Apple previously committed to offering real-time availability of EV chargers in Apple Maps, initially supporting certain chargers like ChargePoint. Users can now view how many chargers are actively being used, and this functionality is expected to expand to Tesla Superchargers in the future.
Apple is now expanding support for NACS chargers. Aaron from X spotted this update in the latest iOS 18.4 Beta.
NACS Plugs
While Apple Maps already displays Tesla Superchargers and detailed information, such as the power of each site and the number of stalls available, it doesn’t provide real-time stall availability yet.
While Tesla has the largest number of NACS charging stations, some other brands also use NACS connectors, and this is expected to increase now that NACS is the official charging connector in North America.
While Apple is planning to add real-time availability for Superchargers in the future, it will now warn users if they’re navigating to a NACS station if their vehicle doesn’t have the correct port. Apple Maps already shows which connectors a station offers, and they received added support for Apple Maps on the web.
A code snippet in iOS 18.4 reveals that Apple Maps will display a banner and sound a voice alert while using Apple Maps on a phone or in Car Play.
The banner and alert will mention that “You need to use a charging adapter on this route,” or more specifically, “Tesla NACS Adapter Required.”
Hopefully, Apple will also be able to pull data from Tesla’s API, noting which sites have Magic Docks - and therefore won’t need an adapter.
Not a Tesla App
Live Supercharger Availability
A key factor in making this experience seamless is adding support for live charger availability. While Apple currently provides real-time charging information for some non-Tesla stations, it has yet to include the most widespread and reliable network—Tesla’s Supercharger network.
When Apple integrates Tesla’s API and adds real-time Supercharger availability, Apple Maps could be a good alternative to finding a nearby charging station as it’ll also provide real-time third-party charger availability.
These changes would bring Apple’s navigation experience closer to Tesla’s built-in trip planner, which dynamically adjusts routes based on station occupancy and estimated arrival state of charge.
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Vehicle vandalism—especially the misguided vandalism of privately owned Teslas has been on the rise. While some owners are fortunate enough to catch perpetrators with Sentry Mode or security cameras, many vandals escape without consequence, often without even triggering the vehicle’s alarm.
Recently, Tesla vandalism has escalated, including the arson of a Tesla showroom in France and the destruction of a Supercharger site in the U.S. Beyond attacks on the company itself, Tesla owners are also being targeted, regardless of any connection to the controversies surrounding the brand.
Although Sentry Mode is effective for capturing incidents after the fact, it does little to prevent them in the moment. While useful for insurance claims and law enforcement, it doesn’t actively deter criminal activity. A simple honk or alarm trigger could go a long way in discouraging bad actors before they cause damage.
Littleton Fire Department
Honking at Vandalism
Now, that may all come to an end. In response to a post requesting Tesla’s engineers to find a way to protect vehicles from getting keyed, Elon Musk responded that your Tesla could potentially honk at people when it detects activity like your vehicle being keyed or spray-painted.
Musk suggested the idea in response to a video on X showing a Tesla being keyed. While this type of vandalism isn’t new, incidents have been increasing. Given Tesla’s ability to detect lane markings and surrounding objects, it could just as easily recognize destructive behavior like keying. A simple honk can go a long way in deterring this kind of behavior.
It’s a small change but increasingly necessary in a world where tensions are rising and Tesla owners are being targeted. This addition would shift Sentry Mode from a mostly reactive feature to a proactive one, helping to reduce vehicle damage.
Sentry Mode has continued to improve throughout the years. In the Christmas update, Tesla added the ability to view Sentry Mode videos directly on your phone. Although this is limited to iPhones right now, we expect this to open up to Android devices in the future. We’re also expecting Sentry Mode efficiency changes in an upcoming update.
The refreshed Model Y brought with it lots of changes to the exterior and interior - but there’s more to it than just that. Tesla is doing something completely different than its other vehicles with the new Model Y and that’s how regenerative braking works.
The new Model Y has an updated Dynamics Control menu that has a new deceleration option. At quick glance this appears to be a renamed regenerative braking label, but it’s much more than that.
Tesla has also added two additional options in the Traction Control Mode that aren’t available in the previous-gen Model Y.
Let’s dig into what each of these features does, as we believe many people will be pleased with the way regenerative braking now works in the new Model Y.
