Many users are seeing drastic improvements to Tesla's auto high beams
EV Raffael/YouTube
For many of us, the days are getting shorter. Unfortunately, with the winter solstice one month away, we will have to deal with even more hours of darkness. This time of year gives headlights a workout, including auto high beams. While Tesla does many amazing things, the auto high beams have been problematic for owners, but that appears to be changing.
A video posted on YouTube by Twitter user @raffaeru shows a night drive with the lights changing from high to low beam. The description of the video reads: Finally, usable auto high beams on Teslas. A welcome undocumented change in software version 2022.40.4.
Twitter Confirms High Beam Changes
Although Tesla did not officially mention improvements to its auto high beams feature in the 2022.40 release notes, many users have reported drastic improvements to the feature.
We recently asked people on Twitter if they'd noticed a difference in auto high beams. Some have not, but others raved about the change. Here are some responses:
Video of Improved Auto High Beams
@Arpe_DK: Yup, so much better! Was driving 200 miles in the dark the other day, only once did the Tesla annoy an oncoming driver. Usually it annoys all of them. I rate the [auto] high beams 7/10 from 1/10. Further improvement are needed for sensitivity, and no high beam during streetlamps.
@wertzu112: Noticed very big difference on 2022.40.4.1. Seems Tesla has cranked up the sensitivity, now they also turn off without apparent reason all the time when light reflects off of signs, poles etc. But no more dazzling of oncoming traffic, so that's a plus. Was unusable before…
@bjornstenberg: Oh it has improved massively. It now dips as soon as it detects a vehicle in the field of view. Front, back, side, it detects everything. I didn't want to use it before since I couldn't trust it to not blind oncoming traffic. That worry is completely gone.
@andefred: Yes! Significant improvement! To the point that I most of the time could not react faster manually which I always did before.
V11 Includes High Beam Improvements
Also, well-known Tesla enthusiast @WholeMarsBlog posted a text conversation when tweeting the Full Self-Driving Version 11 release notes. It's unknown who is in the discussion, but they talk about V11 and then say "auto highbeams are waaay better with this version. I can actually trust it now!"
It's not clear whether FSD Beta v11 contains only the improved auto high beams from update 2022.40 or if Tesla has made additional improvements in v11.
By the way, we rely on information from Tesla owners and would like to thank everyone for their input on our Twitter question. If you've noticed improvements to auto high beams, let us know in our forum below.
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest Tesla news, upcoming features and software updates.
Tesla recently showed off Giga Small Haus, an interesting new display project hosted at Giga Berlin. The small new house is located just outside the main entrance of Tesla’s Giga Berlin factory, with a Quicksilver Model Y parked inside.
Giga Small Haus is powered only by solar and Powerwall 3 - disconnected from the local grid and from Giga Berlin itself. It serves as a live demonstration of Tesla Solar and Tesla’s Powerwall battery backup.
Giga Small Haus
The centerpiece of the display is a Model Y in Quicksilver - a beautiful pick for a beautifully lit house. However, that’s not the real focus here - it's the Powerwall and Gateway on the wall.
The Powerwall is the focus of Giga Small Haus, and there’s a display with some additional information on the wall. Part of the display also includes a screen that displays the current output of the Powerwall itself versus the consumption of Giga Small Haus, as well as the input from solar.
The interior exhibit of Giga Small Haus
Not a Tesla App
The text on the exhibit is divided into several sections. Here’s a translated and edited version of what we can see from Tesla’s images. Some additional text is obscured. If someone visits Giga Small Haus, let us know.
Powerwall
Powerwall is a home battery system that stores energy from solar panels, the electrical grid, or during off-peak hours and powers your home during the day or during a power outage.
With Powerwall, you can use self-generated solar energy during the day and night, thus avoiding high electricity costs. You can also store excess energy produced during sunny periods for use during times of low production or power outages.
Key Features
Energy Storage: Powerwall stores excess energy from solar panels or the grid for later use or during power outages.
Backup Power: In the event of a power outage, Powerwall automatically switches to battery power to ensure continuous power supply.
Integration: Powerwall can be seamlessly integrated with existing solar systems and other power sources.
Scalability: Multiple Powerwalls can be installed to meet higher energy storage needs.
Smart Energy Management: Powerwall works with Tesla's software to optimize energy consumption and reduce costs.
How Powerwall Works
Storage: During the day, when solar panels produce more energy than needed, the excess is stored in Powerwall.
Usage: At night or during times of low solar production, the stored energy is used to power the home, reducing reliance on the grid.
Backup: During a power outage, Powerwall automatically provides power to critical circuits, ensuring continuous operation of essential appliances.
Benefits
Cost Savings: By storing and using solar energy, you can reduce your electricity bills.
Reliability: Provides backup power during outages, ensuring your home remains powered.
Sustainability: Promotes the use of renewable energy by storing excess solar production for later use.
Overall, Giga Small Haus is an interesting real-life demo of what Powerwall and Solar can accomplish. It would be neat if Tesla built more of these displays - perhaps near major Delivery and Service Centers and at Giga Texas, Fremont, Giga Shanghai, and other facilities. Many Tesla owners have yet to learn about and experience some of Tesla’s Energy products.
Tesla has added the Acceleration Boost option to the Tesla store for owners of the 2024 Model 3 Long Range - specifically owners in Australia and China. Acceleration Boost is an upgrade that provides a significant performance boost, drastically narrowing the performance gap between the Long Range and Performance versions of the same model.
This upgrade will likely become available in Europe, Canada, and the United States in the next few days as Tesla updates its shops globally.
Acceleration Boost
This new Acceleration Boost is retailing for $3,000 AUD, or approximately $2,000 USD. That’s the same price for current owners of older Model 3 or Model Y Long Range vehicles, which all have the option to purchase Acceleration Boost through the shop.
The boost provides improved 0-100km/h (0-60mph) performance, bumping the 2024 Model 3 LR from 4.4s to 3.8s. The 2024 Performance version comes in at a blazing fast 2.9 seconds, so while it isn’t equivalent to just buying a performance variant in the first place, it is still a noticeable and significant upgrade.
Performance variants also come with a different front fascia vent for cooling, performance drive units, sport seats, adaptive suspension, 20-inch wheels, and Track Mode V3. That’s a significant number of additional features in the $10,000 USD price difference between the Long Range and Performance versions.
Should You Buy It?
If you’ve purchased a Long Range model and are itching to go just that little bit faster at every red light, this is the upgrade for you. It previously came with the cost of slightly reducing vehicle range, but the Tesla store doesn’t make a note of reduced range this time around. The 2023 Model 3 and Model Y Long Range models had an efficiency loss of about 5% due to the additional always-available acceleration and cooling.
You could drive in Chill mode to mostly negate that efficiency loss, but what’s the fun in driving in Chill when you just got Acceleration Boost? Anyhow, the shop listing for the 2024 variant doesn’t include this detail, so it's possible Tesla may have worked some more engineering magic.
Overall, if you’ve got the $3,000 AUD burning a hole in your pocket, some Tesla referral credits sitting around, or just want to go faster, it's definitely an upgrade many users find valuable.
![Video Reveals the Cybertruck's Unique User Interface [Video]](https://www.notateslaapp.com/images/news/2023/cybertruck-ui-1_300w.jpg)
![Andrej Karpathy considers returning to Tesla to work on Optimus [video]](https://www.notateslaapp.com/images/news/2022/karpathy-podcast_300w.jpg)
