Tesla has begun to offer the ambient lighting feature as a retrofit for certain Model Y vehicles in China.
The kit, including the installation, should cost ¥1,299, or approximately $180 USD. Tesla will have to conduct the installation in service by Tesla technicians. In order for the ambient lighting features to show up in the vehicle’s software, Tesla enables a flag in the vehicle’s firmware.
Ambient Lighting and Dash
This ambient lighting kit, like the updated Model Y in China, only covers the dash and doesn’t flow into the doors, so it’s a little different than the built-in ambient lighting that’s being offered with the refreshed Model 3 Highland and Cybertruck. It also doesn’t have the distinctive curve in the dash that’s in the updated Model 3. This ambient lighting feature is located much lower – at the lower edge of the dash, rather than the top edge in the new Model 3.
In terms of software, this kit should have all the same software options that the Model 3 and Cybertruck have for ambient lighting, including color options, as well as the upcoming brightness control and Night Mode for ambient lighting.
The dashboard upgrade removes the classic Model Y’s wooden dash trim that’s available elsewhere and replaces it with an updated light-grey fabric trim, similar to what’s available in the Model 3 Highland. However, this configuration with the fabric and ambient lighting is only available in China.
Availability
For now, this kit is only available to Model Y vehicles in China – and only a certain subset of them. Only Model Y vehicles built between January 24, 2022, and October 01, 2023, are eligible for the retrofit.
We’re assuming that this may be chalked down to a hardware difference in the electrical harness. Model Y vehicles built in China past October 1st, 2023 all come with Ambient Lighting pre-installed, and this kit is the same upgrade.
We’re not quite sure if this kit will ever make its way out of China – however, many Model Y vehicles in Europe and Canada are built in Giga Shanghai, which means they could also have the same required harness, making them eligible for the update. We’ll wait and see if this retrofit hits other markets in the near future.
In Tesla’s upcoming update, 2024.32.3, Tesla has added hands-free support for opening the vehicle’s frunk. This follows the Spring Update (2024.14), which added Hands-Free Trunk support for certain vehicles.
When hands-free trunk support was added earlier this year, it was supported on vehicles that include an ultra wideband chip, which includes the refresh Model S, new Model X, and the 2024 Model 3. Due to the hardware requirement, these will be the same vehicles that support the new Hands-Free Frunk feature. Legacy vehicles without UWB will unfortunately not support either feature due to the hardware requirement. UWB enables far more accurate tracking of the phone key, allowing Tesla to pinpoint its exact location relative to the vehicle.
The Cybertruck interestingly also includes an ultra wideband chip, however, it didn’t include the automatic opening of the gate earlier this year. However, we expect the Cybertruck to also receive the hands-free frunk opening in this 2024.32.3 update or relatively soon afterward.
Update: The Cybertruck is receiving hands-free frunk support in the 2024.32 update as well.
Hands-Free Frunk
The Hands-Free Frunk works similarly to the trunk feature – with an iPhone 11+ and a recent version of the app, you’ll be able to stand in front of your vehicle, and the Frunk will unlatch after sounding a chime. On some vehicles, the frunk will immediately open after being unlatched, however, you’ll need to manually close it.
This new feature isn’t enabled by default – you’ll need to go to Settings > Locks > Hands-Free Frunk to enable it.
At this time, Tesla doesn’t support UWB on Android devices, though both the Hands-Free Trunk and Hands-Free Frunk support will come to Android users in a future app update, according to Tesla.
Exclude Home
With the addition of the hands-free frunk opening, Tesla has also added a new option. You can now choose to disable the automatic opening when your vehicle is located at home to prevent you from accidentally opening. This will apply to the automatic frunk and trunk. In addition, in the Model X, you’ll also be able to disable the self-presenting doors at home. This is a great addition as many people have kept the hands-free feature disabled due to it awkwardly opening in the garage.
In the 2024.32.3 update, Tesla also mentions that they’ve improved the detection of the phone key, which should make the feature more reliable and faster when approaching the vehicle from the front or rear.
Following its recent launch in the United States and Canada, Tesla has launched their referral program in several European countries as well.
The program is available in Germany, Norway, France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and possibly others. The program is almost the same as the one available today in North America, with rewards for each referral and a discount for those referred. The cap in Europe is also ten per year.
This program comes right on the heels of a 0% financing offer for the Model Y in Sweden and France. While referrals aren't currently available in Sweden, the 0% financing still is.
European Referrals
The European Referral program accounts for country and local currency, where applicable.
Country
Referral Discount
Referral Award
UK
£1,000
£500
Germany, France, Netherlands
€1,000
€500
Norway
kr11,500
kr5,750
The referral reward program is comparable to the one available in North America. After exchange rates, there is only an approximately 10% difference between the available rewards in the US and EU.
Other Countries
We expect this program to start rolling out to other European countries over the next few days or weeks, as Tesla continues to expand its referral program.
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