Tesla's new Energy App that will be available in 2022.36
Not a Tesla App
Tesla provides users plenty of apps to view in the car, but the one most enthusiasts find themselves checking more than the rest is the Energy app. So be prepared to spend even more time on this application with the 2022.36 update. The Energy app has been overhauled to provide users far more data to monitor consumption and tips to extend the charge range.
The redesigned Energy app has three tabs at the top of the screen, Drive, Park and Consumption. The Consumption tab already existed, but the Drive tab (formerly Trip) has been revamped and the Park tab is brand new.
Tesla's new Energy App that will be available in 2022.36
Not a Tesla App
Drive Tab
By tapping on Drive, users are presented with a wealth of information about how their Tesla is consuming energy throughout a trip.
A chart shows how the battery power is depleted over distance driven. It's also color-coded now, not based on the state of charge of the battery, but based on how the vehicle performed over the segment of the route compared to Tesla's predictions. You still have the gray line which is Tesla's prediction and the colored line which is your actual usage.
However, now owners can go deeper into the data. Further down the screen is a list detailing what was consuming the energy. The list includes Driving, Climate, Battery Conditioning, Elevation and Everything Else.
Below each item, you have the percentage of energy each item used, and to the right, you can see how it compared to Tesla's trip projection.
Tesla also provides feedback on how the user can extend the vehicle's range by offering tips like keeping the speed down or a recommended cabin temperature.
Park Tab
Tesla's new Energy App that will be available in 2022.36
Not a Tesla App
By tapping on Park, the screen lists all the features that can consume energy when the Tesla is, you guessed it, parked. The list includes Sentry Mode, Screen Time, Preconditioning, Cabin Overheat Protection, Mobile App, Summon Standby and Vehicle Standby.
Of course, we know that all these elements consume energy. But now, with this knowledge, users can determine if they think having conveniences such as the Cabin Overheat Protection active is worth the energy consumed (you'll soon be able to customize when COP turns on).
Similar to the Drive tab, Tesla will display the percentage of energy consumed for each item and how it compares to presumably the Tesla fleet. This allows you to see whether a specific feature is consuming more energy than expected.
You'll also be able to view the energy used while parked since the last drive or since the vehicle was last charged by tapping the menu on the top right corner.
Consumption Tab
Tesla's new Energy App that will be available in 2022.36
Not a Tesla App
The Consumption tab appears to be the same information currently found in the current energy app. This line chart displays all the time users experimented with the acceleration or regenerated braking over the past 5, 15 and 30 miles. It also gives that vital information, your projected range based on how you've been operating your Tesla during those distances. The Trip tab has been renamed Drive.
Video: New Energy App in Aciton
Tesla owners are always looking for more information about how this piece of technology is operating. The Energy tab provides that information in real-time and now will give vital data for how energy is consumed. This redesigned app will be especially useful for those who push the range limits or go on long trips where every percentage point of battery power is crucial.
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Tesla’s plan to brand its autonomous network of taxicabs has found an interesting little snag. The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued a “nonfinal office action” regarding Tesla’s application to trademark the term “Robotaxi” specifically in connection with autonomous electric vehicles.
This is an initial refusal by USPTO’s examining attorney and is very particular for autonomous electric automobiles. A separate trademark application by Tesla for the term “Robotaxi” as it relates to its upcoming autonomous ride-hailing service is still under examination and has not yet received a similar rebuttal.
Understanding the Refusal
A “nonfinal office action” means the USPTO has found potential issues with the trademark application, as stated, which prevents its immediate approval and subsequent granting to Tesla. Tesla now has a three-month period to file its counterarguments and address the USPTO's concerns.
If Tesla’s response satisfies the examiner, the trademark could be granted.
While the exact content of the office action isn’t detailed in the initial report, such refusals for terms like “Robotaxi” often occur if the USPTO considers the term “merely descriptive” or “generic” for the goods in question. In this particular context, “Robotaxi” could refer to any autonomous taxi vehicle.
Trademark law generally prevents the exclusive registration of terms that competitors would need to use to describe their own similar products. For a term to be trademarked, it typically needs to be distinctive and act as a brand identifier rather than just a descriptive name of the product’s class or type.
