Tesla's social media platforms have been growing at an impressive rate
Not a Tesla App
Tesla's innovative approach to the electric vehicle and renewable energy sectors has been well-documented, but its exceptional success on social media platforms is another story worth telling. With a strong presence on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn, Tesla has managed to create a powerful and influential online presence that captures the attention of millions worldwide.
Musk's Twitter Influence Fuels Growth
At the forefront of Tesla's social media success is CEO Elon Musk, who boasts more than 136 million followers on Twitter. His candid and occasionally controversial tweets have helped to generate interest in Tesla's products and initiatives. This direct approach to consumer engagement allows the company to foster a more personal connection with its audience and avoid relying on traditional advertising channels.
In addition to Musk's influence, Tesla's official Twitter account has seen substantial growth, with a 53% spike in follower growth, reaching 19.9 million followers. The company also achieved 1 billion views on its Twitter posts, showcasing its expanding reach and influence on the platform. Many other official company accounts exist in different regions and for different products. For example, there is a Twitter account for Tesla Charging.
Impressive Numbers on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn
Tesla's strong presence extends to other social media platforms as well. The company boasts 9.5 million followers on Instagram, which is just for the headquarters. There are several other Tesla official accounts in different regions. Its YouTube channel has attracted 2.38 million subscribers. These figures demonstrate Tesla's ability to create and maintain a dedicated following across multiple platforms, further highlighting the effectiveness of its social media strategy.
LinkedIn has also been a successful platform for Tesla. Despite its users generally belonging to a different demographic than those on Twitter, Tesla's presence on the platform was impressive in 2022, experiencing a 16% rise in follower growth and 75.5 million post views. The company's LinkedIn followers now total 10.9 million, showcasing its growing influence among professionals and industry leaders.
Social Media as Tesla's Primary Marketing Strategy
Tesla's decision to use social media as its primary marketing tool has allowed the company to connect with and educate people worldwide about its products and mission. By providing direct and immediate access to company updates, news, launches, and more, Tesla effectively eliminates the need for traditional media or influencers to filter its message. It also relies on its strong fan base.
Tesla's social media success has also played a crucial role in building a global community of electric vehicle enthusiasts and renewable energy advocates. By sharing engaging content, highlighting user-generated stories, and promoting sustainability initiatives, Tesla has created a loyal fan base that actively participates in online discussions and shares the company's vision for a cleaner future.
The company's commitment to social media as a primary marketing strategy has not only reduced its dependence on traditional advertising but also established a more direct line of communication with its audience. As a result, Tesla has fostered trust and transparency, essential components for building strong relationships with customers and stakeholders.
Tesla's social media domination is a testament to the power of a well-executed online marketing strategy. By leveraging the influence of its CEO and creating engaging content across multiple platforms, Tesla has successfully reached millions of consumers without the need for traditional advertising. However, without paying a dollar, the company was well placed during the most watched TV event - the Superbowl.
As the company continues to innovate in the electric vehicle and renewable energy sectors, its social media presence will undoubtedly play a vital role in shaping its public image and driving brand loyalty.
Tesla’s been on a roll with Supercharger improvements lately, from the 325kW charging update for the Cybertruck, to 500kW with V4 Superchargers coming next year. While those improvements have been limited to the Cybertruck, Tesla didn’t put all their focus on their new flagship vehicle, but looked at their more affordable vehicles as well.
LFP Battery Heating
Tesla’s Superchargers can now heat LFP Batteries - those that are in the Model 3 and Model Y Rear Wheel Drive variants. This applies to Long Range and Standard Range models, which saw a limited run. This is another update included as part of the 2024 Tesla Holiday Update - which really arrived with a lot of unannounced new features and capabilities.
The change is pretty interesting - Superchargers of the V3 and V4 variety can now pre-heat batteries for Model 3 and Model Y vehicles equipped with LFP battery packs. That means those vehicles are able to get back on the road faster when it's extremely cold. Of course, Tesla still advises you to precondition before you arrive, saving drivers time and money.
