Tesla's New Model Y to Receive Adaptive Headlight Support in U.S. Soon

By Karan Singh
@DriveGreen80167 on X

In the latest episode of Jay Leno’s Garage, Tesla’s VP of Vehicle Engineering, Lars Moravy, confirmed that the new Model Y will feature adaptive headlights.

As Moravy was talking about the updated headlights in the vehicle, which now sit a few inches lower than before, he stated that in a couple of months, Tesla will add adaptive headlights in the U.S.

While Tesla has already introduced adaptive headlights in Europe and the Indo-Pacific, the feature has yet to make its way to North America.

Originally delayed in the U.S. due to regulatory issues, manufacturers have been able to implement adaptive headlights since mid-2024. Meanwhile, competitors like Rivian and Mercedes-Benz have already rolled out their own full matrix headlight systems, matching what’s available in other regions.

Update: This article has been updated to clarify that adaptive headlights will indeed be launched in the U.S., shortly after the vehicle launching in March.

Adaptive Headlights

Back in October 2024, Lars confirmed that matrix headlight functionality was just around the corner for North America. However, as we enter 2025, it’s still unclear when Teslas with matrix headlights will receive the feature.

Currently, Tesla in North America supports adaptive high beams and automatic headlight adjustment for curves, but full matrix functionality has yet to be rolled out. Meanwhile, matrix headlights are already available in Europe, where they selectively dim individual beam pixels to reduce glare for oncoming traffic and adapt to curves in the road.

It was surprising that matrix functionality wasn’t included in the comprehensive 2024 Tesla Holiday Update. This feature would likely improve safety ratings, so we can only assume Tesla is diligently working to secure regulatory approval.

Adaptive Headlights on Other Models

Lars didn’t confirm whether the refreshed Model Y comes with the same headlights as the new Model 3 and the Cybertruck, instead simply calling them "matrix-style” headlights.

The headlights on the new Model Y appear very similar to those available in the 2024+ Model 3, possibly meaning these other models will also receive adaptive headlight capabilities in the next couple of months.

For vehicles with older-style matrix headlights, it’s unlikely that adaptive beams support will launch at the same time, but they will hopefully become available soon afterward.

You can check our guide here to see if your vehicle includes matrix headlights.

Tesla Robotaxi Improvements: Reduce Wait Time By Predicting Demand and Scale Operators

By Karan Singh
Not a Tesla App

Just over a week into the Robotaxi launch, Tesla began laying the groundwork for a more scalable remote supervision model, which will be key to achieving success with the Robotaxi Network.

About a week ago, Elon Musk posted on X that Tesla will likely reach the crucial safety threshold to enable this shift within a month or two. While that means at least another month of in-vehicle Safety Monitors, it does provide us with a timeline of what to expect.

This timeline came in response to a question about Tesla’s plans for the ratio of autonomous vehicles to remote supervisors. The more vehicles that a single human can supervise, the better, especially if that number can be reduced to something drastic, like a 100:1 ratio. A single human operator would be able to manage an entire city of Robotaxis, which will be critical to make the Robotaxi Network turn a profit.

While Tesla works towards that ambitious future, it is also taking immediate steps to improve the current user experience during the Austin pilot program, where 15-minute wait times have become the norm.

Solving for Wait Times

According to Eric E, one of Tesla’s principal engineers on Robotaxi, the current 15-minute wait times are a classic logistics challenge. The supply of vehicles is lower than the current demand for rides. To solve this, there’s a two-pronged solution for Tesla.

First, Tesla is directly increasing supply by hiring more Safety Monitors/Vehicle Operators in Austin, even hosting an on-site hiring event.

Second, Tesla is working to make FSD and the Robotaxi fleet management software faster and smarter. This means they are utilizing the data from the pilot to better orchestrate the fleet by predicting demand and pre-positioning vehicles in prime locations to reduce wait times. After dropping someone off, the vehicle can start traveling to areas of higher demand, even if someone hasn’t booked a ride yet.

Next Up: Remote Supervision

These immediate fixes are all in service of that much larger goal. Scaling the Robotaxi Network isn’t just about having more cars; it’s about increasing the number of vehicles a single human can safely supervise remotely, which is a requirement for Robotaxi to turn a profit.

Elon’s comments give us this timeline. A more flexible and favorable ratio of 3:1 (although still far from the ideal 100:1) is likely to be achieved within a few months.

Tesla is committed to safety, as evidenced by the safety monitors in the vehicle. A single incident could not only tarnish the public’s view of the Robotaxi Network but could also halt Tesla’s operations altogether.

The data gathered from more Robotaxis on the road is crucial to the whole project. Tesla is gathering more data and issuing newer FSD builds specific to the Robotaxi.

As FSD requires less remote oversight per mile driven autonomously, Tesla can safely increase the number of vehicles per remote supervisor, moving the service closer to its ultimate goal.

Tesla has laid out an aggressive roadmap for the Robotaxi Network and its next few phases. We’ll have to wait and see just how this goes over the next few months, and whether they feel comfortable enough to increase the geo-fence and remove safety monitors.

Tesla to Integrate xAI's Grok Into Optimus, Helping Bring the Robot to Life

By Karan Singh
Not a Tesla App

Following the recent news of Grok being almost ready for Tesla vehicles, Elon Musk confirmed on X that the next major step is with Optimus, Tesla’s humanoid Robot. xAI’s advanced Grok models will eventually serve as the voice and brain for Optimus. This will be a convergence of Musk’s two biggest AI ventures — Tesla and xAI.

This will combine a physically humanoid robot - the brawn - with the new brains, Grok. This integration is more than just giving Optimus a voice - it suggests that Tesla is thinking ahead and possibly intends to use Grok to understand the environment around Optimus, while FSD will handle the robot’s movements.

A Symbiotic Relationship

The combination of Optimus and Grok creates a relationship where each component plays to its strengths.

For years, Tesla’s robotics team has been focused on the immense challenge of physical autonomy. Optimus learns complex tasks by observing humans, basically training itself through video by watching humans. This helps Optimus develop the physical dexterity needed to work in the real world. This is the brawn - the ability to navigate, manipulate objects, and perform useful work.

Grok provides the conversational brain. It adds a layer of natural language understanding, reasoning, and interaction. Instead of needing a computer, a specialized app, or pre-programming commands to give Optimus instructions, a user will be able to simply talk to it in a natural way. This makes Optimus infinitely more approachable and useful, especially for tasks in a dynamic environment, such as work or at home.

xAI and Tesla

Viewed from a different perspective, this move isn’t just about upgrading one product. It is the clearest evidence that xAI and Tesla are collaborating together to build a single, unified AI platform. Musk’s biographer, Walter Isaacson, believes Tesla and xAI will merge. Seeing Tesla and xAI both play critical roles in creating Optimus makes us believe that it may very well be the case.

Transformation to a Humanoid Robot

The confirmation of Grok in Optimus is one of the most significant milestones for the project to date. While Optimus’s ability to walk and work (and dance) is already an incredible engineering feat, it has all been physical abilities so far. Adding the ability to interact with Optimus in a human-like way will transform Grok from a machine to a true, general-purpose humanoid robot.

The ability to understand nuanced requests, ask clarifying questions, and respond intelligently is what will ultimately make Optimus a daily fixture in our lives.

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