Tesla’s 2024 Highlights: A Look Back at Tesla's Best Features and Milestones

By Karan Singh
Not a Tesla App

As 2024 winds down, it’s the perfect time to reflect on everything Tesla has achieved this year. From features like Autopark and ultra-wideband support to Weather Forecast, each update served as a building block for even bigger features that were yet to come.

Let’s take a journey back to January and revisit the milestones that brought us to where we are today.

January 2024

All the way back in January, Tesla launched their Smart Assistant in China, which replaced Voice Commands. It was our first of many indications that Tesla is pushing to launch improvements to the Voice Command suite. We also saw a new Voice later in the year, and just now with the Holiday Update, a new batch of Voice Commands

And that’s not all either - Update 2024.2 brought with it adaptive headlights for Europe. North America still hasn’t received adaptive headlights, even with a Tesla VP chiming in and confirming they’re on the way in October.

Here’s to hoping 2025 will bring us a proper Smart Assistant and adaptive headlights for all Tesla owners.

February 2024

February saw the arrival of FSD “Beta” V12 - before we knew it would change over to FSD (Supervised). That first version started going out to early access users with update 2023.44.30.20 in February, and we really got to see for the first time what “End-to-End” really meant.

V12 was a game changer and much different than V11.4.9, which had been kicking around for a few months at that point. There was a lot of excitement around U-Turns, Park Seek (a feature finally being implemented in V13.2), and the updated Automatic Speed Offset.

March 2024

Vehicles equipped with USS were able to use Autopark, Summon, and Smart Summon, but newer vehicles began getting shipped as Vision-only, so they didn’t have access to these features. The first indication of their capabilities - and the overall replacement of USS Autopark with Vision Autopark started in March.

Tesla also launched support for Ultra-Wideband phone keys, which eventually enabled hands-free trunk and frunk opening.

April 2024

April was the launch month of the Model 3 Performance, with influencers getting hands-on with the Ludicrous new vehicle on the track and street. The Model 3 Performance arrived with new front and rear fascias, a new rear diffuser, and an updated carbon fiber spoiler on the exterior - but what really made it stand out was the Adaptive Suspension and Track Mode V3.

Tesla also confirmed that deliveries for customers would start in May - while also stating they’d focus on the next-gen cheaper model, rather than putting Robotaxi first. A lot has changed since then.

Tesla said it was close to a licensing deal with another Automaker for FSD, but we never found out who that was or whether the deal fell through. We also looked at Tesla’s Earnings Call and their plans to start a Robotaxi Network.

May 2024

May may have been one of the busiest months of the year for Tesla, at least in our opinion.

We opened up by covering more about the potential Smart Voice assistant, then finally saw the first signs of the Spring Update, reduced wheel nag, and then even more of the Spring Update

FSD V12.4 launched with Vision-Based Attention Monitoring for the first time, getting rid of wheel nag for the few early access testers that received that version.

Elon also talked about his vision for FSD V12.5 and V12.6. Again, what a year it was when we look back. Much of what he spoke about, like handling more complex scenarios, Actually Smart Summon, and Fleet Communication, were released in V12.5. Some future version of V13 is supposed to bring with it better handling for complex scenarios, but that’s a goal that’s always shifting.

If anything, May was the month of the Spring Update (and all its unlisted improvements), and it brought us a lot of hype for the removal of wheel nag on FSD. It brought along Hands-Free Trunk opening, improved wiper controls, and the new beautiful parked visualization.

We also dove head-first into looking at Tesla’s Auto Wipers - and why they don’t work. They have for sure gotten better, but they still aren’t as simple as adding a rain sensor. The good news is that they only affect humans, and FSD does just fine due to the camera’s focal length.

June 2024

With the launch of Vision-based Autopark for Europe in June, the Summer really kicked off. We also saw Tesla officially announce Hardware 5, and receive functional access to YouTube’s Playables feature - adding about 75 new games to Tesla vehicles.

Hardware 5 was a pretty interesting announcement, especially as Tesla also confirmed that Hardware 4 would eventually begin to diverge from Hardware 3 in 2025. However, we actually saw the divergence begin in late 2024, not to anyone’s surprise. Now we also know that Tesla is focusing on AI4, and they don’t intend to launch AI5 for at least another 12 months, but they do intend to continue supporting Hardware 3 for as long as possible, as shown by the launch of FSD 12.6 Monday night.

