Tesla updates app with quick actions and improved visuals

By Nuno Cristovao

Tesla recently released a completely new phone app with the release of version 4.0. The first release brought a visual refresh but feature parity was basically the same as the app it replaced.

Tesla updates phone app with new widgets

Since that initial release, Tesla has added the ability to change scheduled charging and charge current, the ability to turn on Bioweapon Defense Mode and introduced Safety Scores within the app.

All of these updates have come in the last couple months.

And today, Tesla has another update in store for us.

Updated Widget

With this update, version 4.2.0 Tesla has redesigned their larger widget for iOS and presumably for Android. It now features quick action buittons, so that you can more easily lock or unlock your car, turn on the climate, open the frunk or go to charge settings.

Updated Visuals

This update also introduces updated styles for the interior of the car. The interior now more accurately represents your vehicle. The images are much more detailed than before.

Everything from the wood dash trim, the seats, steering wheel and center console are now more accurate and detailed. The rear seat belts are now shown as well, where previously they were omitted.

Better interior visuals in the Tesla app

The lighting used in the model also appears to have been tweaked. If you have a model with chrome trim, you can tell how it now appears to be more reflected. The paint on the vehicle also looks slightly more realistic.

Tesla appears to be using the same 3D models that are used for visualizations in the vehicle. This lets Tesla focus on creating a single model that is used across the app and car, increasing consistency and giving users a better experience.

Delivery Window

Lastly, if you have a Tesla on order, Tesla is now showing you the delivery window of the vehicle directly in the app.

Tesla now shows your delivery window in the app
Tesla now shows your delivery window in the app
@kkvr2823/Twitter

This is a nice touch, especially if it’s your first Tesla. I remember when I first bought my Tesla, I couldn’t wait to try out the app experience, but unfortunately wasn’t able to do so until delivery.

The iOS app is available in the app store now and we expect the Android app to become available shortly.

Have you noticed any other changes in the updated app? Let us know.

Musk Shares Tesla FSD Roadmap: What's in the Next FSD Update

By Karan Singh
Not a Tesla App

In a flurry of posts on X following the recent sightings of driverless Robotaxis on the streets of Austin, Elon has laid out a fairly detailed roadmap of Tesla’s upcoming changes for FSD in the coming year.

Musk shared details on two distinct new versions of FSD that are currently in development - one of which is coming soon and another that promises another leap in FSD’s abilities.

FSD Increase Parameters By 4.5x

While the Robotaxis running around Austin are identical to new customer vehicles, they’re not running the same FSD build on customer vehicles. These Robotaxi Model Ys are running a newer FSD build.

While the exact version of FSD is unknown, Musk said that it’ll be released to customers soon. However, more interestingly, he also shared details on a newer version that’s coming next.

The newer version will include a 4.5 times increase in parameters and better memory usage. Earlier this year, Ashok shared details that the [amount of] on-board memory is restricting context size, so these memory improvements presumably allow Tesla to increase the context size in this latest version of FSD.

Musk said that this version will also arrive to customers later this year. This 4.5 times model appears to be in a relatively early alpha stage. This jump in parameters is even larger than the “3X increase” that’s detailed in the Upcoming Improvements of the FSD V13 changelog. Other improvements listed in the FSD v13 changelog were a 3x context length improvement, audio inputs, improvements to reward predictions and false braking, and support for destination options when arriving at the destinations. However, it’s not clear whether any of these others are included.

What Increased Parameters and Context Length Mean

The increase in parameters allows FSD to understand the world with greater nuance, which in turn means smoother and more human-like decision-making and path planning. It also means FSD will become more capable of handling edge cases or inclement weather, a stressor noted by Tesla’s Executive team during the Q1 2025 Earnings Call.

Increasing the context length allows the vehicle to consider a longer history when making decisions. Context length and responsiveness are closely linked: a shorter context length enables quicker reactions, while a longer context length provides more informed decisions but introduces latency. The context length in terms of FSD is measured in seconds, where the vehicle uses just the past few seconds of video data to make a decision.

Retraining FSD

A more powerful AI model requires more computational power, and Elon provided some more insights into what exactly that means for the Tesla AI team. Frugally using memory bandwidth and squeezing every last drop of performance from AI4’s hardware is necessary to maintain its ability to keep up with the environment around it.

Musk says that this new, larger FSD version will require Tesla to retrain FSD from the ground up. Tesla is already planning on expanding its compute nodes with a second Cortex Supercomputer cluster. It takes an astronomical amount of data, time, and energy to train FSD, and with a major update on the horizon, it seems like Tesla has been putting the lion’s share of compute into this new build.

