FSD Beta v11: A look at Tesla's Voice Drive Notes

FSD Beta 11.3.1 now lets you leave audio feedback on Autopilot disengagements

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Tesla has released the highly anticipated FSD Beta v11.3.1 with Tesla's single-stack highway and city driving. Along with this update comes a new way to report Autopilot feedback to Tesla.

Tesla's new “voice drive-notes,” allows drivers to record an audio message describing the reason for Autopilot's disengagement.

No More Snapshot Button

Before FSD Beta was released to everyone in the U.S. and Canada, Tesla had a snapshot button that allowed drivers to 'flag' certain situations where Autopilot wasn't up to snuff. However, that button is now gone for everyone except very early beta testers.

With this latest beta, those early testers have both, the snapshot button and Tesla's new voice notes. However, we believe that Tesla will transition completely to their voice notes eventually as it provides a hands-free solution and offers the driver the ability to add more detail.

With the new voice notes, Tesla will likely still capture the same information they did with the snapshot button, including the vehicle’s camera feeds and telemetry data.

How Voice Notes Functions

After an Autopilot disengagement, the vehicle will display a small card asking the driver what happened and prompt the driver to share a short voice memo. The card will display:

Autopilot Disengaged. What Happened?

Press voice button to send Tesla an anonymous message describing your experience.

You can then push the right scroll wheel (the same one used to activate voice commands) and provide feedback about the disengagement without removing your hands from the steering wheel.

Recording Limits

Tesla appears to be limiting voice notes to 10 seconds. Once you press the voice button, the screen will display:

Recording...

10 seconds remaining until automatic upload. Press to end recording.

You can let the feature record for all 10 seconds, at which point it'll automatically stop and upload the audio clip to Tesla, or you can stop it early by pressing the scroll wheel again.

You'll also be able to cancel the voice dictation by pressing the 'Cancel' button on the screen.

Once the voice note is sent successfully, Tesla will display a confirmation on the screen.

Recording sent. Thank you. Your feedback will help us improve Autopilot.

Drive Notes in Action

Dan Burkland shows us how FSD Beta's new voice notes feature works.

Misuse of Voice Notes

There's no doubt that this system will be misused by a small percentage of drivers by providing some... interesting recordings. It's not clear how Tesla plans to address this issue, but Tesla could potentially block certain vehicles from sending in voice notes if the system is misused.

Anonymous Recordings

Tesla says that these voice notes will be anonymous, so they likely won't be tied to a specific vehicle or driver profile. However, it's not clear whether Tesla will simply transcribe your audio to text and store that, or if they will retain the audio clip, which could result in it being a little less anonymous.

Transcribing Audio Drive Notes

Tesla’s engineers certainly won’t be listening to every single voice memo sent in, so we’re assuming that Tesla will automatically transcribe these voice memos so that engineers can quickly search through and address various types of reports. However, the question remains if the transcription isn't clear, will the audio clip be available for playback?

Tesla, unfortunately, failed to point out the new voice notes feature in the latest FSD Beta release notes, but this is an exciting feature that will hopefully let many owners provide more detailed feedback on why they disengaged Autopilot.

This feature has been available to Tesla employees and early testers with the public build of FSD Beta 11.3.1 and will hopefully be available to everyone with access to FSD Beta soon.

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A Closer Look at Tesla's Ambient Lighting Feature in the New Model 3 and Cybertruck [Video]

Tesla introduced a wrap-around ambient lighting strip to its new Model 3

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If you look up ambient lights for Tesla, you'll see several ads for third-party light kits. Perhaps this is why Tesla added its own Ambient Lights feature to the new Model 3. So, let's get enlightened.

Tesla's ambient lights are thin light strips that are embedded in each of the vehicle's doors near the top edge. It also curves around the dashboard near the windshield, giving passengers a near 360-degree light effect.

Supported Models

Tesla new ambient light feature is available on the new Model 3 (2024+), and will be available on the Cybertruck in a similar manner. With a refresh ongoing for the Model Y, known as Juniper, it will likely also have ambient lights. That just leaves out the most luxurious flagship vehicles, the Model S and X, for now.

