Tesla to Add Support for Matrix Headlights in Existing Vehicles in Upcoming Software Update

The first-gen Model 3 and Model Y will soon have support for their matrix headlights

Not a Tesla App

According to a new document in the EU, Tesla is preparing to enable its matrix headlights on the current Model Y and first-gen Model 3.

The document, dated January 3, 2024, reveals that Tesla is introducing adaptive high-beam support to these vehicles, similar to what they recently released on the new Model 3.

A similar document was leaked in December that showed that Tesla was looking to add adaptive high beams to the new Model 3.

Software Update

In Tesla software update 2024.2, Tesla introduced support for adaptive headlights in their newest vehicle, the new Model 3.

While this was the first Tesla vehicle to receive support for adaptive high beams, it left many vehicle owners wondering whether Tesla would enable support for matrix headlights that have come on vehicles for several years. 

Supported Vehicles

According to this document, the approval is only for the Model 3 and Model Y. However, it’s almost certain that the update will also arrive on the Model S and Model X as well, although it could come in a separate, later update.

The first Model X vehicles with matrix headlights were delivered in June/July of 2023, while the Model 3, Model Y, and Model S have had matrix headlights for a longer period. Support on the Model 3 and Model Y has varied by region and model, so the best way to tell whether your vehicle has matrix headlights is to look at them. If you see a large, round projector lens like the image below, your vehicle has the new matrix headlights.

Matrix headlights

Not a Tesla App

Video of Adaptive Headlights on New Model 3

X user m.jr.88 posted a video (below) of his new Model 3 that has support for the new adaptive high beams feature. In the video, you can see how select parts of the road brighten and dim as vehicles approach.

Will It Be Available Outside of the EU?

Headlights play an important role in vehicle safety and therefore adaptive headlights are often highly regulated by safety agencies. Due to the leaked document, it appears the feature will be available across the European Union, however, it’s not immediately clear whether it will be available in other regions at the same time.

In 2022, the NHTSA issued a ruling that automakers could install adaptive headlights in their vehicles. However, there could be specifications that must be followed in the U.S. or another region that could differ from EU requirements.

Tesla would without a doubt want to make this feature available in as many regions as possible; however, potential adaptations may be necessary to align with local market nuances and regulatory requirements. At this time, we would expect matrix headlights to become available in the EU soon, with other potential markets available at the same time or soon thereafter.

Release Date

The original document for the new Model 3 was dated November 8th, 2023, so it was about two months before Tesla introduced the update that enabled adaptive high beams on the 2024 Model 3.

If Tesla follows a similar timeline, we may see support for matrix headlights in the next 4-6 weeks. Tesla could add it as soon as the next major update, which is expected to be version 2024.6 or 2024.8.

Update 2024.2, which includes support for the new Model 3 is still in the early stages of rolling out with only about 1% of Tesla's fleet having access to the update. However, we'll likely see bigger waves roll out in the next couple of weeks.

Adaptive High Beam Release Notes

The release notes for adaptive high beam support in update 2024.2 states that the high beams will now adjust to reduce glare for other drivers and cyclists. It goes on to say that by detecting road users and selectively dimming individual pixels of the headlights, the high beams can remain on longer and provide better visibility.

The new adaptive high beam feature is disabled by default but can be enabled in supported vehicles by going to Lighting > Adaptive High Beam in the vehicle's settings.

Follow

Follow

Follow

How to Create Your Own Custom Cybertruck Wrap for Visualizations

Not a Tesla App

One of the upcoming features of the 2024 Tesla Holiday Update is the ability for Tesla owners to make custom wraps for their vehicles. The wraps will be displayed in the vehicle’s visualizations and in the Tesla app. You’ll also be able to select one of the wraps Tesla has provided if you prefer not to make or download your own.

This feature will roll out to the Cybertruck next week with the Holiday update, but it will be available for other models in the future as well.

Making your own wrap is super easy and takes just a few minutes. It doesn’t even require any special tools or software because Tesla provided a template.

