Tesla's 2023 Holiday (Christmas) Update: Top Features

Tesla's holiday update is going out to the entire fleet

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Tesla’s 2023 holiday update has rolled out to about half of Tesla’s fleet and if you haven’t received it yet, then you’ll likely receive it in the next couple of days.

While not every vehicle will get every feature, in this article we’ll run through images and video of the biggest features packed into this update.

Alternate Routes

Tesla released alternate routes in 2022, which lets you view two to three routes to your destination at the start of your trip.

Now they're enhancing the feature by letting you view alternate routes at any point.

Unlike Google Maps, Tesla doesn't show how each turn can affect your time of arrival. Instead, you can tap the next turn button at the top of the navigation display to display alternate routes from your current location.

The map will zoom out and display up to three routes from your current location to your destination. You can either continue with your current route, which is selected in blue or pick an alternate route to continue on your way.

Park Assist Upgrade

We've already seen a few videos demonstrating the most exciting feature of the holiday update, the new high-fidelity park assist.

Not only does the new park assist reconstruct your surroundings in 3D on the display - letting you pan and zoom in on them on the display, but it also displays parking spot lines, making it easier to center and park your vehicle. In addition, your vehicle now displays reverse target lines when backing up, similar to what is shown on the reverse camera screen.

Funny how owners of cars with ultrasonics were boasting that theirs were better than vision-only Teslas, and today, they are praying to whiskey for the software update that deemed vision-only Teslas decisively better than USS cars. That, is Tesla. pic.twitter.com/JpNwXBL4tQ

— Yaman Tasdivar (@ValueAnalyst1) December 17, 2023

Apple Podcasts

Apple Podcasts, the default app on iPhones to listen to podcasts has now been added to your Tesla. Using this new app doesn't require an Apple Music subscription, however, it does require you to have an Apple account. Non-Apple users can create an Apple account and sign in, as an iPhone is not required.

If you do already use the Apple Podcasts app on your iPhone then it will automatically load your settings, the podcasts you subscribe to, and even your progress of episode.

If you're a fan of podcasts, you may want to consider using it since it may be the easiest way to keep tabs on your favorite podcasts and easily resume any episode during a future drive.

Controller Rumble Support & Game Updates

I don't see a lot of people talking about the Tesla Arcade Updates feature. Maybe it gets lost in the shuffle, but Tesla has now added rumble support for PS4, PS5 and Xbox controllers in select games.

In addition to that, several Tesla Arcade games have received some significant upgrades, including Beach Buggy Racing, which now lets you drive with the Cybertruck, among a list of other Teslas.

There are also updates to Polytopia and Vampire Survivors, as well as the addition of Castle Doombad. The last two require an infotainment system powered with the Ryzen chip (MCU 3).

I didn’t notice the new font size. Too busy with Beach Buggy Racing 2! pic.twitter.com/OEOj6ZhXPC

— Norm! 🇨🇦 (@TankyBashem) December 17, 2023

Speed Cameras and Traffic Light icons

Tesla is catching up to the likes of Apple and Google Maps by adding the ability to view traffic lights and stop signs on the map. Technically traffic lights were already there, but you had to zoom in extremely close to be able to see them. However, Tesla isn't stopping there.

Various types of speed cameras are now also displayed on the map, but similar to stop signs and traffic lights, they'll only be displayed along your vehicle's route, so you'll need to have a destination set.

This new feature does require a subscription to Tesla’s premium connectivity package, which leads us to believe that Tesla is sourcing this data from an existing provider.

You can now view stop signs, traffic lights and speed camera locations along your route

DirtyTesla / TeslaRedThunder

More Cameras in your app

You can now view additional live cameras from the Tesla app. In fact, with this update, you can now practically view any camera. The only cameras not accessible are the alternative front-facing cameras such as the narrow beam and the wide angle lens, however, those would be of limited value.

With this update, you can view the B-pillar cameras in addition to the fender (repeater) cameras.

Keep in mind that this addition is only for the live view feature from the Tesla app. Sentry Mode and the Dashcam feature will not record these additional camera views.

Multiple Light Shows on a Single USB Drive

In the 2023 holiday update, Tesla continues to refine and update its Light Show feature. The Light Show feature started exclusively for the Model X as an easter egg, and it wasn't customizable, although it was a crowd-attracting feature as the Model X flapped its falcon-wing doors up and down to the sound of music.