FSD Timeline

Musk laid out a relatively rough timeline for these new FSD improvements. Remember, with all things Elon, two weeks could very well be two months.

Soon: The current, tried and tested build that’s running on Tesla’s Robotaxi fleet in Austin will be merged into the main public FSD (Supervised) build. This build will be the next major build for customers. This could be FSD V13.3. It’ll be a step up, but not as large as the next version.

Late 2025: The new 4.5X parameter model is slated for a wider release several months from now. We’ll tentatively call this FSD V14 - because it sounds like an entirely new version being built from the ground up.

This is a much-needed update from Elon and Tesla on where FSD is headed and when. It’s been more than eight months since the last Autonomy Roadmap in October 2024, even if these updates are encoded in “Elon Time.” 

Licensing FSD

Elon also touched on the ultimate goals and the long-term business plan for FSD. With FSD already being considerably safer than the average human driver, alongside its superhuman reflexes and precision, Tesla will be well-positioned to license FSD.

As FSD and the Robotaxi network become widespread and other autonomy solutions fail to materialize in a financially prudent fashion, other companies will naturally turn to Tesla for autonomy. 

It’s Tesla’s golden moment to do all it can to implement the dream that it’s been striving for for over a decade. 

With a new FSD version on its way to customers and a fully rebuilt version on the horizon, there’s a lot for everyone to look forward to.

Driverless Tesla Robotaxi Spotted on Camera in Austin [VIDEO]

By Karan Singh
@TerrapinTerpene

Today, @terrapinTerpene on X spotted a pair of interesting-looking Model Ys on the streets of Austin, Texas. The first black Model Y had a Robotaxi wordmark emblazoned on the front door of the vehicle.

The best part is that the lead vehicle didn’t have a driver in it. The second, trailing car did have a driver, likely a chase driver, but it didn’t have the same Robotaxi logo on the side. Tesla is likely conducting the final stages of testing where unsupervised vehicles are going from point A to point B, while still having a safety vehicle nearby.

This comes just as the City of Austin officially listed Tesla as a Known AV Operator on their Autonomous Vehicles website. That regulatory green light has now been translated into reality with the first sightings of Tesla Robotaxis on the streets of Austin - and we’re expecting to see even more of these vehicles in the next few days.

Several Tesla employees quickly chimed in as the video began circulating on X.

Employee Reactions

Tesla’s key members jumped up on X to respond to the sighting. Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla’s VP of Autopilot and AI Software, responded with a simple message.

“Slowly at first, then…” - Ashok

Tesla’s stated plans for the rollout are to begin with a small fleet of just 10 Model Ys in Austin for the initial stages. This will allow for a controlled deployment while Tesla closely monitors and confirms that they’re within the safety envelope they’re looking for - much safer than a human driver. That number is then expected to increase over the coming weeks and months, with an expectation to hit over 1,000 Robotaxis in use by late 2025 as Tesla looks to expand their services to other cities.

Tesla is expected to launch the Robotaxi network to employees on June 12th, just two days away. A public launch, where anyone could use a Robotaxi, is expected to follow in late June or early July, 

Tesla’s Lead Engineer for the Robotaxi Program, Eric E, was even more direct on X.

“Its go time”. - Eric

Musk Confirms These Are Ordinary Model Ys

Elon also commented, stating that each of these vehicles used in the Robotaxi network are standard Model Y vehicles, coming directly from the factory, reinforcing the point that every new Tesla will be capable of Unsupervised FSD.

This is what’s critical to Tesla. Unlike competitors like Waymo, who depend on bespoke vehicles with nearly another car’s worth of expensive LiDAR, Radar, and camera sensors mounted on top of an existing vehicle, Tesla is demonstrating that any Model Y equipped with its latest FSD computer, AI4, is capable of Unsupervised FSD. 

This is exactly what Elon means when he says millions of vehicles will become Robotaxis overnight. It takes just a flick of a software switch to enable Robotaxi for every AI4 Model Y out there today.

Tesla’s main account on X also doubled down on Elon’s statement, pointing out that it is really just a standard Model Y.

It’s Happening

After years of promises, testing, development, disappointment, excitement, and hype… Tesla’s golden moment is finally here. The appearance of real Robotaxis using FSD has finally arrived. This isn’t just an internal beta happening on factory roads or with safety drivers. The first Teslas are finally really driving themselves on public roads with no human supervision.

The next few days will no doubt be some of the most exciting days in Tesla’s history.

Latest Tesla Update

Confirmed by Elon

Take a look at features that Elon Musk has said will be coming soon.

More Tesla News

Tesla Videos

Latest Tesla Update

Confirmed by Elon

Take a look at features that Elon Musk has said will be coming soon.

Subscribe

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter