Maps - How do they work?

[theredviper]

My Model 3's home parking spot doesn't have Wifi (or cell for that matter, it's underground).

Here's what I think I know:
1. Maps only update over Wifi. This would imply that maps are stored in the car's memory. For what, the whole planet?
2. Firmware updates come faster over Wifi. Apart from the Wifi at the Service Centers themselves, I've yet to see much proof of this.

Here's what I don't know:
1. How can I tell what version my maps are on, if they have been updated, etc? I do have some Wifi access in certain areas, but no idea what version my maps are at.

Here's what I want:
1. Allow us to connect to Wifi that requires either an acknowledgement of terms (like 95% of the free wifi out there), or has a web based password for access.
2. Tell me how up to date my maps are.

 

[ewoodrick]

Yep, you got it right. Delivering things over cellular is expensive to Tesla and they are only doing it when absolutely necessary.

You may want to get a cellular hotspot or use your phone as a hotspot when you are in the car.

I'm not sure if you can use the web browser to accept terms.

 

[brkaus]

There are two types of maps -

- displayed maps. They are downloaded over cellular while you’re traveling.

- navigation maps. Used to calculate directions. These are stored in the car and downloaded over WiFi as they are occasionally updated. I’m not sure what scope of nav map gets downloaded.

 

[DR61]

There are two types of maps -

- displayed maps. They are downloaded over cellular while you’re traveling.

- navigation maps. Used to calculate directions. These are stored in the car and downloaded over WiFi as they are occasionally updated. I’m not sure what scope of nav map gets downloaded.

So when out of cell range no roads are displayed on the screen. This happened to me last fall when driving on the east side of Lassen Volcanic National Park. No cell signal, no streaming music, and no map display. Hopefully they will update this to keep some display maps in your immediate area available without the cell signal.

 

[PremiumPackage]

So I finally get Navigate of Autopilot as an option, but before I can enable it it says I have to connect to Wifi to download new maps (button to turn on NoA is there but greyed out). So I go through the hassle of buying a Google wifi mesh network to extend wifi out to my detached garage, which I've had set up for a week now, and still nothing! What's it take, man? I can literally see right now via my phone that the car is connected to home wifi!

 

[brkaus]

So I finally get Navigate of Autopilot as an option, but before I can enable it it says I have to connect to Wifi to download new maps (button to turn on NoA is there but greyed out). So I go through the hassle of buying a Google wifi mesh network to extend wifi out to my detached garage, which I've had set up for a week now, and still nothing! What's it take, man? I can literally see right now via my phone that the car is connected to home wifi!

Time. The maps are a big download.

 

[kwazi7]

So I finally get Navigate of Autopilot as an option, but before I can enable it it says I have to connect to Wifi to download new maps (button to turn on NoA is there but greyed out). So I go through the hassle of buying a Google wifi mesh network to extend wifi out to my detached garage, which I've had set up for a week now, and still nothing! What's it take, man? I can literally see right now via my phone that the car is connected to home wifi!

If it helps, I've had a lot of success with connecting to wifi, and then rebooting (holding the two buttons down). Doing that seems to make it phone home.. sometimes.