Last year, Tesla added the Light Show to all their vehicles and allowed owners to create their own shows. However, if you wanted to experiment with multiple light shows, you'd quickly frown at the process that had you unpluging your USB drive, replacing the light show with a new one, and plugging it back into your vehicle.

Thankfully, with this update you can now load multiple light shows onto a single USB drive and then select your preferred light show from a menu in the car.

To do so, simply create a folder named "LightShow" and add your individual light shows to this directory.

Automatic Blind Spot

Automatic Blind Spot is another enhancement to some of Tesla's existing features. If you use the blind spot camera feed, the side of the camera feed will be shaded red, bringing more attention that a vehicle is in your blind spot.

Tesla's updated blind spot monitor

MERICATHEDREAM

Custom Lock Sounds

This addition adds the ability to change your vehicle's lock sound from the standard horn to any custom sound. To accomplish this, the car plays a sound through its external speaker which is normally used for the pedestrian warning system, which is normally used to play a light sound when your vehicle is traveling at low speeds.

You can pick from one of the preset lock sounds or upload your own to the car's external USB drive that's usually located in the glove box. You can use the same USB drive that you already use for Sentry Mode or the Dashcam.

You'll need to find or download a sound file in Wave (.wav) format and name it "LockChime.wav". Simply add it to the root (top level) directory of the USB drive.

With the @Tesla Holiday Update rollout in full swing, one of the fun features is the ability to set custom lock sounds. Have you already thought about what custom lock sounds you are going to pick? Here is my choice which I think shows my age a bit haha 😅 🔒🔉 pic.twitter.com/Gj6ABrb5hg

— Dan Burkland (@DBurkland) December 17, 2023

Although this year's holiday update may not be as exciting as some previous updates that overhauled the user interface, it still brings several enhancements that will be useful in day-to-day driving.

Park Assist will continue to improve and will roll out additional vehicles in the future. We also expect Tesla to continue to develop the feature and use it for future visualizations and to support Summon and AutoPark for vehicles without ultrasonic sensors in the future.

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The Best 3D Printed Tesla Accessories

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If you’ve got a 3D printer or know a friend who does, this article is for you. We’ve gathered some of the best 3D-printed Tesla accessories and toys for Tesla owners.

We’ll feature some utilitarian accessories for your Tesla and then cover some fun items later. The links provided are all to Prusa’s Printables website and are safe to visit and download.

As a note, mostly everything should be printed in either ASA, PETG, or ABS unless you’re planning to use them indoors. PLA won’t withstand the heat in your vehicle and will warp and break. There are some places you can use PLA without a worry, though, so we’ve gone ahead and made recommendations for each item.

Car Charging

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First on our list is a wall-mounted cable organizer that also fits the NACS adapter right in. We recommend using any filament for an indoor mount, but if you’re mounting outdoors and exposed to the sun, ASA or PETG are better choices. Be sure to choose a high infill percentage to keep the organizer sturdy.

Next up is for folks who need to regularly get their cable outside through their garage door. This garage door cable protector keeps the cable from getting squished when the garage door closes.

Not a Tesla App

There’s also this great holder for your J1772 adapter that lets it fit snugly in the door pocket. Tesla actually sells this product too, but you can just print your own instead.

Once again, use ASA or PETG due to sunlight and heat exposure.

Phone and Airpods Charging

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There are other accessories that could make charging your phone or wireless headphones easier. Most Teslas feature wireless phone chargers that fit most phones. However, if you’d like to charge your AirPods or a smaller phone, it may not work out so well. You can use these adapters to charge AirPods and Galaxy Buds.

There are even spacers for Tesla’s wireless charger to help position smaller phones in the correct spot. These may work okay in PLA if you don’t leave them exposed to the sun, but PETG is a better option.

Interior

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There are also plenty of functional utilities for the inside of your vehicle. The Model 3 and Model Y have large, open vents underneath the front seats to get conditioned air into the back. This vent cover adds a grate to the vents, preventing small things from falling side. It’s applicable for either the Model 3 (non-refresh) and the Model Y, also non-refresh. Any filament will do for this since it won’t be in direct sunlight.

If you need somewhere to hang some bags, here’s a bag hook for the Model Y. You’ll need a cargo shelf mount for this to attach to. Print it in PETG or ASA.

