Tesla cancelled the popular Loot Box in 2021, but the referral program may return. Tesla used Weiboto announce the launch of a new program in China — Treasure Box.
The post encourages Tesla owners to recommend the product to friends for the opportunity to open the Treasure Box and win prizes. This move comes just days after references to the new referral program were found in the latest app update.
The buyer and the person who refers them to Tesla get 3,500 credits each. A loyalty program also awards 7,000 credits to current Tesla owners when they purchase another Tesla. Twitter user @Tesla_Mania, located in Shanghai, China, has posted several screen grabs and videos of the Treasure Box.
Referral credits can be cashed in for items like a Cyber Rodeo t-shirt (1,900 credits), Cybertruck socks (1,300 credits), Cybertruck hat (1,400 credits) a Tesla tote bag (500 credits), a Tesla umbrella (2,000 credits), My First Tesla Model Y (6,000 credits), a Tesla Tumbler (1,700 credits), and TeslaMic (12,000 credits) are just a few on the list.
It appears the credits can be used for Supercharger miles as well. Referrals are also entered for annual draws with bigger prizes. These drawings will award people with a VIP Tour of Giga Shanghai, a Model 3/Y RWD for 12 months, or Full Self-Driving for 24 months.
The Treasure Box announcement comes on the same day that Tesla lowered prices and just a few days after introducing incentives to those who bought the company's insurance. Tesla is ramping up efforts in China as it's currently third in electric vehicles behind BYD Motor and SAIC-GM-Wuling.
A similar referral program may also start to show up in the North American market. Perhaps that is why there is a reference to it in the latest Tesla mobile app. As we reported, @TeslaAppUpdates iOS found some interesting code, "Okay one string that may provide some insight referral_share_sheet_refer_text': 'Use my referral link to purchase a Tesla product and get free credits you can redeem for awards like Supercharging miles, merchandise and accessories.'"
Elon Musk used his experience at X.com to reward users with cash cards for signing up and more cards for referring new users. That method translated to Tesla's referral program awarding an estimated eighty yet-to-be-produced Roadsters. The company cancelled the program more than a year ago, but if China's Treasure Box is any indication, the program will be back, albeit with smaller rewards.
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Rendering of what Tesla's license plate feature could look like
Not a Tesla App
Tesla update 2024.38 has started rolling out to several regions and vehicles. Thanks to Tesla hacker Greentheonly, we have a behind-the-scenes look at some new features coming to Teslas.
License Plate Display
According to Greentheonly, it looks like Tesla may soon let you display your actual license plate in the vehicle’s visualization on the screen. In our article, The Most Request Tesla Features, several readers suggested displaying the vehicle’s license plate in the visualization instead of a blank, white plate.
It looks like Tesla will be doing just that, at least in China. Green found references that appear to conclude that you’ll be able to display your vehicle’s plate on screen. This will likely be user input, so you could have it say anything you’d like, and it doesn’t have to be your actual license plate.
For many owners, who may find it difficult to remember their license plate, this could serve a practical purpose in addition to adding to the visualization's realism.
While Green was only able to say it’ll be available in China, we expect this is due to China’s software development team working on it and that it’ll eventually be released worldwide.
While code for this feature was found in update 2024.38, we may not be turned on in China yet. We suspect this feature may be a strong candidate for Tesla’s upcoming holiday update.
FSD Hardware Version Display
As part of the 2024.38 update, Tesla has now made it easy to determine whether your vehicle includes Hardware 3 or Hardware 4. You can now simply navigate to Controls > Software and tap Additional Vehicle Information. In addition to other hardware information about your vehicle, your Autopilot hardware version will now be listed as well.
You can see whether your vehicle has HW2.5, HW3, or AI4. This in-car display is useful, but if you don’t have access to the vehicle, you can always use our guide on how to determine the hardware version of a Tesla.
New Battery Health Test & Service Mode Improvements
Green found some additional things as well. There’s a new and improved Battery Health Test. The new test will show you how your car scores compared to similar vehicles in the Tesla fleet.
In addition, maintenance records can now be permanently stored “in the car.” It doesn’t appear that this feature is activated yet, but it’s likely in active development with some parts leaking out in the 2024.38 update.
Tesla has included various Service Mode improvements and new visualizations in this update.
Mr Li on X came across some covered-up Project Juniper vehicles recently and he managed to get various shots of the vehicle.
Juniper Images
This front image reveals what looks like two rows of lights, possibly confirming the front light bar for the Model Y refresh — similar to the one on the Cybercab.
The rear side has a lot of lights on it!
Mr Li on X
The rear side shows a ton of brake lights, but it’s not clear why. While it looks like the Model Y refresh will also feature a rear light bar similar to the Cybertruck, there isn’t strong evidence of that in this photo.
Mr Li on X
There's an obvious set of lights at the bottom, so it looks like the Model Y refresh will be similar to the new Model 3 where the bottom lights can operate as brake lights when the one-piece tail lights and trunk are up.
Mr Li on X
In the last photo, we see that the overall form factor of the refreshed Model Y will remain unchanged, and Tesla is focusing the changes on the front and rear ends of the vehicle, much like the Model 3 refresh. However, in this one shot, we can also see what appears to be red light leaking out of the rear camera cover opening, possibly due to the rear light bar.
The Model Y is not only Tesla’s best-selling vehicle but also the world’s best-selling car in 2023. This year, it’s expected to be the best-selling vehicle in the United States and again in the world, so this refresh will be huge for Tesla.
@DominicBRNKMN made another fantastic set of concepts based on these new images. Given he had the most accurate Model 3 Highland concept before the official launch, we’re pretty sure his latest work be close here as well.
@DominicBRNKMN
We’re super excited to see the eventual reveal of Project Juniper, which is expected in the first half of 2025. However, expect to see a few more leaks before production kicks off at Giga Shanghai.
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