Tesla Makes Surprising Move: Drastically Reduces Speakers in Model Y RWD Variant

Tesla is reducing the speakers in the RWD Model Y from 14 to 7 and a single amplifier

Tesla

Tesla's approach to vehicle design has been about delivering maximum enjoyment, encapsulated in its aim to make cars "the most fun you can have in a vehicle." That’s why it's such a head-scratcher that the company has removed speakers from the most popular car in its lineup.

The Model Y RWD now includes a "Custom Audio" system, scaling down to seven speakers with a single amplifier and, notably, the absence of a subwoofer (h/t Drive Tesla Canada). This reduction from the previously lauded 13-speaker arrangement, including a subwoofer and two amplifiers, marks a significant shift in Tesla's audio offering for this model.

Audio Downgrade Detailed

The change raises questions about the impact on the overall audio experience, especially given Tesla's emphasis on the sound quality in their vehicles as part of the fun driving experience. Tesla has invested significantly in audio technology, drawing expertise from high-end audio brands like Bang & Olufsen.

The company’s dedication was highlighted in a Tesla-produced video showcasing the meticulous engineering behind its sound systems. The video emphasized the substantial size of the subwoofer in the Model Y and its integration into the vehicle's design, enhancing the overall audio experience without compromising space or aesthetics.

This RWD Model Y initially shared the same Premium Audio sound system as its Long Range and Performance counterparts, featuring 15 speakers, including two amplifiers and a subwoofer. This setup was somewhat unexpected since Tesla typically reserves high-end audio equipment for its upper-tier models. The subsequent reduction of speakers to 14 in late 2021, with the removal of the center instrument panel speaker, was considered an imperceptible change by Tesla. However, the newest adjustment is more substantial.

Other Models Impacted?

One can only assume the Model 3 will get the same treatment. However, the refreshed Model 3 is starting to show up in North America. Its upgraded stereo system has been well documented. Reducing this incredible system in entry-level RWD Model 3 would be a shame.

Interestingly, this update is specific to North America's Model Y RWD versions. The European Model Y RWD, manufactured at Giga Shanghai or Giga Berlin, retains the Premium Audio sound system. The LR and Performance variants of the Model Y continue to be equipped with the original 13-speaker system, including a subwoofer and dual amplifiers.

Tesla has not specified which seven speakers remain in the Model Y RWD's revised audio setup. With the change only recently added to the website, it may take some time before the first deliveries of the Model Y with the updated sound system occur, allowing for a comprehensive assessment of the new audio quality.

Tesla's decision to modify the Model Y RWD's audio system aligns with its strategy of varying features across different models, and it stands in contrast to its well-established commitment to exceptional sound quality. This development is particularly intriguing given the company's reputation for creating vehicles that deliver an exceptional and fun driving experience, of which the audio system has been a significant component.

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Is Tesla Planning to Add Steam Support to All Vehicles?

Not a Tesla App

Yesterday, we reported that Tesla updated their Steam integration on Model S and Model X vehicles. The update was part of their 2024 Holiday Update, but it looks like there may be more to this than a simple update.

Steam, a video game library app, makes it easy for users to buy or launch games on their computers. However, a couple of years ago, Valve, who created Steam, launched their own standalone device, the Steam Deck. The Steam Deck runs a custom OS based on Linux.

Steam Launch

When Tesla launched the redesigned Model S and Model X, Tesla introduced a dedicated gaming GPU with 16GB of RAM and touted the ability to play top-tier PC games in Tesla vehicles.

In 2022, Tesla finally launched the Steam app for the Model S and Model X as part of its 2022 Holiday Update. The Steam app runs Steam OS, the same OS as the Steam Deck in a virtual environment.

However, earlier this year, Tesla stopped including the GPU and Steam (Beta) in their vehicles, and we haven’t seen any updates to the Steam in quite some time. In fact, we thought Tesla was axing their gaming-on-the-go dreams.

SteamOS Update

The Steam app, which is still in Beta, is getting an interesting update for the Model S and Model X vehicles with the discrete GPU.

Those vehicles received an update to SteamOS 3.6 - the same version of SteamOS that runs on the Steam Deck. While nothing has visually changed, there’s a long list of performance optimizations under the hood to get things running smoother.

