Tesla, a company known for not using conventional marketing strategies, appears to have launched its first full social media campaign. X users reported seeing ads on different platforms worldwide, including X, which is, of course, owned by Tesla CEO Elon Musk. However, advertisements have been popping up on YouTube and Facebook.
As Tesla ventures into social media advertising, the company is simultaneously preparing for a year that CEO Elon Musk anticipates might see lower growth rates. During the most recent earnings call, Musk provided insights into Tesla's strategic direction for 2024, emphasizing the company's position between two major growth waves. Despite this forecast, Tesla is actively implementing strategies to maintain its momentum and ensure long-term success.
A Strategic Shift in Tesla's Strategy
Although not the first instance of Tesla delving into advertising, the company's recent move to include social media platforms marks a significant expansion of its marketing efforts. Previously, Tesla tested the waters with targeted Google ads, primarily in the UK and the US, focusing on search engine visibility. These initial steps were indicative of Tesla's cautious approach to advertising, aiming to gauge its effectiveness without committing substantial resources.
The recent earnings call shed light on Tesla's advertising and educational campaigns' preliminary results and return on investment. Tesla did have a digital campaign underway at the end of 2023 that was highly targeted and aimed at driving awareness about the brand and its products.
These campaigns, particularly one in Texas, reached approximately 10 million unique viewers and generated close to 0.5 million visits to Tesla's website, many of whom were first-time visitors. This data suggests that digital advertising can significantly enhance Tesla's visibility and address misconceptions about EVs, including concerns about safety and affordability.
This expansion aligns with Musk's comments during the earnings call about the need to increase awareness in regions where Tesla's market share is low. Using a mix of social media platforms, Tesla can tailor its messaging to different audiences, ensuring its campaigns resonate with diverse consumers.
The Impact of Digital Advertising on EV Awareness
The strategic focus on digital advertising comes at a crucial time for Tesla and the EV industry. As competition intensifies and market dynamics evolve, Tesla must recognize the importance of addressing affordability, enhancing awareness, and correcting misconceptions about electric vehicles. The company's digital campaigns highlight EVs' benefits, such as their environmental impact, advanced technology, safety features, and increasingly competitive pricing.
By leveraging social media platforms' reach and targeting capabilities, Tesla can effectively communicate these messages to a global audience, potentially accelerating the shift toward sustainable transportation. This approach also allows Tesla to gather valuable consumer behavior and preferences data, informing future marketing and product development strategies.
New Buyers While Keeping the Loyal Customers Happy
The advertising campaign comes just one day after the company announced a significant offering to entice current owners to upgrade. Notably, Tesla now allows the transfer of Full Self-Driving (FSD) packages and supercharging benefits to new vehicles purchased by existing customers. The new cars must be delivered by the end of March.
While Tesla prepares for a year of potentially lower growth in 2024, its strategic moves highlight its proactive approach to overcoming challenges. By focusing on innovation, enhancing customer value propositions, and leveraging social media platforms for advertising, Tesla is taking comprehensive steps to ensure its resilience and long-term success.
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest Tesla news, upcoming features and software updates.
Tesla maintains two primary software branches: the main feature branch and the FSD branch. In general, the FSD branch lags behind on new features pushed to the main branch but provides a more recent FSD version.
However, now Tesla is updating the main branch to a much more recent version of FSD.
Current FSD Build & Shadow Mode
Nowadays, the main branch always includes an older but stable build of FSD. It’s been on FSD V12.3.6 since July 2024. So, if you subscribe to FSD in North America, this is the FSD version you’ll receive until you get added to the FSD track.
Even if you don’t subscribe to or have purchased FSD, your vehicle has v12.3.6 on it. That includes vehicles in regions where FSD isn’t available for general use, such as Europe and China. In those cases, FSD runs in Shadow Mode, providing training data to Tesla if you’ve agreed to their data privacy policies. So Tesla is always analyzing what the vehicle would do compared to what the driver does. When there are contradictions, these are the clips and data Tesla will want to analyze.
FSD V12.5.4.2 on Main Branch
For the first time in five months, Tesla has now updated the baseline version of FSD in the main branch. The new version included with 2024.44 updates is FSD v12.5.4.2. This Tesla is updating the baseline FSD version to FSD V12.5.4.2
FSD 12.5 includes many features for a much smoother experience compared to FSD 12.3.6. Many users will appreciate that it gets rid of the steering wheel nag and instead relies on the cabin camera to provide real-time driver monitoring. This version also includes support for sunglasses with driver monitoring. It’ll be a big upgrade for anyone coming from FSD 12.3.6.
