Specialist in electric vehicles (EV). Tesla has launched the latest version of its famous Holiday Updates, bringing owners important safety and tech upgrades with a festive twist.
The Christmas 2024 Update will be released over-the-air from next week, so owners will have access to a whole host of new features by the time Christmas rolls around.
Topping the list of improvements is the addition of rear cross traffic alert across the Tesla range, an increasingly common feature that alerts a driver if pedestrians or vehicles are detected by the car while reversing.
This is a feature that Tesla CEO Elon Musk claims would be added to the company’s vehicles starting in 2020, but is now only being rolled out more than four years later.
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The facelifted Model 3 sedan also features ‘Autoshift’, addressing one of the concerns following Tesla’s decision to remove a physical gear selector and place it on the infotainment touchscreen instead.
After the update, Model 3s will be able to automatically switch from Reverse to Drive (or vice versa) after the driver turns the steering wheel and presses the brake pedal when certain parking conditions are met.
Parking is also made safer with updates to Tesla’s dashcams and Sentry modes. Clips from the remote cameras can now be accessed directly from the Tesla app and saved for later distribution.
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Source: Tesla
Considering that Teslas have been the target of recent key attacks, it pays to have easily accessible security footage.
The latest set of updates includes the addition of convenience features within the infotainment system. To allay drivers’ fears about range anxiety, they can set a preferred battery charge level for when they arrive at their destination.
The satellite navigation system has been adapted to display search locations along the driving route with estimated diversion times, allowing drivers to better plan their journey with minimal time loss.
The update also sees the return of a Tesla app for the Apple Watch, allowing users of the wearable smart device to lock and unlock their vehicle, open the ‘frunk’, access climate control settings and battery charge status view of the vehicle.
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Source: Tesla
Given the timing of this release, Tesla couldn’t resist throwing some festive cheer into the mix.
The Cybertruck has been given ‘Santa Mode’: a display setting that changes the vehicle’s default avatar to Santa’s sleigh, with all the bells and whistles.
It is not the only entertainment-oriented offering, as the new infotainment game ‘Boomerang Fu’ has also been introduced.
A full list of the changes, including other minor improvements and tweaks, included in the 2024 Holiday Update can be found here.
Tesla sales have fallen in Australia this year – as of April, Tesla deliveries have fallen by double digits every month this year compared to the corresponding month last year.
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