July 2024

July was the quietest month for Tesla news. Everyone was on FSD V12.3.6 for a while, and V12.4’s rollout had come to an abrupt stop. Tesla seemed like they were scrambling to organize themselves for the Robotaxi and Autonomy event to take place on August 8th, but the event was eventually pushed back to October.

That really proved to be for the best, as we saw. However, there was one thing that made its way to us in July - the arrival of Amazon Music and YouTube Music. The 2024.26 update also included the first of several weather features, Weather Forecast, and parental controls.

August 2024

August introduced a new, cheaper Model 3 for Mexico. Many were surprised at this vehicle’s introduction - and assumed that the new cloth would make its way to more vehicles across the lineup. However, the reduced price and features really stuck to just Mexico.

Tesla also confirmed HW3 would get support for FSD V12.5.1.4, much to everyone’s joy. After the announcement of AI5, many thought that V12.3.6 might be the final version of FSD for HW3.

Last, but not least, we saw the first hints of SiriusXM’s Streaming App coming to the Model 3, Model Y, and Cybertruck

September 2024

With September arrived Actually Smart Summon - one of the biggest Robotaxi-esque features many have been waiting for. The ability to call your car to you from inside the parking lot is a feature that seems like absolute magic.

And once again, the iOS version of the Tesla App got a ton of fantastic updates, including updates to the control center, FaceID locking, updated Siri actions and Apple shortcuts, and the action button being able to work with Tesla functions - like preconditioning. Hopefully, Android users will eventually get the same treatment.

September also brought with it Tesla’s first FSD Roadmap. The roadmap laid out Tesla’s plans for FSD and autonomy and also mentioned several release timelines and what we should expect from future updates.

Tesla originally announced Unpark, Park, and Reverse in FSD for October, but it actually arrived in December with FSD V13. Tesla owners outside of North America are also waiting for FSD - with Tesla mentioning once again that it would arrive sometime in Q1 2025, and that Q2 2025 would bring FSD to Right Hand Drive markets.

October 2024

October was the month of Tesla’s We, Robot autonomy event. That event was Tesla’s latest product-focused event since the launch of the Cybertruck last year, and they really hit hard on autonomy.

They also finally showed off the Cybercab, with its slick lines and unique light features, as well as the never-seen-before Robovan. Of course, on the topic of autonomy, Optimus also had a huge role to play, from serving drinks to interacting with attendees.

Unsupervised FSD was the highlight of the event, with Cybercabs and Model Ys taking attendees from location to location around the Hollywood studio.

Later in the month, Tesla also updated their FSD roadmap, and walked back some of the expectations they initially established in September. This included Tesla confirming HW3 owners will get a free hardware upgrade if Tesla can’t achieve Unsupervised FSD on those vehicles, as well as the complete rollout of End-to-End for the highway, global launches for Actually Smart Summon, and FSD V13 by Thanksgiving.

And to top off an already exciting month, we saw the first signs of Apple Watch support appear in the Tesla App, and the non-Foundation Cybertruck opening for orders in the US.

November 2024

November was a bit calmer but we did see the first deliveries of the Foundation-Series Cybertruck in Canada, and we saw a bit of a preview of the Holiday Update. That also included Tesla’s fantastic new Service History feature, which will now embed vehicle service history into the vehicle.

We also did a deep dive into how Tesla is improving Sentry Mode efficiency - through computational tricks, advanced power management techniques, and taking advantage of the different types of hardware on board the vehicle.

December 2024

And finally, December. December saw the launch of Tesla's 2024 Holiday Update, as well as the launch of FSD V13.2, and some more insight into Tesla’s next-gen model.

It was another busy month, with lots of coverage of all the little features, some initially Cybertruck exclusive, others initially launching to AMD vehicles, and then coming to Intel vehicles too.

Looking back, 2024 was really something special. After years of waiting, we’re finally seeing Tesla’s dreams of autonomy coming together. Unsupervised FSD and Robotaxi networks are on the horizon, while Optimus is still a glimmer in Tesla’s eye. We’re also looking forward to the grand opening of Tesla’s Semi Truck Factory in Texas, and the launch of FSD outside of North America.

2025 is poised to be another amazing year for Tesla, and we hope you’ll stick with us as we cover every little detail once again.

Tesla May Improve Car Wash Mode With Window Alerts

By Karan Singh
Not a Tesla App

There are a few features to keep in mind when taking your Tesla through a car wash, but Tesla’s Car Wash Mode makes it easy by enabling or disabling several features for you. These settings don’t only prevent damage to your vehicle, such as locking the charge port door so that it doesn’t automatically open when a cleaning brush touches it, but they also improve the experience by recirculating the air in the vehicle to prevent cleaning chemical smells from coming in.

