New Tesla Update Allows You to Preview the Cabin Camera Feed

By Lennon Cihak
Tesla will allow you to view the cabin camera feed from within the vehicle (rendering)
Tesla will allow you to view the cabin camera feed from within the vehicle (rendering)
Not a Tesla App

With the first update of 2023, Tesla has provided a useful undocumented feature, the ability to view the cabin camera from within the vehicle.

In update 2023.2 (release notes), Tesla will allow owners to view their cabin camera directly from the vehicle. This will give users an idea of what the camera can and can not see when activated, hopefully providing peace of mind.

To view the live cabin camera feed, you'll be able to navigate to Controls > Service > Camera Preview, once you've received this latest update.

Once you turn on the live feed, it will take up the entire right portion of the screen on a Model 3 and Model Y, letting you view the feed in the detail.

There does not appear to be a purpose for this feature besides making owners more aware of what is being transmitted to a remote viewer, or possibly to view your own camera feed before starting a Zoom meeting.

In version 2022.44.30.10, Tesla enabled users to view the cabin camera remotely while the vehicle’s Sentry Mode or Dog Mode features are activated. Previously, the cabin camera was only used for driver monitoring while Full Self-Driving or Autopilot were engaged.

If the cabin camera is being viewed remotely while Sentry Mode or Dog Mode are enabled, a message will appear on the screen letting any individuals inside the vehicle know they're being viewed.

Prior to these recent additions and improvements owners were unable to access the cabin camera themselves. Tesla has said that all video and pictures captured by the camera are processed by the vehicle and never transmitted to Tesla, unless you enable the data sharing feature, which is used to further improve the feature.

“By default, images and video from the camera do not leave the vehicle itself and are not transmitted to anyone, including Tesla, unless you enable data sharing,” reads the Model 3 Owner’s Manual. “If you enable data sharing and a safety critical event occurs (such as a collision), Model 3 shares short cabin camera video clips with Tesla to help us develop future safety enhancements and continuously improve the intelligence of features that rely on the cabin camera.”

If you want to adjust your data sharing preferences, head to Controls > Software > Data Sharing > Allow Cabin Camera Analytics.

Tesla Software Update 2023.38 Adds Two New Privacy-Focused Options

By Eva Fox
Tesla has added two new privacy options in update 2023.38.6
Tesla has added two new privacy options in update 2023.38.6
Not a Tesla App

In Tesla software update 2023.38.6 Tesla is quietly adding two new options that gives owners better control over their privacy. In this update, Tesla is adding the ability to disable remote commands and the option to turn off remote debugging.

The move improves privacy and allows Tesla owners to gain greater control over who can access their vehicles and when.

Limit Remote Commands

Last week, we reported that a user was seeing a new option in FSD Beta 11.4.7.3 that allowed him to disable remote commands. This change allowed him to prevent Tesla from executing commands remotely, such as unlocking or starting the vehicle.

The change appears to have been added through a server-side configuration update, although most users with FSD Beta 11.4.7.3 still lack the new option.

Although giving Tesla the ability to execute commands remotely can be beneficial, such as if you're locked out of your vehicle, this new option gives more privacy conscious owners the ability to limit Tesla's access to their vehicle.

This new option is now also a part of Tesla's latest update, version 2023.38.6. However, it's important to note that this new option only limits Tesla's access to execute commands, and not any other third-parties that may have access to the vehicle through their own services.

Disable Remote Debugging

Owners are now noticing that Tesla has added another privacy-focused option in the 2023.38 update. In this update owners now have access to disable or enable remote debugging of their vehicle. Although it's not completely clear what Tesla considers "debugging," it seems that this new option will limit Tesla's ability to connect to the vehicle remotely to run specific commands or look at vehicle logs.

Privacy Comes First

Both of these new privacy options are enabled by default, but they can be changed by navigating to Controls > Service and looking for the new 'Allow Tesla to Remote Start' and 'Allow Remote Debugging' options at the bottom.

While these new options increase Tesla's transparency and privacy, they can limit Tesla's ability to help owners in certain situations. In most cases, the owners will have access to their vehicle and the ability to temporarily enable these options if they need Tesla's help to start their vehicle or help debug any potential issues.

Tesla vehicles are some of the most advanced vehicles on the market in terms of software and connectivity and this is an important step towards achieving a healthy balance between ensuring customer trust and maintaining the necessary access to deliver the exceptional and cutting-edge experience for which the brand is known.

Tesla China Opens Superchargers for SAIC General Motors

By Eva Fox
SAIC-GM electric vehicles at Tesla Supercharger
SAIC-GM electric vehicles at Tesla Supercharger
SAIC-GM

Tesla China is opening select Superchargers in the country for electric vehicles manufactured by SAIC General Motors. This was the company's first such collaboration in China with the local manufacturer.

Tesla opens its Supercharger to SAIC-GM in China

SAIC General Motors announced Friday that it is entering into an agreement with Tesla China. As part of it, electric vehicles produced by SAIC-GM will have access to the largest and highest quality network of charging stations in the world, the Tesla Supercharger network. The goal of the collaboration is to combine charging networks to jointly create efficient and convenient sharing services.

The agreement will come into force this year

Under the terms, starting in late 2023, owners of fully electric Cadillac and Buick models based on GM's Ultium platform in China will have access to Tesla Superchargers and Destination Chargers. They will be able to log into the brand's apps and use the charge map feature to access Superchargers open to select electric vehicles. Using the app, owners of SAIC-GM electric vehicles will also be able to easily pay for charging.

Superchargers are already open to non-Tesla EVs in China

According to a press release from SAIC-GM, Tesla has already opened its charging network in mainland China. There are currently 10 Supercharger sites and more than 200 Destination Chargers open to drivers of select non-Tesla electric vehicles. As the US manufacturer gradually expands the scope of opening its network of charging stations in mainland China, there will be more in the future.

With this powerful alliance, SAIC-GM also became the first domestic company to enter into a charging network collaboration with Tesla China. The agreement comes after Tesla had already opened its Superchargers to electric vehicles from other manufacturers in Europe and in the United States. In addition, almost all companies that manufacture electric vehicles and sell them in the US have already entered into an agreement with Tesla to open up Superchargers for their EVs. Those manufacturers are ready to equip their EVs with North American Charging Standard (NACS) ports.

SAIC-GM expands its charging network

To date, SAIC-GM has built 52 charging stations under its own brand. They offer access to a total of 246 charging stalls. In addition to this and its collaboration with Tesla China, SAIC-GM is currently working with six other major charger operators to provide 500,000 charger stalls to its customers in more than 320 cities nationwide.

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