Exclusive: Tesla update 2022.28 adds ability to minimize Tesla Theater [video]

By Nuno Cristovao
With update 2022.28 Tesla is making improvements to Tesla Theater
With update 2022.28 Tesla is making improvements to Tesla Theater
Not a Tesla App

Tesla releases a major update every four weeks that contains improvements and new features for their vehicles.

Tesla is known for rolling out updates slowly. This helps them reduce risk and give customers the most stable build possible.

The majority of Tesla owners are now on one of the 2022.20 updates (20th week of 2022), while others are on 2022.24 which includes the transition to Tesla Vision for some radar-equipped vehicles, Tesla cloud profiles and more.

We now have our first look at one of the major features in 2022.28.

With 2022.28 Tesla is introducing the ability to minimize a video in Tesla Theater. This will allow you to reduce the size of the video that's playing so that you can access other car functions.

Tesla first introduced Tesla Theater with Netflix and YouTube in its v10 release back in 2019. Tesla Theater allows Premium Connectivity subscribers to watch streaming services such as Disney+ while their vehicle is parked. You can also watch streaming videos without Premium Connectivity if you're connected to Wi-Fi.

In Tesla Theater you have a quick actions bar that lets you access some vehicle functions when the screen is tapped, however, the functions offered are fairly limited.

If you want to turn on your seat heater, open your trunk, or access any other vehicle functions, then you're stuck having to exit the video app, perform the function you wanted, reload the app and find your video again. It can be a slow and painful process.

Depending on what you're trying to access, one option is to use the Tesla app, however now with 2022.28 you will now be able to minimize the video that's currently playing in order to perform other functions.

When playing a video in full screen, there will be a new minimize icon at the top left corner that allows you to reduce the size of the video that's currently playing.

With update 2022.28 Tesla is making improvements to Tesla Theater
With update 2022.28 Tesla is making improvements to Tesla Theater
Not a Tesla App

When you tap the button in a Model 3 or Model Y, it will continue to play the video in a smaller size on the right portion of the screen, where maps usually lie. This will expose the vehicle's bottom menu and the car visualization area, giving you access to open the frunk, trunk, door locks and more. You'll now be able to perform most functions without ever having to stop the video.

Tapping on the video will bring it back to full screen.

For owners who often rely on Tesla Theater for entertainment, this will be a huge improvement and makes Tesla Theater much more usable.

The animation when the video is minimizing and maximizing stuttering a little bit, although it's perfectly usable and it's likely limited by the CPU in the vehicle. We expect that this will be much smoother on newer vehicles with MCU 3.

Video

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Tesla is currently not rolling out update 2022.28 to customers as it's in later testing phases. However, 2022.28 may start rolling out to select customers in the next couple of weeks, so keep an eye on our software update pages or subscribe to our newsletter.

New Castings Spotted at Giga Texas Likely Intended for Tesla Cybercab

By Karan Singh
@JoeTegtmeyer

Tesla’s Giga Texas factory usually gives us the first site of Tesla’s upcoming products. We first saw the Cybertruck and Model Y castings here. With Giga Texas being one of Tesla’s largest factories, it’s logical that most products would originate here.

Tesla has also stated that it intends to manufacture the Cybercab, Semi, the next-generation vehicle, and Optimus at Giga Texas over the coming years. The affordable vehicle and Cybercab were originally intended to be manufactured at Giga Mexico, but the plans for that facility were waylaid by changes in economic policy.

Robotaxi Castings

These new castings were spotted by Joe Tegtmeyer, who regularly does drone flights of Giga Texas. Joe pointed out that these castings don’t look like the usual Model Y or Cybertruck castings usually seen outside Giga Texas.

With an eagle eye, @minusYCore on X also spotted some interesting text on the frames holding the castings up. In particular, the castings say “RTTX050” and “W68-RSF AS-CAST”. These could be interpreted as ‘Robotaxi Texas’ and ‘Rear SubFrame.’ The as-cast portion indicates that these particular castings haven’t been trimmed yet, according to the X user.