Car Wash Mode makes it easy by giving you a checklist of items and their real-time status, alerting you of any important items, such as your trunk being open.

When activated from Controls > Service > Car Wash Mode, it performs a list of actions:

  • Automatically closes all windows

  • Locks the charge port door to prevent accidental opening

  • Disables automatic windshield wipers

  • Turns off Sentry Mode

  • Disables the walk-away door lock

  • Silences Parking Sensor chimes

  • Enables easy access to the Fold Mirrors and Free Roll options (you can also put your vehicle in neutral through the gear stalk)

What About Your Windows?

While Car Wash Mode monitors more than a handful of items, it doesn’t continuously check the status of your windows. When you first enter Car Wash Mode, the vehicle will automatically roll up any open windows. However, it won’t alert you if a window has been lowered after Car Wash Mode was enabled. This could spell disaster for your vehicle's interior, as one user found out.

Lincoln posted a video on X, demonstrating what happened to his friend and requesting that Tesla add open windows to the list of flags in Car Wash Mode.

Tesla’s Troy R. Jones, VP of North America Sales and Service, noticed the post and decided to take action, offering to pass on the suggestion to the vehicle software team.

Potential Improvements

While Troy’s response doesn’t confirm the feature being added in a future update, it’ll at least be put in front of the software team to potentially address.

Tesla could add this window-specific solution in several ways. Tesla could add this as another on-screen flag while the vehicle is in Car Wash Mode, simply alerting the driver that there’s a window open. However, they could also go one step further and lock the rear windows to prevent accidental opening while Car Wash Mode is enabled.

In case of an emergency, Tesla could present an on-screen button that pops up when a user tries to open a window while Car Wash Mode is activated, letting the driver override Car Wash Mode.

We’re interested to see what Tesla would do here, as these little quality-of-life changes really improve the end-user experience. What else would you like to see added to Car Wash Mode?

Houston Neighborhood Offers a Glimpse of the Future With Tesla-Powered Smart Homes

By Karan Singh
Not a Tesla App

Tesla offers a range of home energy products — from the widely used Wall Connector to the Powerwall and the innovative Solar Roof. Now, for the first time, a unique residential development in Houston, Texas, combines all of these technologies — and more — to move toward energy self-sufficiency.

Self-Sufficient

This community, located in Oaks of Shady Acres and built by Utopia Homes, consists of just 11 townhomes, each designed using Tesla technology to be self-sufficient. Utopia has equipped the homes with Solar Roofs, Powerwalls, and Wall Connectors to complete the entire ecosystem.

Tesla’s Solar Roof replaces traditional roofing materials while doubling as a clean energy source during daylight hours. The best part is that it mimics the look of conventional shingles while improving durability and longevity. Any excess energy generated is stored in the home’s Powerwall 3 units, providing power when the sun is down.

Tesla's Solar Roof
Tesla's Solar Roof
Not a Tesla App

Tesla’s Universal Wall Connector, which can charge any EV equipped with either a NACS or CCS port (through a J1772 adapter). If you added on a Cybertruck with Powershare (more vehicles will support Powershare in the future), you’d have a backup system that would last an extremely long time on batteries alone.

A Powerwall 3 stores about 13.5 kWh of energy, while a Cybertruck has a battery pack of 123 kWh, which is roughly equivalent to about nine Powerwalls. In addition, the Cybertruck could be used as a “mobile battery pack,” which can get additional energy from Superchargers and bring it back to the home if there’s an extended power outage.

Utopia markets these homes with “100% energy security,” - but they’re still grid-connected. However, they appear to have made quite a point with this - as many people in Texas, with its notoriously unstable electricity grid - were excited to get into these homes. 

Sadly, these homes still include a gas range, so they’re not entirely green and disconnected. This likely comes down to the fact that powering an induction range alongside a heat pump in the winter could draw more energy than Powerwall 3 is capable of outputting instantaneously.

Attention Getters

These 11 homes attracted a lot of attention - according to a broker working on Utopia’s team, they had requests to see or buy these homes coming from across the country. Priced around $544,900, these homes are about $150,000 higher than Houston’s median list pricing for similarly sized townhomes, but the benefits are clear for many buyers who will recoup these additional costs over the home’s life.

Utopia has acknowledged the demand for Tesla-powered and future-proofed homes like these and is already planning to build more in the future. This is an excellent showcase of what an electric-powered future could look like, and we’re excited to see more of these types of homes and neighborhoods in the future.

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