Tesla update 2022.24: An early look at its features

July 28, 2022

By Nuno Cristovao

An early look at Tesla update 2022.24

Tesla

Tesla has released their latest monthly update, version 2022.24.

As usual, these updates are packed (usually) with improvements and new features.

This update is no different.

Tesla Profiles

The first major feature of 2022.24 is the release of cloud profiles, known officially as Tesla Profiles.

Tesla Profiles will give you the ability to tie your vehicle profile to your Tesla account. Your supported profile settings will then be saved to the cloud, allowing you to sync driver profiles across multiple vehicles.

More information on Tesla's new cloud profiles, check out our Tesla Profiles article .

Blind Spot Camera Improvements

Tesla introduced the Blind Spot Camera about seven months ago with Tesla's 2021 holiday update .

The feature lets you display the vehicle's corresponding fender camera on-screen when you activate the turn signal.

Unfortunately, there were no choices in terms of where the camera feed appeared on the screen, and it was permanently fixed to the bottom of the screen.

With 2022.24 Tesla is fixing that. You'll be able to drag and drop the camera feed (video) to one of three predefined locations on the screen. They include the bottom corner closest to the driver, the top corner closest to the driver, or the top corner inside of the map area, near the 'Navigate to' button.

Sentry Mode Improvements

Sentry Mode has been a great addition since its introduction. It has already helped catch countless thieves and acts of vandalism.

As Teslas become more popular and the feature becomes well known, it could actually help reduce thefts and crime.

With 2022.24 Tesla is adding a new option to Sentry Mode: the ability to disable sounds.

The ability to use Sentry Mode without having an audible alarm was actually a part of update 2022.20 , but it was only available in Israel, where local laws prevent a vehicle alarm from making an audible noise.

With 2022.24 Tesla is now giving you the ability to use a silent version of Sentry Mode.

Tesla says that all other features of Sentry Mode will continue to function, such as sending app notifications.

Driver Profiles

Over the years Tesla has switched many car preferences from applying to everyone to being driver specific.

With this update Tesla is adding a couple more. Your navigation favorites and recent locations will now be profile specific.

That means that when someone else uses your vehicle, they'll have their own set of recent locations, and your recent locations and other drivers' destinations will no longer be mixed.

Favorites and recent locations will also be enabled in cloud profiles, so when you change vehicles, you'll have access to your same recent and favorite destinations.

Live Traffic Visualization

Live Traffic Visualization, a Premium Connectivity feature that lets you view traffic along your route and surrounding streets.

Tesla is now enhancing the live traffic visualization by making it easier to see traffic on your route.

The traditional blue path that shows up in your navigation will now change color, depending on the amount of traffic for that particular area.

You may see a path that goes from blue to yellow to red, signifying the amount of traffic at each portion of the route, blue meaning no traffic.

Update: Traffic visualizations will still be shown on adjacent roads.

Other Changes

It looks like Tesla has made some other minor changes to the top area of the screen in the Model 3 and Model Y.

In order to make room for the blind spot camera at the top of the screen, Tesla has shifted some items around.

The turn signals have moved up, and they're now above the regeneration/acceleration line and will appear between the gear indicator and battery icon.

When the blind spot camera is active at the top of the screen, certain icons will also shift downward, such as the headlights and HOLD icons.

Update 2022.24 is surely going to be one that lots of owners look forward to receiving. However, keep in mind that Tesla features are often limited to certain regions to support local laws or due to data limitations.

2022.24 may also contain additional features that are not included here, while some features mentioned here may not be available for every model or region.

Tesla Increases Price of Model S; Starts Offering Free Lifetime Supercharging

December 14, 2024

By Karan Singh

Not a Tesla App

For the first time in quite a while, Tesla has increased the price of one of its vehicle offerings. The Model S Long Range and the Model S Plaid have both received a hefty price increase. However, not all is bad - as Tesla also added a new benefit for buyers.

