Tesla adds ability to view last known tire pressure and ability to uninstall games in 2022.24

August 23, 2022

By Jorge Aguirre

Update 2022.24 includes various undocumented features

@aestheticsjess/Twitter

Tesla started rolling out software version 2022.24 to a wider section of its fleet (update 2022.24.5), introducing some appreciated new changes.

Tire Pressure

Before the current update, checking your tire pressure while the car was stopped was not possible. In order to prolong the battery life of the wireless tire pressure sensors, Tesla would only display the current tire pressure if the vehicle was in motion. Now the Service section (under Controls) will display the last known tire pressure for each wheel.

Keeping tabs on your tire pressure is not only paramount to your safety, but also improves efficiency while driving. An NHTSA study suggests that low tire pressure can reduce your driving range by around 0.3% for every 1% reduction in tire pressure.

Update 2022.24 includes various undocumented features

@Eric5sun/Twitter

With the new update you will also see the recommended cold tire pressure for the front and rear wheels, at the top of the screen.

Tesla recommends a tire pressure range of 40 to 45 PSI. This is often the minimum air pressure required to support your vehicle at its maximum load, depending on the type and vehicle configuration.

Reddit user Wugz reported a while ago that Tesla's vehicle state API would soon include data from the internal TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System), so it could be possible we will soon have access to that same data via the Tesla app.

Uninstall Games

Update 2022.24 includes various undocumented features

@Eric5sun/Twitter

Update 2022.24 also enables the user to uninstall individual games, freeing up space on the vehicle's internal drive. In addition to uninstalling games, you can also view the size of each game, and which drive they're installed on.

When a game has been uninstalled, it can still be viewed as an available game in the vehicle and you'll be given an option to reinstall the game.

Tesla has been giving its video game selection more attention. Elon Musk says that Tesla may show off its upcoming Steam integration next month.

Depending on your model, the vehicle's internal storage ranges from 8GB (MCU 1) to 64GB for MCU 2, and up to 256GB for MCU 3. Tesla is expected to support external storage devices when they roll out Steam support.

Currently, most Tesla games in Tesla cars are Atari classics, including well-known titles like Super Breakout, Tempest, and Missile Command. Additionally, there are more recent games like Fallout Shelter, Sonic the Hedgehog, Cuphead, and Beach Buggy Racing 2, as well as some more traditional ones like Solitaire, Chess, and Backgammon. Users can enjoy some of these games using the touchscreen or the steering wheel and pedals.

GPS Directions

GPS directions have also been moved to the top left corner of the screen. When the vehicle's navigation is active and the maps are covered with another application, the next step in the directions will now be shown at the top left corner, instead of the bottom left corner.

Amongst other notable features included in update 2022.24, the company rolled out 'Tesla Profiles', giving you the option to tie your driver profile to your Tesla account.

This means some of your vehicle's settings, such as mirror, seat and wheel positions, will be able to travel with you from one Tesla to another. Read more about Cloud Profiles.

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.