Separate Application for Ride-Hailing
Tesla still has a distinct, separate, and still pending application to register “Robotaxi” as a trademark for “transportation services, namely, autonomous ride-hailing services.” The criteria for trademarking a service can differ from those on trademarks for goods, and it’s possible Tesla may have more success securing the name for the service itself, which would allow them to brand the network as “Tesla Robotaxi.”
Why This Matters
Securing a trademark grants exclusive rights to use a brand name in conjunction with specific goods or services. This helps prevent customer confusion and to protect the brand identity.
If the refusal for the vehicle trademark becomes final, Tesla may be limited in its ability to exclusively name a good (specific vehicle) the “Tesla Robotaxi.” Other manufacturers could also potentially use “robotaxi” descriptively for their own autonomous taxi vehicles.
The ability to trademark “Robotaxi” for the ride-hailing service is arguably more critical for Tesla, as they’re working to establish a unique brand for their autonomous transportation network, which kicks off in Austin next month.
The USPTO’s office action won’t hinder Tesla’s ability to develop or deploy its own vehicles in June - instead, it’ll just impact how Tesla can brand the app and their vehicles, which could cause some last-minute delays if they have to rebrand.
Cybercab and Robovan/Robobus Trademarks
While Tesla is facing challenges with the broader Robotaxi term for vehicles, the company is also seeking to trademark “Cybercab,” “Robovan,” and “Robobus.” Securing a less descriptive name for the vehicle itself often has a higher chance of success with USPTO, as it is far more distinctive than a more general term like “robotaxi.”
Why Didn’t Tesla Do This Years Ago?
Tesla may have waited too long to file a trademark for the term “Robotaxi.” While the company has been discussing a self-driving fleet since 2016, the concept of autonomous taxis has gained a lot more traction in recent years — and competitors like Uber have also begun using the term.
We suspect there was some strategic timing behind these filings. Earlier versions of FSD — particularly those prior to V12 — may have lacked the progress needed to support Tesla’s robotaxi ambitions. Filing for a trademark that isn’t actively in use or about to be used can make it harder to defend or retain.
Moreover, while the idea of autonomous vehicles has been around for years, a clearer public understanding of Tesla’s specific plans has only emerged over the past 18 months. Filing too early can trigger speculation long before the company is ready to reveal details.
Ultimately, whether Tesla secures the rights to “Robotaxi” remains uncertain — but trademarks like “Cybercab” and “Robovan” seem much more likely to stick.
One of Tesla’s greatest weaknesses, as it has quickly become one of the world’s most ubiquitous cars on the planet has always been service. Escalating issues to managers and sometimes even reaching a Tesla Service employee can be a total coin flip, depending on your Service Center.
Tesla is continuing its push to integrate AI across its customer support channels in an effort to improve customer service. According to Raj Jegannathan, Tesla’s VP for IT, AI Infrastructure, Apps, Infosecurity, and Vehicle Service Operations (that’s a lot), Tesla is launching a pilot program for a new AI designed to improve customer interactions with Service.
Tesla Service’s new AI Agent detects comms delays, monitors sentiment, & auto-escalates to leaders. Starts tomorrow at 10 pilot locations. In 2 weeks, type “Escalate” in ‘message center’ to reach managers. Guardrails in place to prevent abuse. We’ll keep improving!
At 10 pilot service locations, this new AI agent will begin working behind the scenes at Tesla Service, to help with customer communications. It will provide three key features:
Detect Communications Delays: The AI will actively monitor service interactions to identify potential delays in communication or progress. These are often a key pain point for customers who reach out to Tesla Service and don’t receive a response for several days, as Service has nothing new to add. The AI can now step in and let the customer know Tesla is still waiting on parts or something else.
Monitor Customer Sentiment: By monitoring the tone and content of the messages between the customer and Service agents, Tesla will be able to identify situations where a customer might be dissatisfied or facing difficulties.
Auto-Escalate: If either a communications delay or negative sentiment is detected, the AI can automatically escalate issues to human managers for review. This helps to address problems before customers need to seek escalation themselves or become upset about an issue.
Customer Escalation Requests
Alongside the new AI tool, Tesla is also introducing a more direct way for customers to get higher-level attention. According to Tesla, within the next two weeks, customers can simply type “Escalate” in order to have their issue routed directly to management.
Raj’s team is currently working on implementing guardrails to prevent abuse, but this will soon make its way to improving Tesla’s service offerings. We’re glad to see Tesla taking steps to identify and correct deficiencies in the process - it has always been a sore tooth for Tesla in the last few years.