Navigation Improvements?

[alapd]

On a somewhat long distance trip yesterday, which I have taken many times before, I noticed that the navigation system was now routing me around traffic. I usually put the route into Tesla for charging and battery info, and then into waze for proper traffic routing, and the car directions took me the same exact way as Waze did, with a few redirects off the highway around traffic. Having done this route before, it had never done that.

Is this something new? Have others noticed it?

I know there is a long way to go with navigation improvements (i.e. Waypoints), but simple traffic avoidance is a big step forward in my opinion!

 

[msnow]

On a somewhat long distance trip yesterday, which I have taken many times before, I noticed that the navigation system was now routing me around traffic. I usually put the route into Tesla for charging and battery info, and then into waze for proper traffic routing, and the car directions took me the same exact way as Waze did, with a few redirects off the highway around traffic. Having done this route before, it had never done that.

Is this something new? Have others noticed it?

I know there is a long way to go with navigation improvements (i.e. Waypoints), but simple traffic avoidance is a big step forward in my opinion!

It's had that option for years. The problem is it's inconsistent and unreliable. I've had it work correctly sometimes but most times it gave me bad info which was also different routing than I got from Waze or Apple Maps. Bottom line, I don't trust it like Waze, Google or Apple Maps anymore.

 

[Chopr147]

No cannot trust the Google maps for traffic. I have learned to trust Waze.
Since I updated to 8.1 I have had 2 location issues. Twice now it has given me a bad location. Close but a 1/4 mile or so off. I will continue to test it before a service visit. Before the update it was pinpoint accuracy.

 

[nnick01]

Before owning my X100D, by way of these forums, I thought the navigation was going to be super horrible. I have put over 3500miles on my car in the last month and I can safely say that the built-in navigation is pretty great quality (I have been using Waze for years, and daily). Tesla Nav does re-route me through traffic and in almost the identical way that Waze does. Here are the main differences I have noticed:

• They both re-route about the same speed as long as you set your Tesla to 1 minute for re-routing.
• Waze is quicker to recalculate the time of arrival, but the Tesla Nav will recalculate it a few minutes after Waze.
• Tesla Nav fails to pickup roads that are closed. I have a heavily traveled main road (in California Bay Area) that was washed out over winter time and is closed until further notice. Tesla Nav still, after months of closure, tries to route me through this road. Waze knew it was closed within a day of being closed.
• Tesla Nav is great about routing for charging and including round trip (if you have it enabled).
• Tesla Nav allows you to see a trip in much better perspective with the ability to press in the top right corner to quickly switch between views. I find this feature to be one of my favorite parts of the Tesla Nav on long trips.
• While the Waze Nav does this as well, Tesla Nav is really great for finding a place in your area. For example: coffee shop, pharmacy, food, etc. It includes ratings and whatnot.
• Waze allows for Navigation with multiple stops. Tesla doesn't and really needs to implement it.

 

[Drone Flyer]

I just don't get it either?
I can buy a cheap Garmin GPS unit at a corner store for 50 bucks and it will have waypoint navigation.
I've been after Tesla for 4 years to implement it. Sadly, it fails onto deaf ears.
I actually don't believe we will ever see waypoint navigation on the maps nor do I believe we here in Canada will see another Supercharger built here this year. Model 3 Canadian owners, like the rest of us, will have to line up at the few SC's that are built here. Sad. Terrible!

 

[xyeahtony]

No cannot trust the Google maps for traffic. I have learned to trust Waze.
Since I updated to 8.1 I have had 2 location issues. Twice now it has given me a bad location. Close but a 1/4 mile or so off. I will continue to test it before a service visit. Before the update it was pinpoint accuracy.

Isn't it the same data? Waze alerts/accidents show up on google maps, and google owns Waze so.

 

[msnow]

Isn't it the same data? Waze alerts/accidents show up on google maps, and google owns Waze so.

The problem is that Tesla uses the Garmin/Navigon turn-by-turn navigation databases (updated about a once every year or two). Then they overly that data on top of the Google Map on our 17" screen and use it for directions. That's typically where both the inacuacy and lack of features come into play. It's not Google navigation as many think. As you can probably tell you will always find a few people like the person upthread who loves it and many who don't trust it at all. Could be a geographical issue or what you are used to but it's been a known issue by both Elon and his team for years. Many tweets.

 

[thegruf]

I believe the reason they don't use google navigation is that it work work if you don't have cell reception which sure as heck would cause complaints. This is why Tesla implemented the Navigon solution too.

