Tesla recently started rolling out an update that enabled the cabin radar in recent Model Ys and added support for first-row cabin sensing. This functionality not only lets Tesla replace the seat occupancy sensors in the front seats but also gives them a better idea of the size of the passengers — critical information when an accident occurs.
However, Tesla has now revealed that it won’t just be recent versions of Model Y that will receive these updates. Other recent vehicles also have a dormant in-cabin radar that will be activated in a future update.
Child Presence Detection
This front-row occupant sensing is only half of the update. Tesla also plans to add support to the rear seats that will let it detect occupants left in the vehicle. In a post on X, Tesla stated that at least 37 children die per year from heatstroke, just in the United States, according to the NHTSA. Tesla’s cabin radar will help reduce the number of deaths by detecting children left in the vehicle and alerting the owner or turning on the HVAC system.
The new radar has several safety-focused features, and they’re all designed to help protect someone left behind in a vehicle. First up - the radar will detect and classify passenger sizes to determine which airbags to deploy dynamically, helping to reduce injuries from shorter individuals sitting up front.
Additionally, the radar can differentiate an adult from a child or baby - and automatically and dynamically make the necessary safety adjustments on the fly. Tesla will also be able to detect heart rate and breathing through the radar - and has a series of safety steps it can take from here.
If a child or baby is detected being left behind in the vehicle, the Tesla app will immediately notify you and turn on the HVAC system to ensure their safety. In the case of an emergency, the vehicle will automatically call emergency services and report its location.
As a reminder, while Tesla vehicles outside of the United States support eCall, vehicles within the US cannot call 911 unless a phone is connected to the vehicle via Bluetooth. We hope that Tesla looks to add similar capabilities in North America to improve safety capabilities.
Supported Models
Although the cabin radar has only been activated in Model Ys produced in the last couple of years, Tesla said in their post on X that the radar is also available in recent Model 3s and the Cybertruck.
We did a little digging and confirmed that the part numbers for the cabin radar are the same for the 2024+ Model Y, 2024+ (new) Model 3, and the Cybertruck. So, these vehicles should also receive the latest cabin radar features.
Although the 2023 Model Y features a different part number, 2022 and 2023 Model Ys have also been receiving the front-row cabin sensing feature in Tesla’s 2025.2.6 update, but it is less clear whether they’ll receive the rear seats update later this year. The Model S and Model X also include a cabin radar, but the part number also differs from the cabin radar for the 2024 Model 3 and Model Y.
While the new Model Y isn’t available to check against on Tesla’s Electronic Parts Catalog, it looks like Tesla has been shipping the new 4D cabin radar in at least the 2024+ versions of their Model 3, Model Y and Cybertruck.
We expect rear-seat sensing to arrive on vehicles with the latest cabin radar later this year, while it’s unclear whether the other vehicles with the older cabin radar will receive it.
Tesla mentioned that rear-seat support will arrive in Q3 2025 for the refreshed Model Y. Based on the different interior sizes and spaces, sensor calibration and testing for other models may come slightly later.
Alongside the launch of the Cybertruck, Tesla also sneakily launched a new Mobile Connector that came with every Foundation-Series Cybertruck. We initially thought this was just an updated Mobile Connector to match the aesthetics of the Cybertruck, but that’s not the whole story.
New Mobile Connector
This third-gen Mobile Connector has finally arrived in the Tesla Shop, and the old one has been discontinued. Tesla has increased the price of the new connector from $200 USD to $300 USD.
The new Mobile Connector looks like a mini Wall Connector now. It offers the same shape with a green LED running from top to bottom. Otherwise, the packaging and items included are relatively the same, but with one interesting caveat.
Tesla is indicating that the new Mobile Connector can be used with a “Powershare Outlet Adapter” to power electronic devices. While the Outlet Adapter currently isn’t an item available on the Tesla Store, we expect that it will arrive in the coming months.
Unfortunately, Tesla doesn’t have any photos of the Outlet Adapter, but it sounds like it’ll be a different type of plug that connects to the top of the mobile connector, just like the 110V and 220V plugs. Instead of having a male plug to connect to an outlet, it’ll include various outlets at the end.
Powershare Capability for More Teslas?
Another key item of note is that the webpage for the new Mobile Connector also states, “Powershare is currently only available with the Cybertruck”. This appears to indicate that Tesla will soon offer Powershare on other vehicles, potentially the new Model Y, or even older vehicles.
The Cybertruck uses the AC charging circuit to discharge via its 120V and 240V outlets in the bed, which is why you can’t AC charge the truck and use the outlets at the same time.
