If you’ve mistakenly put normal tires on your Tesla, you quickly understand why special EV tires are needed. It may also be the closest you’ll get to what Fred Flinstone’s car must’ve sounded like. The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has announced the launch of the Goodyear ElectricDrive 2. This innovative tire, unveiled at CES 2024, is poised to elevate the driving experience for EV owners.
Listening to EV Owners
Goodyear has listened to EV drivers' needs. Recent consumer research conducted by the company highlights two critical aspects for EV owners: a quiet ride and exceptional wet-road performance. The ElectricDrive 2 addresses these needs with its SoundComfort Technology. This built-in sound barrier significantly reduces interior vehicle noise, a particularly beneficial feature for inherently quieter EVs.
The all-season tire also boasts an asymmetric tread pattern designed to optimize grip and responsiveness on both wet and dry roads. This feature is crucial for EVs like Tesla, known for their rapid acceleration and need for responsive handling. The long-lasting tread compound is another standout, crafted to endure and provide more mileage for EV drivers – a vital attribute considering the instant torque and potential for quicker tread wear in EVs.
Sustainability is a Priority
Many EV drivers are environmentally conscious. Therefore, the ElectricDrive 2, an all-season tire, is not just any addition to Goodyear's acclaimed lineup. The new tire comprises at least 50% of its composition derived from sustainable materials. This includes using soybean oil, rice husk ash silica, and sustainably sourced natural rubber. Such a leap in sustainable manufacturing is a significant step towards a greener future, aligning perfectly with the ethos of Tesla and its user base, who value eco-friendly innovations.
Aerodynamics and efficiency are also at the forefront of the ElectricDrive 2's design. The tire features an aerodynamic sidewall and an innovative compound that lowers aerodynamic drag and enables lower rolling resistance. This particularly benefits the range-conscious EV driver, as reduced rolling resistance can translate to extended driving range. Considering the range was just adjusted for a few Tesla models, these new tires are a welcome addition.
The Goodyear ElectricDrive 2 is set to hit the markets in May 2024 and will be available in 17 sizes to fit a range of consumer EV sedans and CUVs. This tire represents a significant leap forward in performance, sustainability, and driving pleasure for Tesla owners and EV enthusiasts.
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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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