Tesla has released vision Park Assist with Tesla update 2023.6.9
@EVBaymax & @ManZoneBeer
Tesla has unveiled the Vision Park Assist feature with its new software update, version 2023.6.9 for non-FSD Beta vehicles. This cutting-edge feature employs the car's cameras to measure distances to nearby objects, offering users valuable parking assistance.
When Tesla removed ultrasonic sensors (USS) from their vehicles six months ago, some owners expressed concerns regarding the loss of parking assistance. In response, Tesla embarked on the transition towards a vision-based solution, culminating in the introduction of Vision Park Assist.
Accuracy of Park Assist
Twitter user @EVBaymax couldn’t wait till morning to test out the new Vision Park Assist feature. Equipped with his Model 3 and a measuring tape, @EVBaymax put the new technology to the test and shared it all on Twitter, providing some valuable insight into its performance. In one video, he said, “super-impressive what Tesla has been able to do. This is… Wow! I’m impressed.” @EVBaymax was showing the car within an inch or two of what the reading said inside the car.
However, he did spot something less impressive. When shifting into drive or reverse after being parked for a few minutes, a message pops up that says: Park Assist is Loading. That load took 6-8 seconds as the system recalls what was around it before it was parked. The time is quite a lag compared to the USS-enabled systems. @EVBaymax is hopeful this is addressed. However, the vehicle did eventually load the data it had before it was turned off, showing the same distance to the curb that was in front of it, even though the curb was out of view of the cameras.
Several online videos show a significant difference in readings between USS and Vision. USS mostly displays smooth readings with straight edges, but vision does not display many straight lines. When backing up to a curb, @EVBaymax notes that the line representing the curb is “squiggly and is moving.”
Availability
Although Park Assist was initially included in FSD Beta 11.3.2 and limited to North American markets, Tesla is rolling out Park Assist to additional markets with update 2023.6.9.
Currently, the Vision Park Assist feature is compatible with Model 3 and Model Y vehicles. Users also have the option to turn off Park Assist if they prefer, just like owners with USS. This innovative technology offers 360-degree detection, instead of just front and rear, as highlighted in our previous article.
Park Assist Detecting a Curb
One of the advantages of vision-based Park Assist is the ability to detect objects on the side of the vehicle. @EVBaymax does a great job illustrating that in this video below.
At this time, it appears that vehicles with ultrasonic sensors still offer a higher level of accuracy, however that could depend on the height of the object and the type of object itself.
Vision Park Assist does not currently apply to vehicles with ultrasonic sensors. However, since Vision Park Assist does provide some advantages over its hardware-based version, it'll be interesting to see if Tesla incorporates it into all vehicles in the future as the feature matures.
As more Tesla owners install and utilize Vision Park Assist, the feature is expected to improve. The company will use the collected data to enhance distance estimates, aiming for accuracy on par with sensor-based systems.
Tesla's Vision Park Assist offers visual and auditory alerts for objects in the vehicle's surroundings, utilizing the occupancy network to generate high-definition object outlines. However, it is essential to remember that this feature should be treated as guidance, not as a substitute for an attentive driver.
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LiveOne, previously known as Slacker Radio (or “Streaming” in your Tesla), has officially launched its Tesla exclusive subscription. Tesla and LiveOne’s agreement to include a free Slacker/LiveOne Premium subscription in Teslas has lapsed, and owners will now have to pay for their own premium subscription to the service if they want to continue to have an ad-free experience.
Tesla recently removed Spotify Premium in Europe from its Premium Connectivity package as well. While Spotify already has pricing open and available, LiveOne said it would launch a Tesla-exclusive subscription.
You can continue LiveOne without paying a subscription cost, but after December 1st, you’ll notice that ads will be inserted into the stream and you’ll have limited skip options.
LiveOne Tesla Premium
LiveOne is offering two subscription tiers, each with exclusive Tesla pricing. The first tier is LiveOne Plus, which costs $3.99/mo, or $34.99/yr. LiveOne Premium, on the other hand, costs $9.99/mo or $99.99/yr.
LiveOne Plus includes music history, both in-app and in-vehicle, ad-free music, unlimited song skips, maximum audio quality, premium music stations, podcasts, audiobooks, and videos. However, it seems that LiveOne Plus does not allow users to listen to the song they want on demand but will instead play a “radio station” with that song potentially included somewhere in the playlist.
LiveOne Premium allows users to listen on demand and offline. You’ll be able to select what song you want to listen to, as well as queue up music as you’d like. In addition, this will allow you to download music from LiveOne. However, Tesla doesn’t currently support these features, so it’s not clear whether these capabilities will come in the future or they’ll only be available on other devices.
Overall, the packages aren’t too expensive, but other alternatives, including Spotify, Apple Music, TIDAL, Amazon Music, and Google Music, are all available. Larger competitors offer the same or better features but at a higher price point.
LiveOne’s offerings are more limited, but if you’re used to using LiveOne or want something cheap, then this could be a good alternative to some of the other music offerings.
We’re glad to see vendors offering Tesla-specific subscription pricing and hope to see more of this from other streaming services in the future.
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.
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