Over the past few years Tesla has released a major version of their car's software every year (v10 update, v9 update). This year we have been anticipating version 11. Elon Musk has teased it several times and has said that it will include features we've been wanting and features we didn't know we wanted.
The past few Tesla releases have been unusual and have only contained minor changes and bug fixes as Tesla appears to be keeping features in v11 hidden.
The anticipation has been building and now it looks like v11 has been leaked on a redesigned Model S test vehicle.
A major focus of this release appears to be personalization. When examining the UI, a lot of the elements appear to be customizable, where a user could possibly choose which icons or apps they'd like to show up. Elon Musk has previously tweeted that Tesla would allow multiple layouts in the future. He could have been hinting at these features in v11.
Tesla's V11 OS features a customizable dock and apps
Tesla
In the first image we can see this new tile-like interface, where you will presumingly be able to select which tiles you'd like to appear. For example, you may choose to have Music, Car Visualizations, Maps, Calendar, Energy Graph and many others. It'll be interesting to see how many choices Tesla really offers here and how they adapt this to other vehicles.
When we take a closer look at the bottom bar which normally houses a consistent car navigation and is the main way to get to climate controls, seat heaters and other apps, it looks like this will also become customizable. From the image we can see that the nav no longer takes up the full width of the screen and that in this image the seat heaters are right next to one another, which is very different from what Tesla has offered in the past.
There are now many apps and features in Tesla vehicles where some of them now require multiple taps to get to, and making this navigation customizable makes a lot of sense. For example if a user relies on the Phone app heavily, they will now be able to access it with one-tap instead of two. Like-wise, if you don't live in a cold climate, it's almost silly to have seat heaters and the rear window defroster take up multiple spaces in this prime real estate area.
We have recently seen buttons removed or moved around in recent updates. One such example is that the Voice Commands button has been removed and is currently only accessible through the buttons on the steering wheel, leaving the passenger without a way to use voice commands. We expect this button to return with v11.
You can tap on the car icon to get to quick controls
Tesla
The former top strip which contained car information and quick actions such as the time, Bluetooth, HomeLink and other functions have been moved and appear as a vertical strip on the left side of the screen.
It looks like right beneath this, we will see another big feature which appears to be a "Quick Menu," which will allow you to access the car's most often used features. Upon tapping it you will be presented with quick-function buttons such as lock car, open frunk, open glove box, display brightness, mirror and steering wheel adjustments and others.
Some of these features were fairly accessible before, but others required digging through the Car Controls menu, so this should make changing some settings much quicker. There doesn't appear to be a clear indication in this menu, but given the same square tile-like buttons, we would also expect these tiles to be customizable.
We also get a quick-peek at some of the other car menus. It looks like this particular version of the car (remember this is a refreshed Model S, but unclear whether it's Plaid or not), will also feature a "Drag Strip Mode." It's not clear which models this will apply to but it appears to be a new launch control system.
Quick Controls also reveals access to Bluetooth, WiFi and more at the top
Tesla
Continuing looking at this menu, a few other things stick out. We can see there is an option for "Smart Shift," which will allow the car to shift into drive or reverse for you. We knew this feature would be included in the refreshed Model S / X, but it's certainly possible that Tesla will bring this feature to all existing AP 2+ vehicles. We wouldn't necessarily expect it, but it's certainly possible. We also recently discovered how this feature will work.
We also see that there is a new option to turn on/off "Media on Drive," which gives you control whether you'd like the media player to automatically open when you put the car into drive.
The menu on the left looks very familiar with some minor changes. We no longer have the Quick Settings option at the top, which the Quick Menu from the home screen seems to have replaced. We also see a new "Trips," tab, which could be for more precise navigation settings, and possibly allowing for multi-stop destinations (way-points), which Elon Musk said was coming last September.
The Contros menu uses the entire screen
There are sure to be many more features included in this huge v11 release, but these are the major features we can see looking through these few images.
