Tesla fetches additional map data when you use the navigation system
@raffaeru/Twitter
A recent series of tweets from Tesla hacker @greentheonly, also known as Green, has shed light on how Tesla's maps are augmented with fleet data between updates. This breakthrough is believed to significantly impact Tesla owners who use Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (FSD) by providing more up-to-date and accurate information, leading to improved driving experiences and safer navigation.
Combining Maps and Tesla's Cloud-Based Service
Green's investigation revealed that Tesla combines maps data with its cloud-based maps service to generate alternative route suggestions. This unique approach allows Tesla to provide more tailored guidance for its vehicles, ensuring a smoother and more efficient driving experience.
Real-Time Updates and Enhanced Accuracy
The Tesla maps service offers map corrections, such as the locations of stop signs, crosswalks, and other traffic information, with impressive accuracy. This data is crucial for vehicles using Autopilot and FSD features, as it helps them navigate complex traffic situations more safely. The map also includes information on lane details, directions of travel, and even color-coded speed data.
With the ability to update certain elements in near real-time, including rough road patches, Tesla's maps service significantly improves driving behavior on familiar routes. Green's revelation highlights the importance of setting a route for optimal Autopilot and FSD performance. When a route is set, the system fetches the "information about the route ahead," ensuring the vehicle has the most up-to-date and accurate data to navigate safely and efficiently.
Vehicle Contributions to Map Currency
Tesla vehicles play an essential role in maintaining up-to-date maps. Cars regularly send back detected speed limits and real-time speeds to the Tesla maps service every two minutes. This exchange of information ensures that only relevant map sections are updated, resulting in more accurate data for Tesla drivers.
The insights from Green underscore Tesla's innovative approach to leveraging fleet data and cloud-based mapping services, ensuring a continually updated and accurate driving experience for its users. With a clearer understanding of the significance of setting a route, Tesla owners can now fully harness the capabilities of their vehicles' Autopilot and FSD systems, enjoying safer and more efficient navigation.
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Over the years, Tesla has introduced UI elements that indicate when specific hardware or software features are active—and these two new dots follow the same pattern.
In June 2024, Tesla introduced the ability to see which third-party apps have access to the vehicle’s location, and these new indicator dots have a similar goal — to improve transparency on features that impact privacy.
Green Dot
If you’ve noticed a green dot on your Tesla display or the instrument cluster for the Model S or Model X, then you have access to Tesla’s hands-free Autopilot feature.
The green dot is displayed on the screen whenever FSD or Autopilot is active and the vehicle is using the interior camera to monitor the driver’s attention.
The cabin camera does a much better job monitoring the driver than the old method of sensing torque on the steering wheel. The cabin camera detects driver attention by tracking the driver’s head and eyes and making sure they’re focusing on the road. If the driver looks away from the road for an extended period, the vehicle will warn the driver or issue a strike for repeat offenses.
If the cabin camera is occluded or obscured, or if it’s simply too dark, the vehicle will fall back to monitoring the driver by detecting torque on the steering wheel.
The presence of the green dot not only lets the driver know that the interior camera is being used but also lets them know whether they need to keep their hands on the steering wheel.
It’s important to note that images and video taken with the interior camera are processed in the vehicle and do not leave the vehicle unless you have granted access for Tesla to use them to improve functionality.
You can check your privacy and data sharing policy in Controls > Software and tap the Data Sharing button at the bottom.
Orange Dot
The orange dot functions similarly to the green one, but instead of indicating cabin camera usage, it appears when the vehicle’s microphone is active. This was added with software update 2025.2, which now listens for audio cues to detect emergency vehicles and other types of noises that could help the vehicle better understand its environment in the future.
Tesla is currently collecting this data to refine its ability to detect emergency vehicles even before they come into view. This capability is expected to be added in FSD v14 along with a larger model size.
Like cabin camera analytics, drivers can opt to share audio data with Tesla to improve detection accuracy. Many users received an “Allow Sound Detection Analytics” prompt following the recent update. If they consent, Tesla may use certain audio snippets to help improve their detection model. Any data transmitted to Tesla is not linked to a specific user or vehicle, so it can’t be tied to a specific individual.
Otherwise, all audio detection and processing is completed in the vehicle to ensure the driver’s privacy.
Tesla proves once again that it listens to its customers, and this is a perfect example. Since the Cybertruck’s launch with an adjustable air suspension, owners have been requesting suspension-related features.
One major request is the ability to remotely adjust the vehicle’s height. This could previously only be done from inside the cabin via the touchscreen, but Tesla has now added it to the latest version of the Tesla app. However, using the feature also requires vehicle software 2025.8 or higher.
This software update also brings improvements to the Cybertruck’s steer-by-wire system, which is set to come to future Tesla models. Unlike traditional rack-and-pinion steering, steer-by-wire is not directly connected to the wheels like other vehicles, and “road feel” does not carry through to the steering wheel. Instead, Tesla implements software-driven wheel feedback, which is being improved in this update.
Remote Height Adjust
Now, as of Tesla software update 2025.8 and Tesla App V4.42.5, Cybertruck owners can remotely adjust the height of their Cybertruck through the Tesla app. This setting is in the Controls section of the app.
Here, you can adjust to the four pre-set road heights, including High, Medium, Low, and Entry. For now, you cannot adjust to the two Off-Road Mode heights, which are Very High and Extract.
Now, if you don’t own a Cybertruck, you’re probably wondering why so many are asking for this feature. Well, if you want to go off-roading or even want to load something into the bed of your truck, it’s convenient to be able to remotely adjust the height of the car without having to go in it first.
You can also use it to show off the Cybertruck’s massive vertical range of motion - which can go nearly eight inches from Entry to Extract - all without having to hop into the Cybertruck.
Model S and Model X?
This feature could also potentially make its way to the Model S and Model X sometime in the future since both of these vehicles also have an adjustable air suspension. Today, the heights of these vehicles can only be adjusted inside the vehicle.
We’re sure some Model S and Model X owners would love to be able to adjust the suspension remotely, even if they may not have the same use cases — it’s still a nice to have feature.
Steer-by-Wire Improvements
Tesla has improved the Steer-by-Wire feedback and response on the Cybertruck’s yoke. This new update should provide more realistic wheel feedback. The feedback will now adapt to different road surfaces for a better driving experience.
That means the response and feedback of the wheel will now be more precise - and also be varied by what kind of terrain you’re driving on.
More Features
One more thing we’d love to see from Tesla regarding the Cybertruck is the ability to drop just one side of the suspension. This is possible in Service Mode, where you can deflate either the front or rear air tanks, thereby inducing a slant to the vehicle.
This makes loading items even easier, as the bottom of the tailgate is now even closer to the ground. Tesla showed off the feature during the Cybertruck’s initial reveal. While the Cybertruck never arrived with its built-in ramp, we’d still love the ability to dip the truck for easier loading.
Another feature that was supposed to arrive for the Cybertruck was related to Steer-by-Wire. Today, the Cybertruck can steer up to 7 degrees, but the actual hard limit for the rear wheels is somewhere between 10 and 14 degrees. We’d love to see Tesla expand the rear wheel steering limits which will help reduce the Cybertruck’s already tight turning circle.
Four-Wheel Steering gives Cybertruck a tighter turning radius than a Model S
At low speeds, rear wheels rotate opposite to the front wheels—enabling tighter maneuvering around the jobsite, parking lots, etc pic.twitter.com/nxDiRTZKEI
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