Price Increase

The price increase for the Model S is $5,000 - currently only in the United States. This price increase will likely impact other markets, including Canada, in the coming days.

The Model S Long Range now starts at $79,990, while the Model S Plaid now starts at $94,990. The Model S and Model X now have the same starting price. Interestingly, that’s also the same pricing point for the Cybertruck AWD and Cyberbeast Trimotor non-Foundation Series.

The vehicle configuration does not appear to have changed, so the new pricing is simply an increase rather than the addition or removal of features. Tesla previously cut the price of the Model S and Model X by 15% in 2023, so this could simply be an adjustment to ensure that the vehicle pricing stays in line with inflation and other factors.

Free Lifetime Supercharging

For those on the fence about ordering a Model S, Tesla has brought back Free Lifetime Supercharging when you order a new Model S on or after December 13, 2024. As always, Free Lifetime Supercharging is restricted to the buyer’s Tesla account and to that specific vehicle. It cannot be transferred to another vehicle or another owner after ownership transfer. It’s worth noting, that it also doesn’t exclude the owner from receiving Supercharger idle fees or congestion fees. There is currently no end date for this promotion.

There are currently no changes to the Model X, neither a price increase nor the addition of Lifetime Superchargering. However, when Tesla makes changes to one of their premium vehicles, it usually affects the other one as well. So be on the lookout for potential changes to the Model X offering in the coming days.

We’ve seen Tesla value Lifetime Supercharging at $5,000, so this falls in line with the price increase we’re seeing. It’s possible that Tesla will begin to bring back Lifetime Supercharging as a perk for buying into their more premium Model S and Model X cars, or this could be another temporary promotion to get buyers who are on the fence to go ahead and make their purchase while this promotion lasts.

Tesla’s Optimus Robot Learns to Walk Without Vision [VIDEO]

December 13, 2024

By Karan Singh

Optimus Falls - but catches itself!

Not a Tesla App

Tesla recently showed off a demo of Optimus, its humanoid robot, walking around in moderately challenging terrain—not on a flat surface but on dirt and slopes. These things can be difficult for a humanoid robot, especially during the training cycle.

Daily walks help clear your mind pic.twitter.com/dUsW58trS6
— Tesla Optimus (@Tesla_Optimus) December 9, 2024

A Look Behind the Curtain

Most interestingly, Milan Kovac, VP of Engineering for Optimus, clarified what it takes to get Optimus to this stage. Let’s break down what he said.

Optimus is Blind

Optimus is getting seriously good at walking now - it can keep its balance over uneven ground - even while walking blind. Tesla is currently using just the sensors, all powered by a neural net running on the embedded computer.

Essentially, Tesla is building Optimus from the ground up, relying on as much additional data as possible while it trains vision. This is similar to how they train FSD on vehicles, using LiDAR rigs to validate the vision system’s accuracy. While Optimus doesn’t have LiDAR, it relies on all those other sensors on board, many of which will likely become simplified as vision takes over as the primary sensor.

Today, Optimus is walking blind, but it’s able to react almost instantly to changes in the terrain underneath it, even if it falls or slips.

What’s Next?

Next up, Tesla AI will be adding vision to Optimus - helping complete the neural net. Remember, Optimus runs on the same overall AI stack as FSD - in fact, Optimus uses an FSD computer and an offshoot of the FSD stack for vision-based tasks.

Milan mentions they’re planning on adding vision to help the robot plan ahead and improve its walking gait. While the zombie shuffle is iconic and a little bit amusing, getting humanoid robots to walk like humans is actually difficult.

There’s plenty more, too - including better responsiveness to velocity and direction commands and learning to fall and stand back up. Falling while protecting yourself to minimize damage is something natural to humans - but not exactly natural to something like a robot. Training it to do so is essential in keeping the robot, the environment around it, and the people it is interacting with safe.

We’re excited to see what’s coming with Optimus next because it is already getting started in some fashion in Tesla’s factories.