New Tesla Model Y Adds 4D Radar; Calls 911 If Child Left Behind, Increases Safety

February 8, 2025

By Karan Singh

Not a Tesla App

Tesla’s refreshed Model Y is currently being manufactured as Tesla prepares for its first deliveries next month. While we’ve already seen quite a few cool new features, there’s more that has yet to be revealed. A recent video interview with Tesla’s engineering team hosted by Tesla Owners Silicon Valley reveals that the vehicle includes a new 4D cabin radar.

4D Radar

While Tesla has included an in-cabin radar since 2022, this appears to be a new, more capable radar. The current cabin radar is used to verify seat occupancy, but Tesla plans to add more functionality to this new system.

This updated radar will be used to provide a lot more detail than the current radar or cabin camera can provide today. The radar is located in the same location as the current version, directly above the rearview mirror.

Classify Passenger Size

This new radar has several new safety-focused features, and they’re all quite exceptional. First off, the radar will detect and classify passenger size to determine which airbags to deploy dynamically. That means that if a shorter individual is sitting up front, the dashboard airbag may not activate - but the curtain airbag will.

That will reduce injuries in impacts from airbag activation while also reducing repair costs by not activating unnecessary airbags. By having a better idea of the passenger’s size, height, and weight, the vehicle can also better determine when to activate the airbag.

Children Left in Car

But that’s not all - because of that classification system, the radar can differentiate an adult passenger from a baby or child sitting in the second row - and automatically make the necessary dynamic safety adjustments.

The cabin radar will also detect heart rate and breathing, and Tesla will automatically send a reminder through the Tesla app if it detects a child is left unattended in the vehicle. If this occurs, the vehicle will perform a variety of functions, the first being to turn on the HVAC system and send you a reminder. And if that’s not enough - in the case of an emergency, your vehicle will automatically call emergency services for you and report its location.

It’s important to note that while vehicles outside North America have eCall capabilities, in North America, they cannot call 911 unless a phone is connected to the vehicle via Bluetooth. We hope that Tesla can contact 911 via an alternative method or add eCall capabilities to these vehicles.

In late 2023, Tesla added the ability for the vehicle to call 911 over Bluetooth when the vehicle is involved in a crash.

The cabin radar in the 2024 Model Y

Not a Tesla App

Coming Soon

While the refreshed Model Y will be shipping in March, this new radar and its associated features won’t be available immediately. Tesla intends to activate these new safety features in Q3 2025 - so sometime in late summer or early fall. We’ll dive into this new feature once it’s available later this year.

Tesla Confirms Update Issue for FSD V13.2.2; Fix Coming

February 7, 2025

By Karan Singh

Not a Tesla App

A member of Tesla’s AI development team, Kalena Brown, took to X to mention that an update is on its way for AI 4 vehicles on older FSD V13.2 builds.

It seems that Tesla has caught an issue that has been preventing vehicles from safely updating from FSD V13.2.2 to newer builds such as FSD V13.2.4 or V13.2.6.

The Bug

Tesla usually catches these issues early in testing, but sometimes, they make their way out into the wild, necessitating a stop to a rollout. In this case, the rollout was likely halted to prevent this issue from spreading to other vehicles.

There have been a lot of comments on social media that users haven’t seen an update since late December or early January. While that’s not completely abnormal, this update, version 2024.45.25.5 includes an issue that prevents it from being updated.

Please be patient! Found an issue specific to that update path, but fix is coming soon

Many folks on older builds also waiting and we're working hard to get everyone covered 🙂
— Kalena Brown (@KalenaKBrown) February 7, 2025

The Fix

Brown says that Tesla is aware of the issue and is working hard to get a build with the fix released soon. It may be a couple of weeks before it’s ready, but you can expect Tesla to roll this one out slowly to make sure the issue is addressed.

The issue appears to be specific to FSD V13.2.2, so anyone on another update should not be affected. Keep an eye out on our feeds - and we’ll let you know once the update is released.

Tesla to Introduce New Paint Options for New Model Y in North America

February 7, 2025

By Karan Singh

Not a Tesla App

Tesla introduced the Refreshed Model Y in North America with just four colors - Stealth Grey, Pearl White Multi-Coat, Ultra Red, and Quicksilver. While those are likely some of the most popular colors - many have been asking - what about new color options?

Actually - what even happened to Deep Blue Metallic - one of the most popular Tesla color choices? Well, thanks to an interview between Tesla Owners Club Silicone Valley and some of Tesla’s vehicle engineers, we now have more details.

New Paint Options

More paint options are around the corner for the new Model Y, but they won’t be available just yet. In fact, they’ll likely be available once the Launch-Series wraps up - as those vehicles are shipping in May.

One of Tesla’s latest colors, Glacier Blue, debuted in the Asia-Pacific market, but for now, North America remains limited to a select set of options. Deep Blue Metallic continues to be one of Tesla’s most popular choices, and black is also a favorite, though it is currently unavailable for new Model Y orders.

In a recent interview, Tesla’s engineering team confirmed that new colors are already being developed. However, the key factor delaying their availability is production ramp-up. Just as scaling vehicle production takes time, expanding paint production capacity is a gradual process. Tesla is prioritizing a smooth production ramp before adding more color options to the lineup.

New Color Hints

The engineering team also mentioned that if you “put two and two together” while browsing the website, it will be pretty evident which colors are coming. This suggests that the new colors will not be completely new but will be colors that are available on other models or in other regions. The primary candidates are Glacier Blue, which is available in Asia, and Deep Blue Metallic and Black, which are available for the now, last-gen Model Y.

It seems like once production ramps up, Tesla will be ready to introduce some new paint options. Maybe they’ll introduce them alongside the expected refreshed Model Y Performance? If you’re in the market for a paint option that isn’t available in North America just yet - it could be best just to wait a few months.