Tesla released version 2022.2.1 in China for the Lunar New Year. The update included various new features.
Tesla's new Color Colorizer feature
Cyber Owners/YouTube
One of the most exciting new features in the update was the ability to customize the color of your car on the display.
The feature was initially exclusive to China, but it is now available worldwide with the latest Tesla update, version 2022.4.5.
Color Colorizer allows you to change the color of the vehicle to any color through an onscreen color picker. The new color of the vehicle will appear in the car's visualizations across the entire operating system.
You'll see them across the entire OS, including driving visualizations, in the audio balance menu and software menus, and even in the app.
Trim
Some vehicles will also have the ability to pick between chrome or black trim on the vehicle. Unfortunately, it doesn't let you choose from any color, but only choose between matte black or chrome.
This feature may be limited to vehicles that originally came with chrome trim from the factory.
We now have video of the US feature in action. Once you launch Color Colorizer, you can set your vehicle's color and choose the paint finish. You'll be able to pick from solid, metallic, and matte paint finishes.
You'll be able to save multiple colors as color presets so that you can easily compare or switch between them.
Tesla also saves the car's original color so that you can easily revert to the stock color as well.
This feature is in update 2022.4.5 which is going to out to some lucky Tesla owners now. It has only gone out to about 2% of owners, so it may be a while before all of us gain access to this feature.
Tesla’s latest update includes a special feature for Cybertruck that may eventually be rolled out to the rest of the lineup. It appears Tesla is getting ready for the summer road trip season early by focusing on enhanced security for drivers who tow trailers and improving accessibility to its Supercharger network for such vehicles.
Cybertruck's New Trailer Alarm Feature
A standout feature in the latest update is introducing a trailer alarm system for the Cybertruck. This innovative feature extends the vehicle's alarm system to monitor the connection status of a trailer hitched to the vehicle. In practical terms, this means the vehicle's alarm will now also protect the trailer, ensuring an added layer of security for owners' valuable cargo.
Activating or deactivating alongside the vehicle's alarm system, this feature can be conveniently managed through the vehicle's settings under the "Towing and Hauling" section, where the "Trailer Alarm" option is located. Owners who prefer not to use this feature can disable it, tailoring the vehicle's security settings to their preferences. At this point, we only have confirmation of the feature in Cybertruck, but it would make sense to add it to the other models that haul trailers as well.
Enhanced Supercharger Network Accessibility
Tesla is also improving the Supercharging experience for drivers with trailers. Recognizing owners' difficulties when charging vehicles while towing, Tesla has been progressively introducing pull-through stalls at Supercharger stations. These stalls are designed to accommodate vehicles with trailers, eliminating the need to detach trailers before charging – a significant improvement over the traditional back-in stalls that dominate the network.
Wes Morrill, a Cybertruck engineer who has become more vocal on X, posted that the “Supercharger team is always looking for opportunities to install these at new locations. Will show trailer friendly stalls on the in-vehicle UI to make it easier when road tripping with a trailer.”
Amid rising gas prices, Tesla's updates offer a cost-effective solution for summer road trips. The new trailer alarm and UI improvements for finding Supercharger stations address towing challenges, enhancing the Tesla experience. This initiative showcases Tesla's commitment to innovation and sustainable travel, enabling owners to bypass the impact of fuel costs and enjoy their adventures.
Elon Musk announced that Tesla will finally reintroduce Smart Summon and Autopark to its vehicles. According to the CEO, these features are scheduled for release in April. Tesla removed ultrasonic sensors (USS) from their vehicles in 2022, and with it removed several features, including Autopark, Smart Summon and Park Assist. However, since then, they’ve added High Fidelity Park Assist, a feature that recreates the surrounding environment in 3D. Although, it’s currently only available to vehicles without USS, that’s expected to change in the near future, and could also come bundled in with the new Autopark feature.
This update in April is not only expected bring these features back to vehicles without ultrasonic sensors, but Tesla is also expected to release drastically improved versions of these features, known as Actually Smart Summon and Tap to Park.
Major improvements coming for Summon & Banish (Autopark) next month - Elon Musk
Improved Autopark
Greentheonly, who regularly decompiles Tesla firmware, has indicated that Tesla's latest software, version 2024.8, already contains the code necessary for these new features, but they need to be remotely activated by Tesla. Additionally, Green says the new Autopark system will offer users the choice between parallel and perpendicular parking options. The new Autopark is expected to let drivers visually select a parking spot, exit the vehicle, and let it park itself.
New ‘Tap to Park’ Feature
With the introduction of High Fidelity Park Assist, Tesla laid the groundwork for more sophisticated features like "Tap to Park."
Tap to Park builds on the original concept of Park Seek, a feature discussed by Tesla in October 2022 that aimed to automate the parking spot search process. While the initial vision for Park Seek suggested a vehicle could autonomously search for parking, "Tap to Park" simplifies this idea.
With the deployment of FSD Beta v12.3 going to more users this weekend, the company continues to leverage AI to reduce code in favor of neural networks trained with real-world driving data.
Just last week, Musk posted on X: "Really cool stuff coming both this month and next." Since that post, FSD beta version 12.3 has started going to more users, and now it seems two other long overdue and highly anticipated updates are coming with Actually Smart Summon and Tap to Park. Still no word on auto wiper improvements.
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