Tesla's Track Mode: What It Does and All Its Settings

By Kevin Armstrong
Tesla's Track Mode on a Tesla Model 3 Performance
Tesla's Track Mode on a Tesla Model 3 Performance
Out of Spec Motoring/YouTube

Track Mode turns a Tesla into a stunt car that could keep pace with the Fast and Furious franchise, even Toyko Drift. Except while Dom and the other gearheads would be under the hood adjusting or using a laptop and some nitrous for an extra jump, Track Mode enables users to make stability, braking and cooling changes with a few simple swipes of the screen.

Track Mode is available on Model 3 and Model Y Performance variants, as well as the Model S Plaid. However, Elon Musk has committed to Track Mode in the Model X Plaid. He's also said that it could be available for all Models, even those non-Performance models.

Track Mode first appeared in 2018 on the Model 3 Performance. But Track Mode V2, an updated version, was sent to Model 3 Performance vehicles via an over-the-air update in 2020 with several enhancements. Several YouTubers wasted no time taking their Model 3 with V2 to the track and showing the results. It's fair to say Track Mode surprised many people with its wide range of adjustments, ease of use and tire-eating capabilities. It left as many rubber marks as it did smiles in most videos.

Track Mode is completely software-based; however, there is hardware available for purchase on the Tesla website to ramp up the Model 3 Performance even further. The package includes 20-inch lightweight rims with XL Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Tires, upgraded tire pressure sensors, and high-performance brake pads. Excellent addition but certainly not necessary.

Track Mode in Action

Track Mode Software

Now to the software update that beamed into Model 3 Performance vehicles in 2020. Users select Driving and then tap on Track Mode and enable it. The screen displays an overhead view of the car with green and blue colors on the components that will be used the most while driving the car hard and therefore need monitoring. These parts include the battery pack, the front and rear motor, the brakes, and the tires. A setting tab is also displayed that opens a menu, where the real fun begins. Telsa allows users to make drastic changes or minor tweaks, on the fly, right from the comfort of the vegan driver's seat.

Handling Balance

The first option is Handling Balance, which allows users to adjust the motor bias from the front to the back or vice versa. But that's not all. Like how you can change your car stereo speakers to blast from the rear, the front, or a blend somewhere in between, Track Mode has this set up for power to the motors. The software gives users 10 percent increments to move power to the front or rear motor. This adjustment addresses understeer or oversteer and will play a big part in creating burnouts or drifting around a corner.

Stability Assist

Speaking of drifting, Model 3s have won several safety awards, and many of those accolades may be due to its excellent stability control. The traction control reacts within ten milliseconds to a loss of traction, sending power to the other wheels to avoid slipping and sliding. Stability Assist in Track Mode can be adjusted from -10 to 10. There are several videos of drivers spinning out when turning the Stability Control to -10, not realizing how much the Tesla does to help the driver control the car.

Regenerative Braking

Track Mode also allows users to adjust how much regenerative braking occurs while on the course. Drivers can pick zero, which then goes up in 5 percent increments to 100 percent. Unfortunately, this isn't as useful as it sounds since the regenerative braking system helps prevent the braking system from overheating, a real threat during track time. Tesla recommends keeping regenerative braking at 100 percent, and there doesn't appear to be a way to turn it off completely.

Cooling Features

That's it for sliders, but there are also on/off buttons for Post Drive Cooling, Compressor Overclock and Save Dashcam for Laps. Post Drive Cooling and Compressor Overclock are utilized to decrease components' heat after a track session. While these seem like easy decisions to have turned on, Tesla warns that using the Overclock Compressor will reduce the part's lifespan.

Lap Times and Dashcam

Track Mode can record lap times with you with video footage
Track Mode can record lap times with you with video footage
DragTimes/YouTube

As for Save Dashcams for Laps, that opens another element of Track Mode. After closing the settings and returning to the usual navigation screen, users can tap and hold on to the icon representing the car, which will set the finish line. After pushing start, the vehicle will use the location to start and stop lap times. When passing the finish line for the first time, the system puts the course in blue on the screen so drivers can follow their exact path. The screen shows the lap number and lap times. This information, video and telemetry data can then be downloaded and viewed on a computer. There is a lot of data, including vehicle thermals, tire use, acceleration and deceleration rates, and the G-meter. Yes, Track Mode also displays the G-forces on the car.

Tesla Warns Users

For all the above reasons, Tesla warns that Track Mode is designed for closed circuit courses. The company states: "It is the driver's responsibility to drive safely and ensure others are not endangered. Track Mode is designed for use by experienced track drivers familiar with the course. Do not use on public roads. It is the driver's responsibility to be in control of the vehicle at all times, including on the track. Because vehicle behavior (including traction and stability control) differs when using Track Mode, always use caution."

