When you drive a Tesla, every time of the year is good, but December is just a little bit better. That’s because we know Santa Musk and the engineer elves have worked hard to create the best update of the year. To refresh your memory about how epic these updates are, check out our history of the Holiday Update.
A post on Reddit detailed more than 150 things that Tesla owners have on their wish list for the 2023 holiday update. We’ve narrowed it down to the items mentioned the most and added some themes. We will start our series with map and navigation enhancements.
Waze Integration: Real-Time Insights for the Road Ahead
The potential integration of Waze into Tesla's navigation system is possibly already on its way. Tesla hacker, Green, has done some poking around in the code and found enough clues that have the reliable X user reporting Waze-like features are in the works.
Known for its user-generated real-time traffic reports, Waze could offer Tesla drivers valuable insights into speed camera locations, road conditions, traffic jams, and even hazards on the route. However, it is not a collaboration with Waze, Tesla is incorporating its own features - as usual. The difference in Tesla implementation is that users won’t have to manually mark road debris, accidents, etc. Instead, Tesla will automatically pick up such incidents using their vision system, and share the data with the fleet.
This would lead to more efficient route planning, helping drivers avoid unexpected delays and maximize Tesla's electric range. It's a move that emphasizes community and shared knowledge, aligning perfectly with Tesla's vision of a connected and environmentally conscious future.
Traffic Lights and Stop Signs on the Map
One of the most requested features is the integration of traffic lights and stop signs directly into Tesla's navigation maps. This addition is more than a mere convenience; it would provide needed situational awareness by displaying real-time visibility of traffic controls. Tesla drivers can anticipate stops and navigate more smoothly through complex intersections, leading to a safer and more efficient driving experience. Voice guidance could then leverage this new information and say things like, turn left at the traffic light, instead of having to rely solely on distance. This feature would help Tesla maps remain comparable to other mapping solutions like Google Maps and Apple Maps that already display these details.
Another navigation feature that appears to be coming soon is the continuous display of alternate routes as you drive, instead of just showing two or three routes when you begin your drive. Green found evidence of this enhancement back in October, in the 2023.38 update.
3D Buildings for Immersive Navigation
Owners would also like 3D buildings included in Tesla's maps; this is not just about aesthetics but context and clarity. Navigating through unfamiliar urban landscapes can be daunting. Including 3D buildings offers drivers a more intuitive understanding of their surroundings, making locating destinations and navigating busy city streets easier.
It's a feature that brings the virtual world closer to reality, providing a more natural and familiar way of viewing the world through the lens of technology. We have had some significant map upgrades in Korea that include some things more owners want to see globally.
This is just the beginning of a list that Tesla owners have provided. In our next entry to our wish list, we will look at what owners would like to see with autonomy.
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.
