Tesla made significant improvements to its voice command system in China
Not a Tesla App
Tesla's voice recognition and voice commands are an area that could use some improvements. But it looks like Tesla's aware of it as a recent software update has provided notable improvements in China.
With update 2023.26, Tesla made several improvements that were exclusive to China. They included improved voice recognition, smarter voice commands, and improvements to online routing, along with a refresh to the Chinese app, Himalaya app.
Enhanced Online Routing
Part of the update improvements to online routing that adapts to traffic and road condition fluctuations in real-time. By activating the 'Online Routing' option, users gain access to more efficient routing and foresight into the road ahead. This enhancement is exclusive to China, although it's not clear how it differs from the online routing with traffic considerations that is already available in the U.S. and other countries. In the release notes Tesla describes the features as:
Online Routing now reflects real-time changes in traffic and road conditions. So Navigation provides better routes and responds faster to changes on your route.
To get the most current route conditions, Navigation >
Online Routing must be turned on.
Context-Based Voice Commands
Tesla is changing the game with a revamped voice command feature that seamlessly understands the context of a user's request without the prerequisite of specific command words. This means that uttering a destination name will automatically initiate navigation to that destination, instead of having to say 'Navigate to... ".
The vehicle will also be able to understand what you're saying based on previous commands. For example, if you set the climate temperature to 70°, you'll be able to adjust it afterward by simply saying, "lower."
Voice commands are enhanced to better understand your requests. For example, you can directly say"故宫博物院" to start navigation, or say "有点吵" to decrease the volume. You can use "空调22" to set the temperature, and then say “再低点儿" to continue adjusting.
To initiate a voice command, press the voice recognition button on the steering wheel and begin speaking after the tone.
Other Regions
While it's not clear whether the online routing updates in China are Tesla bringing China up to speed, or if they're improving Tesla's routing experience, the voice commands are a clear improvement.
With context-based voice commands, Tesla greatly improved their voice command system, although it still lags behind a true voice assistant such as Siri or Google Assistant. Tesla is known for introducing new features in limited regions before rolling them out more widely. This is hopefully one of those cases, and we'll soon see these improvements rolled out in other parts of the world as well.
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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.
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!
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.
@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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