Tesla Revitalizes Referral Program with $1,000 Discounts and Free FSD Trial

By Kevin Armstrong
Tesla revamps its rewards program, offering $1,000 off a Model S or Model X and 3-months free of FSD
Tesla revamps its rewards program, offering $1,000 off a Model S or Model X and 3-months free of FSD
Tesla

Tesla continually finds new ways to engage and incentivize customers. Tesla recently updated their app to v4.21.5, which takes a strategic leap by boosting their already popular Referral Program. Under the new terms, referrals leading to the purchase of a Model S or Model X will result in monetary rewards and an extended Full Self-Driving trial.

Tesla Model X and S Receive Considerable Incentives

Tesla's innovative move targets the Model S and Model X. Any customer purchasing these models through a referral will be granted a hefty $1,000 off their purchase. Furthermore, these customers will receive a complimentary 3-month trial of Tesla's FSD Beta, giving them a firsthand experience of the cutting-edge autonomous technology Tesla offers.

In return, the referrer will be rewarded with a substantial 20,000 credits. This marks a remarkable increase from the previous 3,500 credits, extending the potential rewards a Tesla owner can accrue through the program.

Model 3 and Model Y Credits

The more affordable Tesla models, the Model 3 and Model Y's rewards will remain the same. Referrers will receive 2,000 Loot Box credits per referral, while buyers can bank 1,500 credits. These credits can be used to access a variety of perks, including vehicle upgrades, merchandise, features, and other accessories. For instance, one can secure a Home Charging Wall Connector using these credits.

However, it is important to note that the credits come with an expiration date. Customers must utilize their credits within a year of the Grant Date, ensuring timely utilization of these rewards.

Rewarding Yourself

The updates to the Referral Program continue to include the option to reward yourself. Tesla owners who purchase an additional Tesla vehicle, Model S or Model X, using their own Tesla account will qualify for the same incentives as a referred purchase. This includes both the $1,000 discount and the 3-month FSD trial. If they buy a Model 3 or Model Y, then the buyer and referral credits get added together, and the buyer gets 3,500 credits. This addition shows Tesla's commitment to rewarding customer loyalty.

All these exciting offers come with a limited-time tag. They are valid only for orders placed before June 30, 2023, intensifying the push for interested customers to move quickly.

The question on everyone's mind is, how will these changes impact Tesla's sales figures for the next quarter? Tesla's reliance on customer advocacy rather than traditional advertising has proven fruitful before, and it is possible that these generous new offers could give the company's sales a significant boost.

The unique combination of financial rewards, high-tech trial experiences, and the self-purchase referral incentive underlines Tesla's commitment to innovation, not just in their vehicles but in their customer engagement strategies.

Tesla to Allow Drivers to Display License Plates in Vehicle Visualization

By Karan Singh
Rendering of what Tesla's license plate feature could look like
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.

We’ve seen several features originally released in China and later applied to everyone. Some of these include the Air Quality Index display, the trip meter that displays traffic along your route, and even the ability to change your vehicle’s color.

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.

Leaked Images of the Tesla Model Y Juniper Refresh

By Karan Singh
Mr Li on X

It’s been a while since we saw the last batch of leaked images of the Model Y Juniper refresh. That inspiring photo, alongside other images, set the blood of many concept artists on fire. We saw a ton of awesome concepts of Project Juniper, and now there are even more leaked images.

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!
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.

We expect most of the interior to remain the same as the Model 3 refresh, which saw substantial improvements in quality, noise reduction, and performance. Check out our wishlist of more things we hope to see in the Model Y refresh.

Dominic’s Concept

Dominic's Concept, in all its glory.
Dominic's Concept, in all its glory.
@DominicBRNKMN on X

@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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