A Visual Look at Tesla’s 2025 Spring Update Features

April 24, 2025

By Karan Singh

@niccruzpatane on X

Tesla’s 2025 Spring Update has arrived and is now going out in larger waves. Although this update isn’t as large as last year’s Spring Update, there are several exciting features in this year’s Spring Update.

In this article, we’ll take our first look into some of the newest features.

Custom Trunk Height per Location

The trunk height for Model Ys, Model 3s with automatic trunks, and the 2021+ Model S and Model X will now be customizable by location. While you could previously apply a maximum general height, you can now also apply a height at a given location.

This is especially helpful if you don’t want the vehicle to open the trunk all the way in your garage, but would like it to open all the way elsewhere.

To set it, you can manually adjust the liftgate to your preferred height when at the location and then press and hold the trunk close button until you hear a chime. Alternatively, you can open the liftgate with the on-screen controls and then press the pause button and have it remember this height.

If you have a Cybertruck, the process is similar to save the frunk height.

B-Pillar Sentry & Dashcam

The new B-Pillar options are displayed at the bottom of the dashcam viewer.

Not a Tesla App

For newer hardware 4 vehicles, Sentry Mode and Dashcam will now also record video from the B-pillar cameras on your vehicle. This brings the total number of cameras recorded to six, up from just four. This also means that the vehicle is now covered practically in 360 degrees. The only cameras not recorded are the alternative front camera, the front bumper camera (on the new Model Y and Cybertruck for now), and the interior camera.

While most of the other cameras wouldn’t provide much improvements in terms of security, adding the interior camera would be a really nice addition. However, we imagine there are privacy reasons why Tesla isn’t adding this one.

You can check out the new angles in the improved Dashcam viewer under “Left Pillar” and “Right Pillar”, which are located at the far right.

For AI3 vehicles and the Cybertruck, this feature isn’t available, however, we expect it to be added to the Cybertruck soon.

Dashcam Viewer

New Dashcam Viewer in a short Video: pic.twitter.com/Fs1lgMuAGk
— Max Bracco (@max_bracco) April 15, 2025

The Dashcam and Sentry Mode Viewer have received an improved interface to go along with the new B-pillar camera recording. However, like the new cameras, this feature is only currently available on HW4 vehicles. While the B-pillar camera records are unlikely to arrive on HW3 vehicles due to technical constraints, we may see this improved Dashcam Viewer arrive on other vehicles in the future.

The new viewer now displays all the cameras along the bottom, rather than having one at each corner.

Tesla has also added a jump back or forward 15-second button; however, the recent improvement to adjust the playback speed from 0.5x, 1x, and 2x appears to have been removed.

There’s also a new button at the top right corner of the video, which lets you easily jump to the next video clip.

Reverse Camera

The new angle is a little bit wider than the original.

Not a Tesla App

For HW4 vehicles, Tesla has also improved the visible angle of the rearview camera. Tesla’s cameras actually capture angles slightly wider than the ones displayed in the vehicle UI and the Tesla app - so it’s nice to see them increasing the viewing area.

These same vehicles have now also been updated to have the fender cameras displayed at the top of the Camera app instead of the bottom.

Adaptive Headlights for North America

Overnight, your Tesla gets better with a OTA update.

Tesla Adaptive Headlights in action on a Legacy Tesla Model Y.

Now available in the US with Software Update 2025.14.1 pic.twitter.com/ZtITiZLNQw
— Nic Cruz Patane (@niccruzpatane) April 22, 2025

Adaptive headlights have finally been enabled for vehicles with matrix headlights in North America with this Spring Update. You can check them out in action below. If you’re unsure whether your vehicle includes matrix headlights, our guide can help.

Model S / X Turn Signal Cameras

These optionally placed repeater turn signal camera images are a huge improvement!

@niccruzpatane on X

The Model S and Model X have received some much-requested love from Tesla. The blind spot camera feature, which displays the fender cameras on screen when the turn signal is active, is being moved to the instrument cluster.

Until now, the feature has shown the cameras on the infotainment display, much like the Model 3 and Model Y. If you prefer to keep them on the main display, you can adjust it under Controls > Display > Automatic Blind Spot Camera.

New Navigation Options

With the 2025 Spring Update, you can now customize your route to have fewer stops, the best amenities, or just a fastest overall route.