The Model S and Model X could be due for a minor refresh that would not only add ambient lighting, but also include a front-bumper camera that the Cybertruck has and the new Model 3 is expected to have in the near future.

Customization

Tesla introduced a wrap-around ambient lighting strip to its new Model 3

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The ambient light settings allow you to light up the interior in a color that reflects your mood or preference. Under Controls > Lights > Accent Lights, you are handed the freedom to choose virtually any color to adorn the interior of your Tesla.

You have control over whether the ambient lights are on, off, or set to an "Auto" setting, though not fully clarified, seems to promise intelligent lighting adjustments akin to our control over dome lights, offering a reduction in reflections during drives.

While the ability to control the brightness level seems missing, Tesla did include color presets, letting you curate a series of your favorite colors.

It should be noted that the changes are confined to the light strips on the doors and dash, steering clear of the footwell lights and other interior lighting.

Future Enhancements

With Tesla, we can be assured there will be enhancements to this feature in a future update. In fact, the Tesla community is already busy coming up with useful suggestions. Some owners thought Tesla should take advantage of the lighting to provide driver feedback, such as automatically changing the ambient lighting to a red hue when there's a vehicle in your blind spot. Tesla could also glow the light strip on a door if it's not closed properly, or use the lighting to provide feedback when Sentry Mode is enabled.

Other uses could be more fun, such as cycling the light through various colors when the 'Rainbow Road' easter egg is activated.

Ambient Lighting in Action

While the possibilities are endless and Tesla engineers will surely have fun coming up with creative uses for the feature, the biggest improvement we can hope for in the near future is the ability to adjust the light intensity.

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Tesla Model 3 'Highland' Performance Details Discovered in European Documents

Tesla's new Model 3 received a host of exterior and interior upgrades

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Tesla outdid itself with the refreshed Model 3, known as the Highland. Despite all the fantastic upgrades, something is missing - the Performance version or perhaps the Plaid. The letter "T" has shown up on vehicle certificates in Europe, and despite Elon Musk's sense of humor, it is unlikely this is a Mr. T reference.

Deciphering the 'T'

A new document shows the new Model 3 Performance will have a dual motor

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Diligent scrutiny of the European Type Certificate, issued by the Dutch vehicle authority RDW and shared on the TFF Forum, revealed a subtle yet pivotal alteration — including the letter 'T' in the eighth digit of the Model 3 Performance's VIN.

This seemingly minor detail, indicative of the vehicle's motor/drive unit type, sparked curiosity and speculation on the forum. Could it be a tri-motor setup to usher in a new Plaid version of the Model 3? This vehicle has already got endless amounts of zip, but three motors? May The Schwartz Be With You!

This could also explain the Model 3+ badging that was spotted during the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) in China inspection of the refresh. However, the regulatory filings highlighted just two distinct variants of the car: a rear-wheel drive (RWD) with a 194 kW motor and an all-wheel drive (AWD) dual-motor setup that combines to deliver a formidable 331 kW of maximum power.

Initial conjectures leaned towards the possibility of a tri-motor setup, drawing parallels with the Plaid variants of the Model S and Model X. However, a deeper dive into the certification document clarified that the Model 3 Performance retained its Dual Motor setup, dispelling the possibility of a tri-motor upgrade.

Strategic Enhancements: A Glimpse into Potential Upgrades

Given the documented specifications, it becomes plausible that Tesla has strategically enhanced one of the dual motors, potentially aligning it with the advanced motor found in the Model S/X Plaid. This modification is poised to augment the top-end speed and acceleration of the Model 3 Performance, addressing its comparative limitations in extended races against traditional gas-powered supercars.

Meanwhile, the Model 3 refresh has become the new Bigfoot of the roads of North America, with rare sightings posted on social media. However, it appears the continent is excluded from the initial launch of the Model 3 Highland. Internal communications within Tesla suggest North American enthusiasts might have to exercise patience until 2024.

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