The problem for all of us is that the Navigon part of the system appears to be essentially rubbish.

Not only can it not navigate properly, its database errors also appear to be responsible for the unexpected drops in speed to 45mph where there are holes in it's data and it doesn't know the speed limit.

Unless somebody can convince me otherwise t it seems to me that Tesla need to seriously pressure Navigon to improve their product as it is a constant frustration for a high proportion of users on a day to day basis and ultimately reflects poorly on Tesla, even if it takes Tesla to make a public statement re Navigon and shaming them into getting their act together.

There are supposedly further improvements to navigation on the way pretty soon now, maybe Tesla have found ways of improving the situation.

 

[alapd]

It's had that option for years. The problem is it's inconsistent and unreliable. I've had it work correctly sometimes but most times it gave me bad info which was also different routing than I got from Waze or Apple Maps. Bottom line, I don't trust it like Waze, Google or Apple Maps anymore.

Oh wow! Did not know that, as I've never had it route me around traffic before. That's why it was surprised this time. Very weird that it is so inconsistent then. Would it be so hard to default to Google/Waze info and have Navigon as the backup when cellular doesn't exist? If they can make my car drive itself at 80mph I'm sure they can figure that out. I understand it isn't a priority with all the other things going on, but certain items really need to be worked out before they go mass market with the 3.

 

[brucet999]

Oh wow! Did not know that, as I've never had it route me around traffic before. That's why it was surprised this time. Very weird that it is so inconsistent then. Would it be so hard to default to Google/Waze info and have Navigon as the backup when cellular doesn't exist? If they can make my car drive itself at 80mph I'm sure they can figure that out. I understand it isn't a priority with all the other things going on, but certain items really need to be worked out before they go mass market with the 3.

Fixing many odd behaviors of Nav seem not to have been a Tesla priority for at least 5 years now.

 

[slipnslider]

Waze constantly tracks and stalks you via your phone whether you are running the app or not. I urge everyone to boycott apps like these that have no respect for the concept of privacy or control over your own information.

 

[Chopr147]

Fixing many odd behaviors of Nav seem not to have been a Tesla priority for at least 5 years now.

That is unfortunately true. I would really like the ability to download Waze to the 17" screen

 

[slipnslider]

So waze can stalk you via your car like they do via your phone?

 

[Chopr147]

When Waze is not in use I shut it down. I don't even use the location on my phone unless I need it. Are they stalking me? Doubt it. Waze has helped me avoid traffic so many times I have learned to trust it. Never mind the speed traps on the Taconic Pkwy. (Always)
So, I will use it often. If Waze always knows where I am, what exactly can they do with that info. I'm an open book

 

[slipnslider]

When Waze is not in use I shut it down. I don't even use the location on my phone unless I need it. Are they stalking me? Doubt it. Waze has helped me avoid traffic so many times I have learned to trust it. Never mind the speed traps on the Taconic Pkwy. (Always)
So, I will use it often. If Waze always knows where I am, what exactly can they do with that info. I'm an open book

Waze tracks you even when you shut it down, unless you change the settings in your phone every time you use it.
And the "i dont have anything to hide so go ahead and stalk me all the time" cliche is the sound of liberty dying.

 

[msnow]

Waze constantly tracks and stalks you via your phone whether you are running the app or not. I urge everyone to boycott apps like these that have no respect for the concept of privacy or control over your own information.

Yeah, if you don't like apps that keep track of where you are don't use ones that utilize location services like gps. For the rest of us it's a necessity. Oh and your Tesla is tracking your location too.

 

[thegruf]

Yeah, if you don't like apps that keep track of where you are don't use ones that utilize location services like gps. For the rest of us it's a necessity. Oh and your Tesla is tracking your location too.

though as I understand it, Tesla only store anonymized information which I have no problem with.

 

[alapd]

You can shut down location services while the app is not in use through privacy settings and it won't be able to track you, no?

 

[Jashev]

No cannot trust the Google maps for traffic. I have learned to trust Waze.
Since I updated to 8.1 I have had 2 location issues. Twice now it has given me a bad location. Close but a 1/4 mile or so off. I will continue to test it before a service visit. Before the update it was pinpoint accuracy.

Had similar problems after update. Reboot seemed to fix it.

 

[slipnslider]

Yeah, if you don't like apps that keep track of where you are don't use ones that utilize location services like gps. For the rest of us it's a necessity. Oh and your Tesla is tracking your location too.

You can set Google maps to not track you when you close the app.
If tesla insists on being an "always connected" device, then that's another big item on my growing list of reasons to cancel my reserv.