Some of these features will be slightly different on other vehicles as Tesla has to adapt them to work on a vertical screen for previous Model S / X vehicles and also make adjustments for the Model 3 / Y which need to include car visualizations on the main display.
We are all super excited for this highly anticipated release which appears to focus heavily on personalization.
Tesla’s ambitious 4680 cell program has been pivotal for its vehicle roadmap - and in particular, for the Cybertruck. Bonnue Eggleston, Tesla’s Senior Director for the 4680 cell project at Tesla, recently sat down with Sandy Munro on Munro Live, offering valuable insights into cell development, manufacturing hurdles, and Tesla’s future trajectory. You can watch the video in its entirely below.
The 4680 cell, like many batteries, is characterized by its dimensions: 46mm in diameter and 80mm long. Tesla is currently producing the 2nd generation of the 4680 - internally known as the Cybercell - which is shipped with every variant of the Cybertruck. This Gen 2 variant is a considerable step up from Gen 1 - whose limited production was cancelled following the slow charging issues with the 4680 Model Y.
Prototypes are Easy; Production is Hard
Bringing the 4680 from a concept cell to mass production hasn’t been easy, but according to Tesla, it has now become Tesla’s cheapest cell per kWh. Eggleston emphasized in the video that scaling up was an immense challenge - and required an extreme attention to detail.
With a team possessing a broad skill set, it took considerable effort to bring the 4680 to life, starting from the raw electrode material and progressing through the crucial formation process.
Breaking Barriers
To overcome these hurdles, Eggleston’s team leaned into innovation and focused on new processes that had not been utilized in the battery world yet. The groundbreaking new dry electrode process is the key here, which eliminates the use of toxic solvents and large ovens required in traditional production methods. This reduces internal factory footprint, while also being cleaner and safer, building a better cell from the ground up.
Complementing this, Tesla has also been developing a custom electrolyte formulation in-house, tailored specifically for their anode, cathode, and separator materials, all aimed at expanding their deep vertical integration.
This vertical integration has been key to the 4680 program, and Tesla has further extended it, with in-house production of components like cell cans serving to optimize the process and reduce waste. Eggleston also pointed out the unique terminal design on the 4680, which allows for easier and more reliable welding, contributing to the high production output that Tesla is aiming for.
Sustainability
On the sustainability front, Tesla has been hard at work recovering and recycling materials right from the manufacturing line to minimize waste. Eggleston highlighted this as part of Tesla's effort to promote sustainability, which ties in with the environmental benefits gained from avoiding solvents in the dry electrode process.
Structural Battery Packs
While the 4680 is intrinsically linked to the Cybertruck, we expect Tesla to expand this to its future vehicles eventually - whether through use of the specific cell format, or the technologies learned through its development. Eggleston noted that the efficiency of the Cybertruck is partly due to his team’s cooperation and work with the vehicle team. The structural battery pack minimizes weight and provides additional support and protection to the cabin and occupants.
4680 in the Future
Eggleston expressed a considerable amount of confidence in Tesla’s 4680 program and the progress - citing significant improvements in throughput, yields, and product quality since he took leadership.
He acknowledged the ambitious targets that Tesla and Elon have set - and mentioned that the use of metrics like headcount per gigawatt helps drive production efficiently. This metric essentially measures labor efficiency – producing more battery capacity (gigawatt-hours) with fewer people indicates a more streamlined and cost-effective manufacturing process.
While Eggleston hinted at future developments, and we have previously heard of Tesla working on even more cells for the future, the battery technology race has been progressing rapidly around the world. While Tesla has been pushing 4680 production and deploying 325kW-capable Superchargers (and soon 500kW), they continue to face challenges from the competition.
Brands like China’s Zeekr are demonstrating new LFP batteries capable of charging from 10-80% in under 10 minutes, while achieving sustained speeds of 400kW+. Currently, the Cybertruck can only sustain the 325kW cap speed for a few minutes at best, resulting in a sub-par charging curve compared to upcoming competitors.