Max de Zegher, Tesla’s Director of Charging, also commented on the new feature. Essentially, Tesla is inducing an AC (alternating) ripple current through the battery to warm it up. Keep in mind that Superchargers are DC charging. That means it is possible to get a cold-soaked LFP vehicle on the road 4x faster than before, assuming that it didn’t precondition at all and that it is in the worst-case scenario (below 0ºF).
In essence, Tesla is using some engineering magic to turn the circuits inside the LFP battery into an electric heater - and powering that heater through the Supercharger. An AC ripple current is a small oscillation in the DC charging current that generates heat through electrical resistance, warming up the battery. Those ripples are a byproduct of converting AC to DC and back - so Tesla is using the onboard charger to induce those ripples to warm up the battery. Definitely an innovative technique that’s really only possible with the versatility of the NACS connector.
We’re hoping Tesla can implement this across their full lineup of vehicles, but we’ll have to wait and see how it is trialed across LFP vehicles first and if it is even possible on vehicles with 2170 or 4680 battery packs.
Tesla launched two FSD updates simultaneously on Saturday night, and what’s most interesting is that they arrived on the same software version. We’ll dig into that a little later, but for now, there’s good news for everyone. For Hardware 3 owners, FSD V12.6.1 is launching to all vehicles, including the Model 3 and Model Y. For AI4 owners, FSD V13.2.4 is launching, starting with the Cybertruck.
FSD V13.2.4
A new V13 build is now rolling out to the Cybertruck and is expected to arrive for the rest of the AI4 fleet soon. However, this build seems to be focused on bug fixes. There are no changes to the release notes for the Cybertruck with this release, and it’s unlikely to feature any changes when it arrives on other vehicles.
FSD V12.6.1 builds upon V12.6, which is the latest FSD version for HW3 vehicles. While FSD V12.6 was only released for the redesigned Model S and Model X with HW3, FSD V12.6.1 is adding support for the Model 3 and Model Y.
While this is only a bug-fix release for users coming from FSD V12.6, it includes massive improvements for anyone coming from an older FSD version. Two of the biggest changes are the new end-to-end highway stack that now utilizes FSD V12 for highway driving and a redesigned controller that allows FSD to drive “V13” smooth.
It also adds speed profiles, earlier lane changes, and more. You can read our in-depth look at all the changes in FSD V12.6.
Same Update, Multiple FSD Builds
What’s interesting about this software version is that it “includes" two FSD updates, V12.6.1 for HW3 and V13.2.4 for HW4 vehicles. While this is interesting, it’s less special when you understand what’s happening under the hood.
The vehicle’s firmware and Autopilot firmware are actually completely separate. While a vehicle downloading a firmware update may look like a singular process, it’s actually performing several functions during this period. First, it downloads the vehicle’s firmware. Upon unpacking the update, it’s instructed which Autopilot/FSD firmware should be downloaded.
While the FSD firmware is separate, the vehicle can’t download any FSD update. The FSD version is hard-coded in the vehicle’s firmware that was just downloaded. This helps Tesla keep the infotainment and Autopilot firmware tightly coupled, leading to fewer issues.
What we’re seeing here is that HW3 vehicles are being told to download one FSD version, while HW4 vehicles are being told to download a different version.
While this is the first time Tesla has had two FSD versions tied to the same vehicle software version, the process hasn’t actually changed, and what we’re seeing won’t lead to faster FSD updates or the ability to download FSD separately. What we’re seeing is the direct result of the divergence of HW3 and HW4.
While HW3/4 remained basically on the same FSD version until recently, it is now necessary to deploy different versions for the two platforms. We expect this to be the norm going forward, where HW3 will be on a much different version of FSD than HW4. While each update may not include two different FSD versions going forward, we may see it occasionally, depending on which features Autopilot is dependent on.
Thanks to Greentheonly for helping us understand what happened with this release and for the insight into Tesla’s processes.