Comparing Steam Deck to Tesla Vehicles

Let’s take a look at the Steam Deck - according to Valve, its onboard Zen4 CPU and GPU combined push a total of 2 TFlops of data, which is fairly respectable, but much lower than today’s home consoles. The Steam Deck is capable of 720p gaming fairly seamlessly on low-to-medium settings on the go and is also built on the AMD platform.

AMD-equipped Teslas, including the Model 3 and Model Y, are packing an older Zen+ (Zen 1.5) APU (processor with a combined CPU and GPU). AMD claims that the V1000 - the same embedded chip as on AMD Tesla vehicles (YE1807C3T4MFB), brings up to 3.6 TFLops of processing power with it, including 4K encoding and decoding with the integrated GPU on board.

While that’s not enough for 4K gaming or comparable to a full-blown console or desktop GPU, that’s enough raw horsepower for light gaming and is currently more powerful than the Steam Deck.

The Model S and Model X’s GPU brings that up to about 10TFlops of power - comparable to modern consoles like the Xbox Series X at 12 TFlops.

Steam Gaming for All Vehicles?

The fact that Tesla is updating SteamOS even though the feature is no longer available in any new vehicles could indicate that Tesla is not only bringing Steam back to Teslas but that it’s going to play a much bigger role.

While SteamOS is run in a virtual environment on top of Tesla’s own OS, we could see Tesla bring SteamOS to all of its current vehicles, including the Model 3, Model Y, and Cybertruck. Steam in these vehicles would likely support any game that’s capable of running on the Steam Deck.

We think this Steam update, which includes performance improvements and a variety of fixes, has quietly passed under most people’s radars. This could be a very exciting update for those who enjoy gaming, especially for those who love to do it in their Tesla.

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Tesla Holiday Update Weather Features: All the Small Details

Robert Rosenfeld / YouTube

As part of Tesla’s 2024 Holiday Update, Tesla included two awesome new features - Weather at Destination and the long-awaited Weather Radar Overlay. These two features are big upgrades built upon the weather feature that was added in update 2024.26. The original weather feature added an hourly forecast, as well as the chance of precipitation, UV index, Air Quality Index, and other data.

However, this update also added some smaller weather touches, such as the vehicle alerting you if the weather at the destination will be drastically different from the current weather.

Not a Tesla App

Weather At Destination

When you’re navigating to a destination and viewing the full navigation direction list, the text under the arrival time will show you the expected weather next to your destination. You can also tap this, and the full weather pop-up will show up, showing your destination's full set of weather information.

Note the weather under the arrival time

Not a Tesla App

You can also tap the weather icon at the top of the interface at any time and tap Destination to switch between the weather at your current location and the weather at your destination.

You’re probably considering that the weather at your destination doesn’t matter when you’re three hours away - but that’s all taken into account by the trip planner. It will add in both charge time and travel time and show you the weather at your destination at your expected arrival time.

And if the weather is drastically different or inclement, such as rain or snow, while you’ve got sunshine and rainbows - the weather will be shown above the destination ETA for a few moments before it tucks itself away.

Tesla also recently introduced a new voice command. Asking, “What’s the weather?” or something similar will now bring up Tesla’s weather popup.

The weather pop-up above the ETA

Not a Tesla App

One limitation, though—if you’re planning a long road trip that is more than a day of driving, the weather at destination feature won’t be available until you get closer.

Weather Radar Overlay

As part of the improvements to weather, Tesla has also added a radar overlay for precipitation. You can access the new radar overlay by tapping the map and then tapping the weather icon on the right side of the map. It’ll bring up a radar overlay centered on your vehicle. It’ll animate through the radar data over the last 3 hours so that you can see the direction of the storm, but you can also pause it at any point.

You’re able to scroll around in this view and see the weather anywhere, even if you zoom out. It also works while you’re driving, although it can be a little confusing if you’re trying to pay attention to the navigation system. If you like to have Points of Interest enabled on your map, the weather overlay will hide POIs except for Charging POIs.

Requirements / Data

Unfortunately, you’ll need Premium Connectivity for any of the weather features to work, and being on WiFi or using a hotspot will not be enough to get the data to show up. The data, including the weather radar, is provided by The Weather Channel.

As for supported models, weather and weather at destination are available on all vehicles except for the 2012-2020 Model S and Model X. The weather radar has more strict requirements and requires the newer AMD Ryzen-powered infotainment center available on the 2021+ Model S and Model X and more recent Model 3 and Model Y vehicles.

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