How to Create Your Own Custom Cybertruck Wrap for Visualizations

By Karan Singh
Not a Tesla App

One of the upcoming features of the 2024 Tesla Holiday Update is the ability for Tesla owners to make custom wraps for their vehicles. The wraps will be displayed in the vehicle’s visualizations and in the Tesla app. You’ll also be able to select one of the wraps Tesla has provided if you prefer not to make or download your own.

This feature will roll out to the Cybertruck next week with the Holiday update, but it will be available for other models in the future as well.

Making your own wrap is super easy and takes just a few minutes. It doesn’t even require any special tools or software because Tesla provided a template.

Making a Custom Wrap

We’ll walk you through the steps to create your custom wrap. All you’ll need is an image editing program and an image editing program.

Download the Template

Tesla has all the details on their Github repository for Custom Wraps, but you can simply download the template below and open it in your favorite image editor like Adobe Photoshop, GIMP or even Windows Paint on Windows 11. Any software that supports layers will work.

Image Editor

Open the template in your image editor and create a new layer on top of it. You’ll want to edit on this new layer, not on the template layer, which we’ll hide later.

The template, in all its glory.
The template, in all its glory.
Not a Tesla App

Create the Wrap

Go ahead and work your artistic magic—here, we’ve taken a graffiti rendition of Not A Tesla App and our logo and placed it within the template's bounds.

Flex those creative muscles!
Flex those creative muscles!
Not a Tesla App

Hide the Template

Go ahead and hide the template layer - you can also delete the layer if you want. This standalone image doesn’t look like much, but this is what we need for the final step.

Looks a bit simple right?
Looks a bit simple right?
Not a Tesla App

Export

You’ll want to export the image with transparency - so it needs to be a .png file. You'll be good to go as long as it's the same dimensions as the template. We’ve gone ahead and exported our custom NATA wrap here - feel free to download it and let us know how it looks once you get the 2024.44.25 update.

The completed product.
The completed product.
Not a Tesla App

A couple of technical limitations:

  • The image must be 1024x768 pixels.

  • File Size max is 1MB.

  • You can’t use any special characters in the file name, and it must be shorter than 30 characters.

  • PNG is the only acceptable file format

  • You can load up to 10 images on your USB drive

Add Wrap to USB Drive

The last, and easiest step. Grab your USB drive, and create a folder called “Wraps” at the root level of the drive. Place your images in there, and you’re all set.

Load a Custom Wrap

Not a Tesla App

After placing the images on your USB drive and inserting it in your vehicle, you can then open Toybox > Paint Shop, and tap on Wrap. From there select your wrap from the custom list of images.

Tesla Confirms Custom Wraps & License Plate Visualization Coming to Other Models

By Karan Singh
Not a Tesla App

Tesla’s upcoming Holiday update introduces exciting new personalization features, giving you even more ways to customize your vehicle.

Building on the existing Colorizer feature, which lets you change the car’s color, the update will allow you to add a custom wrap and a license plate to the vehicle’s visualization. Both of these features will affect the vehicle's visualization on the screen and in the Tesla app.

While these features were originally announced to be exclusive to the Cybertruck, Tesla has now clarified and said that they will be available for other models in a future update. We expect them to be introduced for the Model 3 (new and old), Model Y, and the redesigned Model S and Model X.

Custom Wrap Visualization

Tesla announced custom wrap visualizations as part of the 2024 Holiday update for the Cybertruck. They’ve provided a template and instructions on how to design your own custom wrap and also included a few in-house designs, including the “unhinged” Doge wrap, the Cybertruck Graffiti wraps from the Baja Off-Road testing, and the Release Candidate wraps, amongst plenty of other simple ones. In all, it looks like Tesla will be providing 27 designs.

However, making your own wrap is actually very simple, and we’ll be providing instructions on how to create your own. Once these arrive for other vehicles, the instructions will likely be the same.

License Plate Visualization

Not a Tesla App

You’ll also be able to create custom license plates to show on your vehicle visualization. You’ll be able to choose custom text, and then also include a background - with plain colors, a stock image, or upload your own image.

If you have custom plates in real life, this is your chance to make your visualization perfectly match your vehicle.

Release for Other Models

Tesla hasn’t provided a timeline but said the feature would arrive in “future updates” in their post on X. It seems that it won’t be arriving with the upcoming Holiday update for all vehicles but will instead make its way to the S3XY lineup over the next few months.

We expect it to arrive sometime in early 2025. We’re super excited to see these come to more vehicles, so in the meantime, show us your best custom Cybertruck wrap on social media or our forums.

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