Additions and changes (or “What has Tesla ever done for me?”)

One of the features of Tesla cars is their ability to be updated via software. In days gone by you were stuck with the car as delivered ... it was never going to improve. Tesla's cars really do change over time, features are added ... and at no cost. We have now moved from a time when nothing could ever change without workshop attention to a time when drivers of Teslas expect a whole lot of changes ... preferably with a new instalment every couple of weeks! For all the frustration that we may feel it's worth looking at what has happened with the Model 3 in the UK over the past couple of years purely via free software updates.

I should have more carefully noted the changes as they occurred but although I don't have a definitive list I do have a note of quite a number of things that have been added via software since September 2019 (when I got my car). This list clearly doesn't take account of the much greater number of changes that are made "under the hood". Unfortunately we rarely get much detail about those, but that's potentially another list, though one which would be more difficult to substantiate.

So here we go:

“What has Tesla ever done for me?”

5% increase in power
addition of “hold” for true one pedal driving
user profiles save more settings
Tesla Theatre .. Netflix, Youtube etc
“Caraoke” entertainment feature
umpteen games !
“Joe Mode” for slightly quieter bing bongs
Scheduled departure setting in charging controls
auto navigation setting available from linked calendar
notifications to app if car is left unlocked or windows open - windows auto close feature
visualization items increased eg cones, bins, pedestrians, traffic lights
increased CCS peak charging rate (from 100kW to 170kW for SR+)
more voice controls (needs excellent LTE connectivity to work)
auto closing of windows left open
wiper performance improvements (still work to do)
Supercharger preconditioning when navigating to site
car now shows if Superchargers are out of order or site is busy
ability to wake for externally timed charging
reverse camera views now includes views from side cameras
ability to detect speed limit signs (not on motorways)
Pin to drive: only number required now without confirmatory button press
rear camera on dash cam footage
in-car screen viewer of recorded dash cam clips
ability to format data drives for dash cam
TACC able to set at current speed rather than just at speed limit
car data e-sim changed to UK (from NL) for access to iPlayer etc
ability to set mirror dimming manually
car wash mode
ability to tap battery icon to instantly swap between showing percentage or miles
navigation can now have waypoints
Blind spot camera display when indicating
ability to switch miles or battery percentage with a tap on battery icon


Specifically App related:
ability to unlock boot and frunk
notifications to app if car is left unlocked or windows open - windows auto close feature and via app
Battery heater temperature icon in app shows when pre-conditioning
ability to change charging parameters via the app e.g. amps and timer
live view from car cameras in app when Sentry Mode is on
charging stats graphing and “savings” through EV charging Vs fuel pricing

(“2019 Tesla Model 3 Performance AWD Front” by Vauxford is licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0.)

 

[GeorgeSymonds]

Good example. The car nav wasn't capable of incorporating waypoints. People asked for waypoints. Whether you think waypoints should have been a feature at the beginning or not the reality is that Tesla subsequently added this feature through a software update. Starting with those facts in mind we now need to reflect on how we should react to Tesla providing this feature. We can either say "great stuff, that solves that issue with the navigation, it's much more useful now" or we can say "well it should have been there before and they still haven't solved x,y,z completely different issues". I lean towards the former rather than the latter... that's the only difference! (I say "lean towards" because obviously we all feel aspects of both.)

It’s funny how the same thing is seen through a different lens

Tesla do push out incomplete or badly tested features, I’m not sure many would dispute that, and as a result they can be buggy. I’ve had 3 updates since Christmas, a new UI, one that seemingly changed nothing and one that undid half the UI changes. I no longer get excited about updates. Have I moved much further forward from before the first of those, it doesn’t really feel like it and has driven my wife to distraction trying to find where things are.

I met someone who worked for lastminute.com back in about 2002 and their whole methodology was quickly deploy with front end gloss, but back end was carnage with horrific integration and bodges, and that was after only a few years of operation. All internet companies were the same back then, just get it out and worry about making it all work well later. Musk comes from that era and I think at times that’s how the cars are. It’s an approach and it’s not wrong as such, but it’s not without its pitfalls

 

[Xdama]

Yes, but as you know it's illegal in the UK to handle a phone when driving. Low risk I suppose, but one copper in a van passing by and boom! You're nicked.

They have coppers driving around in trucks now looking down into cars to catch people on phones, shaving, doing make up etc etc. Probably not as low risk as you think nowadays, certainly on the motorways

 

[Zilla91]

All internet companies were the same back then, just get it out and worry about making it all work well later.

Sadly it’s exactly the same now. Move fast and break things is the mantra.

 

[Zilla91]

Yes, but as you know it's illegal in the UK to handle a phone when driving. Low risk I suppose, but one copper in a van passing by and boom! You're nicked.