Making a Custom Wrap

We’ll walk you through the steps to create your custom wrap. All you’ll need is an image editing program and an image editing program.

Download the Template

Tesla has all the details on their Github repository for Custom Wraps, but you can simply download the template below and open it in your favorite image editor like Adobe Photoshop, GIMP or even Windows Paint on Windows 11. Any software that supports layers will work.

Image Editor

Open the template in your image editor and create a new layer on top of it. You’ll want to edit on this new layer, not on the template layer, which we’ll hide later.

The template, in all its glory.

Not a Tesla App

Create the Wrap

Go ahead and work your artistic magic—here, we’ve taken a graffiti rendition of Not A Tesla App and our logo and placed it within the template's bounds.

Flex those creative muscles!

Not a Tesla App

Hide the Template

Go ahead and hide the template layer - you can also delete the layer if you want. This standalone image doesn’t look like much, but this is what we need for the final step.

Looks a bit simple right?

Not a Tesla App

Export

You’ll want to export the image with transparency - so it needs to be a .png file. You'll be good to go as long as it's the same dimensions as the template. We’ve gone ahead and exported our custom NATA wrap here - feel free to download it and let us know how it looks once you get the 2024.44.25 update.

The completed product.

Not a Tesla App

A couple of technical limitations:

• The image must be 1024x768 pixels.

• File Size max is 1MB.

• You can’t use any special characters in the file name, and it must be shorter than 30 characters.

• PNG is the only acceptable file format

• You can load up to 10 images on your USB drive

Add Wrap to USB Drive

The last, and easiest step. Grab your USB drive, and create a folder called “Wraps” at the root level of the drive. Place your images in there, and you’re all set.

Load a Custom Wrap

Not a Tesla App

After placing the images on your USB drive and inserting it in your vehicle, you can then open Toybox > Paint Shop, and tap on Wrap. From there select your wrap from the custom list of images.

Follow

Follow

Follow

Tesla Confirms Custom Wraps & License Plate Visualization Coming to Other Models

Not a Tesla App

Tesla’s upcoming Holiday update introduces exciting new personalization features, giving you even more ways to customize your vehicle.

Building on the existing Colorizer feature, which lets you change the car’s color, the update will allow you to add a custom wrap and a license plate to the vehicle’s visualization. Both of these features will affect the vehicle's visualization on the screen and in the Tesla app.

While these features were originally announced to be exclusive to the Cybertruck, Tesla has now clarified and said that they will be available for other models in a future update. We expect them to be introduced for the Model 3 (new and old), Model Y, and the redesigned Model S and Model X.

Wrap & license plate customization coming to other models in future updates

— Cybertruck (@cybertruck) December 3, 2024

Custom Wrap Visualization

Tesla announced custom wrap visualizations as part of the 2024 Holiday update for the Cybertruck. They’ve provided a template and instructions on how to design your own custom wrap and also included a few in-house designs, including the “unhinged” Doge wrap, the Cybertruck Graffiti wraps from the Baja Off-Road testing, and the Release Candidate wraps, amongst plenty of other simple ones. In all, it looks like Tesla will be providing 27 designs.

However, making your own wrap is actually very simple, and we’ll be providing instructions on how to create your own. Once these arrive for other vehicles, the instructions will likely be the same.

License Plate Visualization

Not a Tesla App

You’ll also be able to create custom license plates to show on your vehicle visualization. You’ll be able to choose custom text, and then also include a background - with plain colors, a stock image, or upload your own image.

If you have custom plates in real life, this is your chance to make your visualization perfectly match your vehicle.

Release for Other Models

Tesla hasn’t provided a timeline but said the feature would arrive in “future updates” in their post on X. It seems that it won’t be arriving with the upcoming Holiday update for all vehicles but will instead make its way to the S3XY lineup over the next few months.

We expect it to arrive sometime in early 2025. We’re super excited to see these come to more vehicles, so in the meantime, show us your best custom Cybertruck wrap on social media or our forums.

Follow

Follow

Follow