Deceleration - Not Just Low Regen
Just below the Acceleration category, where you’ll find the familiar Chill and Standard Modes, Tesla has introduced a new Deceleration category for the new Model Y.
This category offers two options: Standard (the default setting) and Reduced. The Reduced setting adjusts how quickly the vehicle slows down when you release the accelerator pedal.
However, this isn’t just another name for regenerative braking. Tesla has changed how they apply regenerative braking in the new Model Y.
Two Levels of Regen
Tesla previously offered two levels of regenerative braking, Normal or Low, which determined how much regen would be applied when you lifted your foot off the accelerator. Some new EV drivers struggled with the normal regenerative braking mode due to the amount of deceleration, but ultimately, Tesla removed the low regen option because it negatively impacted range and increased wear on the vehicle’s brakes unnecessarily.
Unlike other EVs, Tesla has only applied regenerative braking when the accelerator is released, and tapping the brake pedal would always activate the physical brakes. That is, until now.
Apply Regen With the Brake Pedal
With the new Model Y, Tesla has made changes that allow regenerative braking to activate either when the accelerator pedal is released or when the brake pedal is pressed. That means that sometimes the vehicle’s physical brakes won’t activate when you tap the brake pedal — instead, the vehicle may use regenerative braking.
Drivers now have the option to choose between normal or reduced deceleration when lifting off the accelerator pedal, which essentially means high or low levels of regenerative braking are being applied. However, now, when the brake pedal is tapped, the vehicle decides whether to continue using regenerative braking or use the vehicle’s physical brakes, depending on how hard the pedal is pressed.
This change removes the efficiency loss associated with low-level regenerative braking in older models because regen can again be applied when the driver uses the vehicle’s brake pedal. It’s really the best of both worlds. Drivers can now have the vehicle apply low levels of regen when the accelerator is lifted and still benefit from full regen because it is enabled again when the brake pedal is used.
We still recommend drivers get used to normal regen using just the accelerator pedal since it introduces the ability to mostly drive with just one pedal, but there is a learning curve.
Unfortunately, this new feature is exclusive to the latest Model Y, as it required changes to the vehicle, so we won’t see this feature coming in a future update. The Model Y is the first Tesla to apply regenerative braking when the brake pedal is used, but given how much it eases the transition to EVs, we expect it to roll out in future models as well.
Brake system in New Model Y has the freedom to use either electric motor or mechanical brake when you push the brake pedal
This brings you maximum efficiency, consistency in pedal behavior & improved stability pic.twitter.com/rIwOUxwpXU
Tesla has also made some changes to the new Model Y’s traction control. The Model Y used to have the option to enable Off-Road Assist and Slip Start. However, they’re adding two new options, Auto and Slippery Surface modes.
Slippery Surface
The new Slippery Surface mode debuted with the Cybertruck. It’s designed to improve the vehicle's handling on roads or surfaces that are slick with water, ice, or other snow, which can reduce traction. In this mode, your vehicle will closely monitor each wheel sensor for slippage and automatically apply additional torque where needed—essentially, very fancy torque vectoring to maintain control.
It is a more active approach to how Tesla normally handles active traction control - and it does consume additional energy to keep this active. On the Cybertruck, I’ve personally noticed about 10% additional energy usage when Slippery Surfaces is active, but the truck does handle far better. We’d expect a similar exchange with the Model Y, where you trade a bit of efficiency for better and more precise handling when Slippery Surface is activated.
Off-Road Assist
Off-Road Assist meanwhile, keeps the same overall package from the previous-Gen Model Y. This allows wheels to spin and also balances torque between the front and rear motors, which helps to optimize traction. It’s quite effective in rough and soft surfaces where one side of the vehicle may lose traction, while the other still has it.
Off-Road Assist also provides more gradual torque control, which can help when trying to crawl the vehicle over rocky surfaces. As usual, Off-Road Assist will disable automatically at higher speeds and also disables Automatic Emergency Braking and Lane Departure Avoidance, and Autopilot and FSD are disabled while it is active.
Where is Slip Start?
The Slip Start option was available on all variants of the Model Y, which helps to dislodge it if you manage to get it stuck in mud, snow, or ice - enabling the wheels to spin. It seems likely that Slip Start is probably further down in the menu - rather than being removed completely.
These changes to the new Model Y should please a ton of drivers, especially if they’re new to Tesla.
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