I think he means you can shout “hey Siri” and use the voice control hands free

 

[init6]

I met someone who worked for lastminute.com back in about 2002 and their whole methodology was quickly deploy with front end gloss, but back end was carnage with horrific integration and bodges, and that was after only a few years of operation. All internet companies were the same back then, just get it out and worry about making it all work well later. Musk comes from that era and I think at times that’s how the cars are. It’s an approach and it’s not wrong as such, but it’s not without its pitfalls

That was/is certainly a fad in software design. The Pareto Principle - get 80% working in 20% of the time. It does save cost and lets you get product out quicker, so would we be willing to spend more or wait longer for upgrades? I suspect we'll all have different answers to that.

 

[Xdama]

Me and any VC no matter what it is, Siri, Alexa, Tesla, BMW

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[Adopado]

Yes, but as you know it's illegal in the UK to handle a phone when driving. Low risk I suppose, but one copper in a van passing by and boom! You're nicked.

I never handle my phone ... I say Hey Siri phone XXXX ... and the phone/car calls the person in question ... you don't need to press a button.

 

[NewbieT]

I don't really use anything other than Superchargers but I'm sure I tried it on an IONITY charger to test and it started preheating?

Angelwax H2go, brilliant stuff, don't really need wipers for anything other than legal reasons! Thank me later when I send my address for the used twenties

Ionity is the only none- Tesla 3rd party charging that does. It’s a tiny fraction of the charge points out there. Is good it proves they’re willing to do it, but need to add the rest of the 100+ kW chargers out there. Between us we’ve probably charged at them so Tesla know where they are.

 

[nobowlight]

I’d swap a lot of it to remove phantom braking

I too have experienced phantom braking. Scary at the time but I realize Tesla AP/safety features are a work in progress. While it did brake and slowed from about 90km/hr to 60 km/hr, it did not stop. Drivers following anyone, anytime need to be ready to brake for the car ahead, whether its for a deer, a pothole, a flat, etc. Because I was paying attention I immediately accelerated once I saw no danger was present and continued on. I expect Tesla is trying to address these incidents and in time will figure it out. In my case, I suspect as I was highway driving over the crest of a long hill, the upcoming overpass for a few seconds looked like a wall fully blocking the road ahead, causing the unexpected braking....so not really phantom braking as it perceived the overpass as an obstacle. Once a gap appeared under the overpass, Tesla proceeded on AP as before. I have replicated this behavior on several trips on the same patch of highway.
As for the other items on the list, My favourite is Netflix... we do a lot of ferry trips in the northwest and waiting for the ferry is now screen/movie time.
Most wished for OTA... Dont overlay (with fasten seat belt, warnings, messages etc) the displayed distance (in cm) behind the car when in the process of baking up. Exactly when I need the distance is when people unbuckle or a message comes up. (little aarg!)

 

[JonB]

I never handle my phone ... I say Hey Siri phone XXXX ... and the phone/car calls the person in question ... you don't need to press a button.

Ah yes, fair do's. I don't use "Hey Siri" as I don't want the phone's microphone on all the time.

 

[Rooster6655]

They have coppers driving around in trucks now looking down into cars to catch people on phones, shaving, doing make up etc etc. Probably not as low risk as you think nowadays, certainly on the motorways

Have you actually seen this?

There was an article once but seems rather OTT

 

[Xdama]

Have you actually seen this?

There was an article once but seems rather OTT

Saw a video on it, think it was Top Gear or 5th Gear, certainly on TV anyway.

 

[GeorgeSymonds]

Have you actually seen this?

There was an article once but seems rather OTT

Happens a lot around the midlands, it’s more so they can check on lorry drivers (although rarely looking to see if they’re putting make up on) and to do so you need to be at their height.

 

[Xdama]

Happens a lot around the midlands, it’s more so they can check on lorry drivers (although rarely looking to see if they’re putting make up on) and to do so you need to be at their height.

How do you know they’re not putting make up on? Especially nowadays

 

[father_of_6]

I've had my M3 for 14 months. While I really appreciated OTA updates and looked forward to getting them, most of them have been inconsequential gimmicks, games, etc. That was until v11... which was really awful. So for some owners they've experienced the OP's long list of improvements, for some of us OTA updates have done more harm than good.

Another way to look at it is... Tesla was selling very expensive cars that lacked features other manufacturers already provide. OTA updates was a way for them to defer the development of those features. Maybe they don't have clear direction on important missing features (*cough* manual wipers). I believe v11 was the work of "new blood" in Tesla's software development team. In taking ownership of the software, they wanted to impart their spin on it... but alas, it's much much worse. v10 back please.

 

[DrJFoster]

I think the usual go to site for software release updates is notateslaap but I've found this version which is interesting in the sense you can pick an area and see the history. Pick something like "Dashcam" and you get lots and lots of releases where its mentioned and see it's evolution (or lack of, as often exactly the same text is used time and again). It makes for interesting reading if you're curious

Tesla All Software Release Notes