Tesla Users Can Now Use Spotify With a Free Account in Update 2024.38

October 18, 2024

By Karan Singh

Not a Tesla App

With Tesla software update 2024.38 and up, Tesla and Spotify have added the ability to use Spotify in the vehicle with a free Spotify account. While this has been a downgrade in Europe and Oceania, in North America, it’ll be a welcomed addition.

Spotify Premium

Owners in North America were required to log in with a Premium Spotify account to use Spotify inside their Teslas.

However, starting with the 2024.38 update, users in North America can enjoy Spotify for free, but with some limitations. The free version of Spotify will include ads, have limited skips, and users will be unable to play songs in a specific order or organize their listening queue.

No More Free Premium

In Europe and Oceania, Tesla previously bundled a Spotify Premium subscription with Premium Connectivity, while in North America, Tesla offered a free premium version of LiveOne Radio (previously known as Streaming in the vehicle). However, both of these premium plans went away

However, both of these premium plans are going away as Tesla stops bundling subscription audio services with its Premium Connectivity services.

This appears to be a cost-saving measure, but it’s not unexpected. Since Tesla now includes a variety of music streaming services in the vehicle and music subscriptions have become more popular, it makes less sense for Tesla to pay for a premium subscription for each owner.

Tesla’s Premium Connectivity offers plenty of features, though, including music and video streaming without a hotspot and a host of other features which include:

Internet Browser
Caraoke
Satellite View Maps
Live Traffic Visualizations
Traffic Along Route
Traffic Lights and Speed Cameras on the map
Traffic in the Trip Progress Bar
Critical Sentry Mode videos in the Tesla app
Sentry Mode Live Access
Zoom Meetings and more

That’s a lot of features, but only you can judge whether it’s worth the $99 yearly subscription cost. Depending on the feature, you may also be able to use it by connecting to your phone’s hotspot or a local WiFi network.

While the loss of a premium LiveOne or Spotify subscription will be a bummer to some, many users in North America will be able to access Spotify with a free account for the first time.

While a Premium version of Spotify costs $12/month, it does include ad-free music, higher audio quality, unlimited skips and more.

Overall, the one positive takeaway here is that anyone can now use their free Spotify account without also needing Premium Connectivity to take advantage of it. That’s a pretty good deal for those who use their phones to tether and provide Wi-Fi to their cars!

Tesla To Launch Four New Battery Cells in 2026

October 17, 2024

By Karan Singh

Not a Tesla App

According to an article published by The Information in early October, Tesla intends to introduce four new types of 4680 batteries in 2026. We already know that Tesla has been working hard on new batteries. The Cybercell - the upgraded 4680, is already a new design meant specifically to get the Cybertruck and future vehicles off the ground.

Tesla has also been working on Solid-State Batteries, but even with Tesla’s technological and engineering prowess, that technology is still quite far out.

The 4680 Cell

To put things in context, the 4680 cell is Tesla’s replacement for the older 2710 cells present in most Model 3s and Model Ys. Tesla has been producing these cells for a long time and has optimized them considerably, both in terms of scale of manufacturing and engineering.

But the tech behind the 2170 cell is old, and 4680 will be Tesla’s next leap forward. They previously tried with the much-maligned 4680 Model Y, but it was quickly pulled from sale. They tried again with the Cybercell—and that went much better. So much better, in fact, that Tesla is working on enhancing the Cybercell even further—using a Dry Cathode Process to make the cell easier and cheaper to manufacture.

The Trouble with 4680

According to The Information, an inside source at Tesla has said that Tesla is losing 70-80% of its anodes—one of the two parts that move electrons from the cell to the vehicle—in test production. Tesla has been working hard to solve this, and they recently demoed a Dry Cathode Process Cybertruck.

First prototype Cybertruck with in-house dry cathode 4680 cells – making it an all dry electrode vehicle pic.twitter.com/NzJxKQrRBp
— Cybertruck (@cybertruck) August 2, 2024

The 4680 cell is the next leap in large battery packs, but it's a difficult leap to make. Tesla is having trouble moving its research and development to engineering, but it's just a matter of time. Today, the 4680 is primarily made at the Fremont factory in California, but Tesla intends to move parts of its future battery chain production to a new area outside Giga, Texas.

With that new zone, they intend to establish the 4680’s dry cathode process production facility—to produce the 4680D Cell. According to Musk, that move will cut the 4680's production costs by nearly 30%.

The New Batteries

The four cells that Tesla plans to introduce in 2026 have some interesting code names. The first is “NC05.” The NC stands for New Cell, but we’re sure Tesla will come up with a witty name once it comes out of R&D.

NC05 Battery

This cell is intended to be the easy-to-manufacture cell that will power the Cybercab and will likely also power the lower-cost $25,000 model—which we’re still expecting to see sometime next year.

NC20 Battery

The next size up, the NC20, is intended to power Tesla’s SUV lineup and the Cybertruck. This will be a larger-format cell intended for moving larger and heavier vehicles and possibly optimized for towing—a constraint the Cybertruck, on its current 4680s, can find challenging in harsh winter conditions.

NC30 & NC50 Batteries

The NC30 and NC50 are the other two cells that The Information lists, but they’ll be drastically different. They won’t be using the standard cell materials that we’ve seen used up to this point. This is where the focus of Tesla’s R&D likely lies - they intend to introduce cells using silicon carbon into the anodes. Silicon Carbon, or SiC, can hold and move electrons faster than traditional anode materials.

These cells are likely where Tesla will make significant strides in both faster charging times and improved energy output. The advanced anode design, which allows for greater energy transfer, is poised to play a crucial role in Tesla's push for ultra-fast Supercharging.

The NC30 will eventually end up in the Cybertruck and Tesla’s future SUV lineup - maybe a refreshed Model X or Model Y.

The NC50, on the other hand, will be focused on performance and a smaller cell. It’ll power the new Tesla Roadster and likely Tesla’s performance models, such as the Plaid, Performance, and Beast variants.

The Information didn’t provide any information on whether Tesla will utilize this tech on its Powerwalls or Megapacks just yet, but it's likely that both of those two products will see further cost optimization and efficiency gains as well.

We’re excited to see where Tesla takes its battery tech in the future, as charging times and vehicle range are still one thing preventing the mass adoption of electric vehicles.

We're Launching Our Redesign: See What's Included

October 17, 2024

By Karan Singh

Not a Tesla App

We’ve been working behind the scenes on a few updates for our readers. We recently saw the unveiling of the Robotaxi and even some leaks of the Model Y refresh. This time, it's our turn for a refresh.

Let’s take a quick peek at the changes coming next week.

New Navigation

One key feature of our site refresh is an updated navigation. The new nav better organizes our content under one of three sections: News, Software Updates, or Guides. Once you tap on a category, you’ll be presented with the pages for that section.

This will also allow us to expose a lot more of our news content — letting you dig down into Robotaxi news, Project Juniper, or specific models. In a future update, we’ll also introduce a new Popular section, letting you easily catch up on news by viewing the best content on the site.

Dark Mode+

Not a Tesla App

Along with the new navigation and some tweaked site colors, we’re also happy to introduce an updated dark mode with new, smoother colors that will be easier on the eyes. It’ll keep our night owls happy and keep your eyes nice and comfy whether you’re using it during the day or night.

Auto-Updating Statistics

Not a Tesla App

We recently also launched auto-updating statistics for each of Tesla’s software updates. These stats let you view the number of installations and rollout of each Tesla update, giving you a better idea of which updates are still rolling out and which are paused.

More Features

We’re also actively working on a couple of other projects, so stay tuned for more features coming soon.

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