Tesla should consider adding these voice command features found in VW's ID.4

April 8, 2021

By Nuno Cristovao

Volkswagen is jumping head-first into the EV world. They’re not hedging their bets like other manufacturers. And they’re likely to do well, very well in fact. Their latest all-electric EV is the new ID.4.

The name may leave something to be desired, but it’s a solid entry into the EV space. One interesting feature the ID.4 will offer is voice commands. Similarly to Tesla you’ll be able to adjust certain settings with just your voice. However there are a few differentiating features that Tesla may want to look into if they’re not already developing them.

First, there’s a status light, much like your monitor, phone or laptop, there’s a status light that lets you know the state of the car. The status light is a thin stripe along the bottom of the windshield. You can think of it much like the Alexa ring which lights up when it hears the word “Alexa.”

The ID. Light feature is used to help give feedback to the user. For example, it turns green when the vehicle is charging so that you can easily see it from your garage. It will also light up in various colors or areas if the driver receives a phone call or engages the turn signal. It’s unclear whether this is going to be overused, but the idea is a good one.

The vehicle will also support hands-free voice activation. Similar to other smart assistants like Siri and Alexa, you’ll be able to start a voice command with just your voice. By saying, “Hello, ID,” you’ll be able to start a voice command, instead of having to push the voice command button on a Tesla. This will activate the ID. Light. Again, very similar to other smart assistants.

VW appears to be going full voice assistant. We're not sure everyone wants audible feedback or the ability to answer any question, but it could be useful at times. What's clear though is that VW appears to go beyond usefulness and into the land of gimicky in the video above. We don't need a welcome message when we get in the car, and the voice is way too robot sounding and dragged out. It sounds like something you'd hear in a 1980's movie portraying the future. However, if the voice assistant was toned down and as useful as Google Assistant then it could be a nice addition. I can say personally that I sometimes have wished that I could easily hear back Tesla's current stock price, or find out the weather for tomorrow.

We hope Tesla is watching and considering adding similar features to Teslas. Hands-free voice activation and a thin light at the top or bottom of the main display could be great additions. What’s great is that Teslas already have all the hardware needed.

For all we know, we may be saying "Hey, Tesla," sometime soon. The mysterious V11 is sure to include many great features and it's a possibilty this could be included in that release or a future software update down the road.

If you haven't already seen all the voice commands that are supported in your Tesla, check out our full list of voice commands.

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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