Great quality of life improvement. pic.twitter.com/1KR4hXFVKz
— Nic Cruz Patane (@niccruzpatane) April 21, 2025

Tesla added three new routing options to the Spring Update, which now lets you choose between faster and more frequent charging stops or longer and less frequent stops. The long-awaited avoid highways option is finally included in this update as well.

Fastest: This offers the quickest path to the destination, disregarding any attempts at efficiency or stopping more frequently to perform short charges.

Best Amenities & Fewer Stops: This routing mode minimizes your charge stops in exchange for making them longer, but also allows you to stop near highly rated restaurants, shops, and restrooms for a more relaxing trip.

Avoid Highways: This highly requested feature allows you to keep your navigation routing away from highways unless absolutely necessary to reach your destination. Hurray for the country roads and relaxed driving.

Phone Icon Update

The new contact image is displayed above the phone number and name (censored by user)

@max_bracco on X

Tesla has updated the in-vehicle Phone app to display contact pictures from your phone, along with the name and phone number.

The new contact photos will also appear in the dialog window that opens when you receive an incoming call.

Search Filters for Music

The list of sources is selectable to help fine-tune your search.

Not a Tesla App

When searching for music, the results are now filtered by the music service, rather than displaying all results in a single view.

When you prefer a search, the results will be limited to the currently selected music source. Results for other services will be displayed in separate tabs organized by service. This is a really nice addition, but we’d also love to see an “All” results tab, similar to the previous experience, that lets you view results across various services.

Keep Accessory Power On

Not a Tesla App

Tesla is finally giving users the ability to charge devices with 12V sockets and USB ports when there’s no one in the vehicle. While 12V sockets and USB ports are turned off when the vehicle goes to sleep, many users work around this by enabling Sentry Mode to keep the ports powered.

The good news is that this new feature is even more efficient than before because owners no longer need to keep Sentry Mode on just to keep these ports powered.

To enable power for the USB ports and 12V sockets, navigate to Controls > Charging and scroll down to Keep Accessory Power On. Keep in mind, similar to Sentry Mode, this feature uses additional energy, even if devices aren’t being charged — so use it selectively.

Music Improvements

Tesla has made several other music-related improvements in this update besides the updated search results screen.

Amazon Music: You no longer need a premium subscription to Amazon Music to use the streaming service in the car. Your free account will work just fine.

Apple Music: Apple Music’s shuffle function has been improved so that it now shuffles the entire playlist of music, instead of just the first 100 results in the playlist.

YouTube Music: The next song in a playlist will now be displayed in the Up Next section. You view this section by tapping on the album artwork in the music player.

Other Improvements

Not a Tesla App

Tesla has made several other improvements. One nice addition, currently limited to the Cybertruck, is that the vehicle's visualization will now display the actual distance a door is open.

Tesla also improved the hotspot feature. If you typically use the hotspot on your phone to connect to the vehicle, this feature will now be automatically enabled each time the vehicle is put into drive.

While Tesla has already shown third-party chargers in Europe, Tesla is now giving users the ability to view them in other regions for the first time. The feature is off by default, but you can go to Controls > Navigation and enable third-party chargers. Tesla explains that your vehicle will not automatically navigate to these chargers, but they will show up in the list of available chargers.

When viewing a Supercharger, Tesla now provides a list of all nearby amenities as well, making it easier to see places nearby.

Not a Tesla App

While this update’s big features are the Sentry Mode and Dashcam Viewer improvements, which don’t apply to everyone, there are a lot of smaller charging and music improvements that make using and charging the vehicle better. Hopefully, we’ll see Grok come in Tesla’s next major update.

Tesla Denied “Robotaxi” Trademark for Autonomous Vehicles

May 10, 2025

By Karan Singh

Not a Tesla App

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.

Tesla Launches AI Agent to Improve Tesla Service Communications

May 9, 2025

By Karan Singh

Not a Tesla App

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.

This new initiative follows other recent AI deployments across Tesla’s customer-facing channels, including the personalized AI assistant within the Tesla App, the ability to ask questions to AI on Tesla’s website, and the biggest one, the new voice-based AI customer representative introduced for Tesla Insurance.

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!
— Raj Jegannathan (@r_jegaa) May 8, 2025

Proactive AI Support

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.