It's always a good thing when Tesla updates the baseline FSD version—that means that Tesla is confident that this new baseline is considerably safer and will continue to train the fleet against it.
What Update Am I Getting?
If you’re already on FSD V12.5.4.2, you’ll likely remain on that FSD build unless V13.3 manages to make its way to the public as Tesla originally planned, but that’s unlikely to happen before the Thanksgiving holiday. In all likelihood, you’ll be getting update 2024.44, which will give you some additional Tesla features while keeping you on the same FSD version.
For those who are already on 2024.44 - if you subscribe now, you’ll have V12.5.4.2 enabled on your vehicle.
If you have a Cybertruck, then you’ll receive update 2024.39.5 with FSD V12.5.5.3. They’re on a unique build for the moment, and this will likely be the case until Tesla acquires enough training data from the Cybertruck fleet.
The Cybertruck is having an eventful November. Just last week, we shared the news that Tesla isn’t offering their in-house wrap service for the Cybertruck anymore; the Foundation Series is now available in inventory in select US locations, Crossbars have arrived, and faster charging is around the corner. Now there’s even more to discuss about the stainless steel beast.
Projection Puddle Lights
Like the recently launched puddle lights for the Model 3 and Model Y, Tesla has introduced a set of add-on Projector Puddle Lights for the Cybertruck. These Cybertruck-specific ones go for $75 USD, or $105 CAD and are available in both the Canadian and US Tesla stores.
However, these don’t have the Tesla wordmark - instead, they feature the iconic Cybertruck symbol and, in our opinion, look even nicer. Here’s to hoping Tesla also introduces a set with the graffiti-style Cybertruck wordmark.
Powershare in Canada
While the Foundation Series Cybertruck has been getting delivered in Canada since November 7th, there was no news on Powershare being supported due to regulatory constraints. On the 20th, Foundation Series owners in Canada began to receive emails to get their Powershare installs started through Tesla’s official installer - Qmerit.
More to follow on pricing and the process as we receive our Canadian quote from Qmerit soon.
FSD in Canada
The Cybertruck Program Manager, Siddhant Awasthi, confirmed that with Powershare now becoming available, FSD for the Cybertruck in Canada will also become available soon. Canadian trucks shipped with a factory software build that didn’t include FSD, but did include TACC and stoplight/traffic control.
Early this morning Tesla began rolling out a new version of FSD 12.5.5.3 for the Cybertruck, which is update 2024.39.5. Will this be the version that rolls out in Canada?
Update: Yesterday, Tesla started rolling out FSD on the Cybertruck in Canada for the first time. The update being rolled out is update 2024.39.5, which not only features the latest FSD available on the Cybertruck, version 12.5.5.3, but it also includes all the features update 2024.38, which includes the huge Sentry Mode improvements that reduce power consumption by about 40%.
Following Integrated Flight Test 6 for SpaceX’s Starship, Elon Musk confirmed that uncrewed Starships are likely to begin making their way to Mars in about 2 years. You’re probably going to ask what’s going to be in those Starships - that’s what Brett Winston on X asked as well. Elon confirmed that Cybertrucks and Optimus robots will be among some of the first items landing on Mars.
That’s a ton of awesome news for Cybertruck, and there’s absolutely going to be more around the corner, especially as we await the big Tesla Holiday Update. While you wait, why not take a look at our Holiday Update Wishlists?
![Tesla Cybertruck: Puddle Lights, FSD/Powershare, Mars? [Update: FSD Now Available in Canada]](https://www.notateslaapp.com/img/containers/article_images/cybertruck/ct_puddle_lights.jpg/003e03bf5f8ad3660801db3b8a52d222/ct_puddle_lights.jpg)
![First Look at Tesla’s New 'Blind Spot While Parked' Feature [VIDEO]](https://www.notateslaapp.com/img/containers/article_images/model-3-2024/blind-spot-indicator-monitor.jpg/4cdcb11af7b1c7cf021ba96588fd4f1a/blind-spot-indicator-monitor.jpg)
![Elon talks about Twitter and job cuts at Bloomberg forum [video]](https://www.notateslaapp.com/images/news/2022/elon-musk-qatar-forum_300w.jpg)