Differences Between Wall Connector and Mobile Connector
While the Cybertruck is able to use the Powershare capable Wall Connector to power an entire house, the Mobile Connector would be used to power individual devices instead since it’s not capable of the same power output as the Wall Connector.
If and when Tesla brings Powershare to additional vehicles, it’ll be interesting to see whether they also support Powershare Home Backup with a Tesla Gateway or if it’d arrive in a more limited fashion using only the Mobile Connector’s Powershare Outlet Adapter we’re seeing here.
AC power out is a feature of the Cybertruck’s improved power conversion circuit, so it’s not clear whether other vehicles would be able to support this. Tesla could use an inverter to convert the vehicle’s DC power to AC power, which powers household devices.
Even if older vehicles only receive Powershare capabilities through the new Mobile Connector and the Powershare Outlet, this will be a huge win for Tesla owners. While it won’t be able to power an entire home, it should be able to provide about 10 kW of power, which is equivalent to a small gas generator — enough to use power tools, charge devices, run most 110v appliances like a refrigerator, and more.
In the meantime, if you’re itching to use your vehicle’s battery as a massive portable power bank and don’t have the Cybertruck, check out our coverage on the Vortipower V2L VP20 device, which offers similar capabilities by plugging into the NACS port to allow for 120V and 240V power.
Several months ago, Tesla infamously started turning off power to its 12V sockets in its vehicles when someone wasn’t in the vehicle. This affected all vehicles, including the ever-popular Model Y. The reason provided for the removal was inappropriate modification of vehicles to use high-power devices, which could potentially cause dangerous situations.
This left many accessories, such as vehicle fridges, inoperable since they relied on power staying with Sentry Mode.
In its current state, your vehicle disables the rear 12V cigarette lighter-style sockets inside the center console and USB ports, when no one is detected inside the vehicle. The only current workaround to keeping these outlets with power is to use Camp Mode, but this has disadvantages such as the climate system staying on and walk-away locks being turned off.
This change also impacted USB power provided over any of the vehicle’s USB ports. This made it difficult for users to run sub-trunk fridges or other accessories that would continuously draw power, as Camp Mode consumes quite a bit of energy to maintain the vehicle’s internal temperature.
Update: Both the Model Y and Model X include a 12V socket in the rear left pillar of the vehicle, which is located under a flap, alongside a 12V socket in the front of the vehicle. The Model S and Model 3 only include USB ports and a 12V socket in the front.
The Cybertruck is Tesla’s only vehicle with 110V sockets at this time.
New Accessory Power Feature
Now, in a surprise move, Tesla is restoring access to the 12V sockets when the vehicle is powered off if users enable a new option called “Accessory Power.”
Tesla states that power is available whenever the vehicle detects a user is available or when the Keep Accessory Power On is enabled.
Turning on this new option will enable power across the entire vehicle, including the 12V socket, 12V (max 16A) rear plug (if equipped), and the vehicle’s USB ports. This will let users charge devices or use vehicle accessories, even when they’re not in the vehicle.
This is actually an improvement over the original way to keep these plugs powered without a user present, which required leaving Sentry Mode enabled, which uses a significant portion of energy itself.
The new Accessory Power option will be able to be turned on in your vehicle under Controls > Charging > Keep Accessory Power On.
Limitations
Similar to Sentry Mode and other features, accessory power is only enabled while the option is on and the vehicle’s battery remains above 20%, at which point, it’ll be turned off.
Tesla also warns that keeping the new accessory option on will cause the vehicle to consume additional energy, even if devices are not plugged into any of the outlets, so this should be an option that should be used selectively, when needed.
Release Date
It looks like this feature was supposed to make it out in the 2025.8 update, but to our knowledge, it hasn’t been enabled in any vehicles yet. Our best guess is that it’ll be enabled in a future 2025.8 update, or in the upcoming Spring Update, which will likely add other exciting features — at least if it’s anything like Tesla’s 2024 Spring Update.
We reported back in October that Tesla was looking for alternatives to keep accessories powered on without users present, so we’re super happy to hear this news, as it really shows that Tesla listens to its customers. It’s exciting to see Tesla restore a feature that had a lot of user support behind it, and we’re sure users will be thrilled to be able to use their fridges and accessories again.
If you’re a major user of accessory power, tell us what your primary use case is. Is it charging a laptop while you’re away from your vehicle, or is it running a sub-trunk fridge during your road trips?
We’d love to see some additional input on how Tesla can continue to improve this feature, so let us know in our forums or social media.
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