane Changes
Not a Tesla App
In Europe, Tesla has added a new indicator light that shows which automatic lane changes are available. Whenever Autopilot is enabled, the vehicle will now display a light indicating which lanes are available for Automatic Lane Changes. The icon will start off gray, then turn green and show an arrow to the left, right, or both sides.
If you want to see other Holiday Update features in action, be sure to check out part 1 of this series, where we take a look at all the features of Tesla’s Holiday Update. You can also read the release notes for the Holiday update, version 2024.44.25.2
If you’ve noticed any additional changes in this update, definitely let us know. Thanks to Zer and teslaway for the photos of the new features.
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Tesla’s plan to brand its autonomous network of taxicabs has found an interesting little snag. The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued a “nonfinal office action” regarding Tesla’s application to trademark the term “Robotaxi” specifically in connection with autonomous electric vehicles.
This is an initial refusal by USPTO’s examining attorney and is very particular for autonomous electric automobiles. A separate trademark application by Tesla for the term “Robotaxi” as it relates to its upcoming autonomous ride-hailing service is still under examination and has not yet received a similar rebuttal.
Understanding the Refusal
A “nonfinal office action” means the USPTO has found potential issues with the trademark application, as stated, which prevents its immediate approval and subsequent granting to Tesla. Tesla now has a three-month period to file its counterarguments and address the USPTO's concerns.
If Tesla’s response satisfies the examiner, the trademark could be granted.
While the exact content of the office action isn’t detailed in the initial report, such refusals for terms like “Robotaxi” often occur if the USPTO considers the term “merely descriptive” or “generic” for the goods in question. In this particular context, “Robotaxi” could refer to any autonomous taxi vehicle.
Trademark law generally prevents the exclusive registration of terms that competitors would need to use to describe their own similar products. For a term to be trademarked, it typically needs to be distinctive and act as a brand identifier rather than just a descriptive name of the product’s class or type.
Separate Application for Ride-Hailing
Tesla still has a distinct, separate, and still pending application to register “Robotaxi” as a trademark for “transportation services, namely, autonomous ride-hailing services.” The criteria for trademarking a service can differ from those on trademarks for goods, and it’s possible Tesla may have more success securing the name for the service itself, which would allow them to brand the network as “Tesla Robotaxi.”
Why This Matters
Securing a trademark grants exclusive rights to use a brand name in conjunction with specific goods or services. This helps prevent customer confusion and to protect the brand identity.
If the refusal for the vehicle trademark becomes final, Tesla may be limited in its ability to exclusively name a good (specific vehicle) the “Tesla Robotaxi.” Other manufacturers could also potentially use “robotaxi” descriptively for their own autonomous taxi vehicles.
The ability to trademark “Robotaxi” for the ride-hailing service is arguably more critical for Tesla, as they’re working to establish a unique brand for their autonomous transportation network, which kicks off in Austin next month.
The USPTO’s office action won’t hinder Tesla’s ability to develop or deploy its own vehicles in June - instead, it’ll just impact how Tesla can brand the app and their vehicles, which could cause some last-minute delays if they have to rebrand.
Cybercab and Robovan/Robobus Trademarks
While Tesla is facing challenges with the broader Robotaxi term for vehicles, the company is also seeking to trademark “Cybercab,” “Robovan,” and “Robobus.” Securing a less descriptive name for the vehicle itself often has a higher chance of success with USPTO, as it is far more distinctive than a more general term like “robotaxi.”
Why Didn’t Tesla Do This Years Ago?
Tesla may have waited too long to file a trademark for the term “Robotaxi.” While the company has been discussing a self-driving fleet since 2016, the concept of autonomous taxis has gained a lot more traction in recent years — and competitors like Uber have also begun using the term.
We suspect there was some strategic timing behind these filings. Earlier versions of FSD — particularly those prior to V12 — may have lacked the progress needed to support Tesla’s robotaxi ambitions. Filing for a trademark that isn’t actively in use or about to be used can make it harder to defend or retain.
Moreover, while the idea of autonomous vehicles has been around for years, a clearer public understanding of Tesla’s specific plans has only emerged over the past 18 months. Filing too early can trigger speculation long before the company is ready to reveal details.
Ultimately, whether Tesla secures the rights to “Robotaxi” remains uncertain — but trademarks like “Cybercab” and “Robovan” seem much more likely to stick.
One of Tesla’s greatest weaknesses, as it has quickly become one of the world’s most ubiquitous cars on the planet has always been service. Escalating issues to managers and sometimes even reaching a Tesla Service employee can be a total coin flip, depending on your Service Center.
Tesla is continuing its push to integrate AI across its customer support channels in an effort to improve customer service. According to Raj Jegannathan, Tesla’s VP for IT, AI Infrastructure, Apps, Infosecurity, and Vehicle Service Operations (that’s a lot), Tesla is launching a pilot program for a new AI designed to improve customer interactions with Service.
Tesla Service’s new AI Agent detects comms delays, monitors sentiment, & auto-escalates to leaders. Starts tomorrow at 10 pilot locations. In 2 weeks, type “Escalate” in ‘message center’ to reach managers. Guardrails in place to prevent abuse. We’ll keep improving!
At 10 pilot service locations, this new AI agent will begin working behind the scenes at Tesla Service, to help with customer communications. It will provide three key features:
Detect Communications Delays: The AI will actively monitor service interactions to identify potential delays in communication or progress. These are often a key pain point for customers who reach out to Tesla Service and don’t receive a response for several days, as Service has nothing new to add. The AI can now step in and let the customer know Tesla is still waiting on parts or something else.
Monitor Customer Sentiment: By monitoring the tone and content of the messages between the customer and Service agents, Tesla will be able to identify situations where a customer might be dissatisfied or facing difficulties.
Auto-Escalate: If either a communications delay or negative sentiment is detected, the AI can automatically escalate issues to human managers for review. This helps to address problems before customers need to seek escalation themselves or become upset about an issue.
Customer Escalation Requests
Alongside the new AI tool, Tesla is also introducing a more direct way for customers to get higher-level attention. According to Tesla, within the next two weeks, customers can simply type “Escalate” in order to have their issue routed directly to management.
Raj’s team is currently working on implementing guardrails to prevent abuse, but this will soon make its way to improving Tesla’s service offerings. We’re glad to see Tesla taking steps to identify and correct deficiencies in the process - it has always been a sore tooth for Tesla in the last few years.
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