The castings laid out.
The castings laid out.
@JoeTegtmeyer

The size and shape of these castings—combined with rumors that Tesla’s more affordable vehicle has been delayed—suggest they are intended for the Cybercab.

These castings are much flatter and appear to be a different size than the castings found elsewhere throughout Giga Texas, indicating that they are intended for a different product entirely.

It’s possible that these are the first castings used by Tesla to test their unboxed assembly process, which the Cybercab is expected to rely on. If you take a closer look at the video below, you’ll note that these new castings look very similar to the ones in the unboxed assembly video.

Interestingly, Tesla did say that they don’t intend to have the Cybercab available for customers before late 2026 or early 2027, but we’ll likely hear updated timelines as Tesla’s Q1 2025 Earnings Call tomorrow.

A more vertical look at the castings.
A more vertical look at the castings.
@JoeTegtmeyer

New Giga Presses

To top it all off, new parts for a Giga Press - the machine Tesla uses to make these castings - were also sighted in Texas. These machines are few and far between, and each one is highly specialized for the particular vehicle it produces. Seeing new parts coming in usually indicates that a new assembly line is under construction, or that changes are being made to an existing line to either expand it or update it.

There’s a lot happening and we will hopefully know more tomorrow evening.

New Giga Press parts
New Giga Press parts
@JoeTegtmeyer

PepsiCo Building Additional Tesla Semi Chargers

By Karan Singh
Not a Tesla App

Tesla’s first large-scale partner for the Tesla Semi - PepsiCo - is building out another Semi Megacharger site per a recent filing found by MarcoRP. Building out these Semi charging sites is expensive due to their much higher power output when compared to Superchargers.

Name Change

Interestingly enough, Tesla appears to have shifted its terminology recently, now often referring to the Semi’s high-power charging solution as Tesla Semi Chargers instead of the previously common "Megachargers." Regardless of the name, these chargers are crucial for the Semi. They’re designed to deliver 1.2 megawatts of charging power capable of adding hundreds of miles of range in roughly 30 minutes.

Frito-Lay Site

The new site detailed in the recent filing will be located at a Frito-Lay production plant on Hageman Road in Bakersfield, California. Permits were filed just a couple of days ago for the installation of eight Tesla Semi Charger stalls along with their associated electrical equipment.

This facility adds to PepsiCo's existing network of chargers, supporting the Tesla Semis operating out of their Sacramento facility, and highlights Bakersfield as the next expansion of the Semi’s operational area. Notably, this new Frito-Lay charging site is strategically located just five miles (approx. 8 km) away from a massive future public charging complex Tesla is planning on Kelton Way.

Kelton Way Charging Complex

Tesla’s planned charging complex in Bakersfield, which is just down the road, will feature 72 Supercharger stalls, as well as 18 Semi charger stalls. According to pre-permits filed last month, this site will be fairly large and accessible to both the public and Tesla’s partners.

A rendering of the Kelton Way site - with the Semi Chargers on the outside, and the Covered Supercharger site in the center.
A rendering of the Kelton Way site - with the Semi Chargers on the outside, and the Covered Supercharger site in the center.
@MarcoRPi1 on X

Tesla plans to develop a vacant plot right off the interstate into a large charging hub, which is now the second major public Semi Charger site we’ve heard about. For now, these sites will remain rare, but we expect that Tesla and its partners will be happy to expand them out further as required.

Carson Semi Charger Site

These Bakersfield developments – both the private Frito-Lay site and the large public Kelton Way hub will help lay out the necssary infrastructure for the Tesla Semi, much like the early days of Tesla’s Superchargers. Since Semi cannot be charged at a Supercharger site (the MCS plug is notably different than NACS), these sites are a must-have.

Tesla's first publicly accessible Semi Charger site planned near the Port of Long Beach in Carson, California, was one of the first signs of these types of Semi Charger facilities being established - and like Kelton Way, it also includes amenities for truck drivers. Tesla is also considering what long, medium, and short-haul truckers need for their stays at these sites.

As Tesla works to ramp up production of the Semi itself, the parallel expansion of dedicated, high-power charging infrastructure by both Tesla and its key partners are essential to making electric heavy-duty trucking a reality.

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