Tesla will have to focus on developing and producing new cells that maintain that cost-competitive advantage the 4680 has built, while also achieving faster charging speeds across its entire lineup. For now, these new faster charging speeds are restricted to the Cybertruck, but with refreshes for the Model S and Model X on the horizon, we expect that Tesla’s updated flagship vehicles will make the best use of this tech until it is ready for the rest of the lineup.
According to a report from Reuters, obtained from three sources with inside knowledge, Tesla is delaying the launch of its more affordable model - the cheaper variant of the Model Y. Tesla has promised the launch of a more affordable model in the first half of 2025, but we have yet to see anything come to light.
Tesla has been especially secretive with new product launches - the fact that nobody leaked the announcement of the Robovan or the final design of the Cybercab for We, Robot shows Tesla’s commitment to keeping things under wraps.
Tesla’s Affordable Vehicle Plan
The Reuters report sheds some light on what Tesla's immediate affordable vehicle plans might actually entail with a changed approach: a stripped-down version of its best-selling Model Y SUV, internally code named E41. This approach seems to align with earlier speculation that Tesla might opt for more affordable versions of existing platforms rather than launching an entirely new vehicle like the often-rumored "Model Q" or "Project Redwood."
According to Reuters' sources, the US production launch for this cheaper Model Y has slipped. Instead of the first half of 2025, the target for the start of US production is now reportedly somewhere between Q3 2025 and early 2026. The specific reason for this delay wasn't made clear in the report.
‘E41’ Speculations
Despite the delay, Tesla appears to have set a production target for the vehicle in the US, aiming for 250,000 vehicles in 2026. This suggests that Tesla is banking on this being a high-volume vehicle, and expects significant demand at the price point. The report also reiterates previous accounts that this affordable Model Y variant is planned for eventual production in China and Europe as well.
Sources familiar with the Chinese plans indicated a 2026 launch there, with the vehicle potentially being smaller and costing 20% less to produce than the current refreshed Model Y. The timing for a European rollout remains unclear, but would likely follow a Chinese launch.
Affordable Model 3
Interestingly, the Reuters report also mentions, based on the three sources, that Tesla is planning a similar strategy for the Model 3, intending to launch a bare-bones version. This will likely be an even more cut-down version of the Mexican Model 3. This further supports the idea that Tesla's path to affordability, for now, involves cost-optimizing its existing popular models.
These more affordable vehicles will be crucial for Tesla. The company reported its first annual delivery decline recently, and faces analyst expectations of another drop this year. Factors cited include increased Chinese competition and potential brand reputation impacts. A cheaper Model Y and Model 3 could help attract new customers.
Strategy Pivot
This strategy also exists in the context of Tesla's potential pivot away from a dedicated, all-new $25,000 platform. Elon had previously indicated that the project was deprioritized in favor of focusing resources on developing the Robotaxi network and Cybercab.
The E41 and cheaper Model 3 appear to be the revised approach to hitting lower price points using existing manufacturing lines and platforms, albeit likely not reaching the originally hoped-for $25,000 base price - perhaps after the Federal EV Rebate.
Tariff Impact
Finally, the report touched upon the challenging geopolitical and economic landscape, particularly potential US tariffs. Automakers are wary of rising costs from tariffs on imported vehicles and parts. Tesla has reportedly increased its North American sourcing for many components over the past couple of years, a move that could lessen the tariff impact on a US-produced E41.
This contrasts with recent reports suggesting Tesla suspended plans to ship some components from China for the Cybercab and Semi programs, specifically due to tariff concerns. This highlights the complex supply chain calculations Tesla is making as it tries to balance production cost, tariffs, and vertical supply chain integrations.
With Tesla's Q1 2025 earnings call scheduled for Tuesday, everyone, including us, will be keenly listening for the next steps on these crucial affordable models.
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