There’s also a variety of console trays to pick from. The author personally uses this center console tray with a J1772 slot, and this second one as the other console tray. If you’ve got a Model S or Model X instead, this console tray would work for you.

Tools & Etc.,

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One of the best tools for any owner with a hitch installed – a hitch tool. This tool makes it easy to open up the hitch cover. There are no recommendations on the filament here, but stronger is better.

Here’s another super tool if you don’t have one — a windshield washer fluid funnel. It can be difficult to fill up your washer fluid without spilling, so if you don’t already have a funnel, this could be a good option. You can print this in PLA and just leave it in the frunk, as even a little deformation won’t matter.

Not a Tesla App

Wheels

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If you have Tesla’s Aero covers but don’t use them year-round, this is a nice accessory to hang them on the wall. There are also other accessories to cover up the Aero center cap and lug nuts when you do use them. You can print the hangers in PLA, but you’ll absolutely want the center caps and lug nuts in ASA or ABS.

Fun Stuff

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Ok, now on to all the fun stuff. There are a ton of different Tesla models to print. There’s an RC Cybertruck (best in ABS) and a Cybertruck model kit card (PLA). If you’re up for something in between, you can check out this model kit instead, which bridges the gap.

There’s also wall art and a great Supercharger for your phone. You can print all these in anything you’d like.

There’s also a lot more available on Printables (or your site of choice) than the ones we’ve highlighted here. This is just a small tidbit of some of the cool and unique stuff that’s available.

If you have some other awesome ideas or have designed something yourself, let us know on social media.

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Tesla Software Update 2025.2 -- The Lesser Known Features (Undocumented Changes)

@TeslaNewswire

Another Tesla update has finished rolling out to the fleet and we once again have a list of undocumented features in this update. Tesla update 2025.2 was the first update of the year and it brought along features such as wiper improvements for the Cybertruck, support for the cabin radar, and third-party charger preconditioning.

However, other changes made it into the release as well but weren’t mentioned in the release notes. If you love following Tesla software changes or just want to be aware of all changes in your vehicle, these will help keep you updated.

Autopilot Warnings

Tesla has now carried over some of the updated warnings from FSD to regular Autopilot.

Warnings such as “Autopilot will not brake” when the accelerator pedal is actively pressed and others will now be presented at the top in a translucent rectangle, instead of near the bottom, where they can be easily missed.

Supercharger Notification

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After using a Supercharger, your vehicle will now display a notification with the total cost of the charging session. In addition to the cost, the alert will also display the location, total energy added, and the cost per kW/h.

This is a really nice addition as it brings the price of the charging session front and center when it matters most — as soon as you’re done charging. Previously, you could navigate to Controls > Charging to see the cost of charging.

Recommended Tire Pressure

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The Tire Pressure card on the Model 3 and Model Y will now show you the recommended tire pressure in the bottom left corner of the card. It continues to display the tire pressure reading for each wheel.

Service Mode

Max Bracco / X

As usual, Service Mode sees several improvements to make serving your vehicle easier.

Brake Burnishing: The Brake Burnish procedure parameters have been updated to reduce the need for coming to almost a complete stop during each cycle.

Legacy Model S and Model X only.

Charge Port Calibration: The charge port door calibration routine (PROC_CP_X_DOOR-SENSOR-CALIBRATION) and charge port latch calibration route (PROC_CP_X_LATCH-CALIBRATION) have been added to the Charging panel. Those routines are required to be run following the replacement of the charge port or charge port door.

All Model 3s and Model Ys.

Signal Viewer Panel: A new Signal Viewer panel is available to monitor multiple signal values live on a graph. If one or more of the signal values is unavailable, the graph will stop updating. To access the new panel, tap Tools > Signal Viewer.

All vehicles with AMD Ryzen.

Noise Recording Panel: To improve the user experience, the recording duration has been decreased to 30 seconds, and reliability of the download routine PROC_ICE_X_FETCH-DIAGNOSTIC-AUDIO-RECORDS has been improved.

Cybertruck only.

Next Update

If you want to read about the official changes in this update, check out our release notes for 2025.2.

Tesla has now started pushing software update 2025.8, but it’s currently only going out to a very small segment of vehicles. It’ll soon go out to more owners in larger waves, but if you’re interested in seeing what’s coming take a look at our 2025.8 update release notes and the undocumented features we’re aware of so far.

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