Tesla shows off what could be part of v11 in update 2021.4.5 for the Chinese market

By Nuno Cristovao

TikTok

Tesla has shown off what may be part of Tesla's v11 software. This morning Tesla posted a video to weibo.cn that shows off new features that will be available in China as part of the 20214.5 release.

Tesla highlights three major new features that will be available in the Chinese market. However, they may not necessarily be available to everyone outside of China. For example, we don't believe the updates to QQ Music would be available outside of China, much like some entertainment apps that are exclusive to certain markets.

TikTok

The first major feature that Tesla shows off is the addition of the entertainment app TikTok. The app will be added alongside the other apps currently available in the market and maintains the features popular in the mobile app such as 'Following' and 'For You' tabs, the ability to favorite and view comments on the videos. Although it's unclear whether they will allow you to comment on videos.

Tesla TikTok App

The layout of the app is particularly interesting as the design appears to take a cue from the Model S/X redesign videos we've seen recently where there is a black navigation bar on the left side.

QQ Music Lyrics

Tesla QQ Music Lyrics

The second feature the video goes into is QQ Music. QQ Music is a streaming service in China and it has been available since 2019 on Tesla vehicles. With this update they're adding karaoke-like support to the service where users will be able to view song lyrics as the song plays in a very similar fashion to Caraoke.

Improved Voice Recognition

Speech recognition improvements are being highlighted as much improved in 2021.4.5 as well. The voice commands in the vehicle are great but you often have to phrase them in a very specific way to get them to work. It looks like Tesla has tried to improve their understanding of commands in this release.

Tesla call voice command

In the video Tesla shows examples of a driver issuing commands like navigate to, calling someone or playing songs but in various new ways. It's not clear whether these improvements are specific to Mandarin Chinese or will be available more widely.

As Tesla is showing off the new commands and particularly the call command, we can see a slightly new call interface. When calling someone through the voice interface, it appears that the call will be automatically placed after a certain time. A progress bar "count down" will appear on top and a 'Cancel' button at the top giving the user a chance to cancel the command before the call is automatically dialed.

Tesla shows off these three major features as part of 2021.4.5, but there may be other improvements as well. These features are targeted specifically targeted the Chinese market and would not include other features that be only be available in the U.S. or other markets.

The full video is below for those interested in watching.

Tesla Teases FSD Unsupervised, Hits 50,000 Autonomous Miles

By Karan Singh
Not a Tesla App

We’ve known for a while now that Tesla has been using a custom build of FSD to allow its newly produced vehicles at Giga Texas and Fremont to autonomously navigate themselves from the production line to the outbound delivery lot. 

While we knew they were using a custom build of what was likely FSD Unsupervised, thanks to a recent post from Tesla AI on X, this has now been confirmed. Tesla has also confirmed it has accrued over 50,000 driverless miles, totalled from vehicles autonomously driving themselves to delivery lots.

Autonomous Driving to Loading Areas

For most of Tesla’s vehicles - that’s a 1.4-mile trip that is shared with pedestrians, cars, trucks, and construction equipment. You can see in the video that the Teslas are navigating public roadways and encountering real human drivers.

That’s great news, especially since many were wondering whether Tesla would secure the necessary approvals in time to launch their Robotaxi network in June.

Increased Confidence

Following Tesla’s post to X, Musk followed up by saying that when Tesla launches FSD Unsupervised soon, it will be the first time there will be a generalized, pure AI solution to autonomy. Tesla and several executives continue to post more content about autonomy and the Robotaxi network, leading us to believe they’re feeling confident in the June launch.

Cybertruck Too

Back when Tesla initially announced the autonomous travel of its vehicles from production to loading lots, they mentioned that the Cybertruck was the only vehicle at Giga Texas not receiving that same treatment.

Now, that’s changed - Cybertruck is now also navigating through the Cybertunnel to make its way from the factory directly to the loading docks, all on Unsupervised FSD. And that’s making us even more excited, especially because Tesla was supposed to launch an FSD Update for the Cybertruck a little while ago - but it hasn’t made it to production yet. This update is set to bring Start FSD from Park, as well as Actually Smart Summon - bringing the Cybertruck to feature parity with Tesla’s other AI4 vehicles.

Now that Tesla is confidently using a build of Unsupervised FSD to navigate the tight confines of the tunnel and park, we’re pretty sure that Tesla will likely launch the expected FSD update in the near future.

FSD Update Soon?

It’s been a while since any FSD hardware variant has received an FSD update. It appears that Tesla has been focused on Unsupervised FSD and launching FSD outside of North America.

It seems like we may get a new FSD update soon, and we don’t believe it’ll be just for the Cybertruck. Those who have the opportunity to sign up for Tesla’s new Early Access program will likely be some of the first recipients to receive the FSD update, so stay tuned.

Tesla Opened the Floor — These Are the Features Drivers Want Most

By Karan Singh
Not a Tesla App

Lars Moravvy, Tesla's Vice President of Vehicle Engineering, recently took to X to pose a question to the community: “Let's make Teslas better… what do you all want for 2026?”

The question absolutely took off, and there were tons of fantastic suggestions about what Tesla owners would love to see from their vehicles in the future.

There were more than 12k suggestions, so let's take a look at some of the most popular feature requests.

Top Suggestions

  • CyberSUV - A classically styled SUV with a stainless steel exterior.

  • Faster Charging & Better Charge Curves - Tesla vehicles start off with fast charging speeds, but usually taper off quickly in comparison to other brands. This is especially true when compared to some Chinese brands, which sustain 500 kW charging at up to 70% state of charge. Let's get improved charging speeds on Teslas as well, especially with the 500 kW Superchargers coming in Q3.

  • 450mi / 500mi range vehicles - Lots of customers want longer range vehicles, even though Tesla's analysis says the 300-mile range is ideal for 90% of its customer base. Range really does matter - especially for customers in more rural locations or those who choose to tow or haul with their vehicles.

  • Ambient Lighting Reacts to Music - This one is pretty straightforward, and it's surprising we don't already have this feature. Having basic integration with the currently playing audio is a neat feature, and really helps to make the entire experience even more seamless and premium.

  • Refresh Model 3 Signal Stalk Retrofit - Some people really love their signal stalks. While there aren't retrofits available just yet, we do recommend the Enhauto Stalks. For those who want an official retrofit, there is now some hope - Lars responded and said he'll try.

  • Lumbar Support in the Profile - Right now, lumbar support is the only seat item not saved to the Tesla Profile. This may change soon, as Lars followed up and mentioned that there are a few technical issues preventing it, but Tesla could make it work with some of their magic.

  • Model 3 Track Pack - The Model S has an exclusive Track Pack as a post-factory retrofit offered by Tesla, including premium brakes, tires, and wheels. The Refreshed Model 3 Performance is a killer track vehicle - but getting real track support from Tesla would be a game-changer for those who love to race.

Some of Our Favorites

  • Sentry Mode Improvements - Several users suggested adding B-pillar recording to Sentry Mode. And it looks like Tesla has already been working on this, and it'll be available in the upcoming 2025 Spring Update, which will be update 2025.14. Unfortunately, it'll be limited to what appears to be HW4 vehicles due to the additional processing.

  • Massaging Seats - A touch of luxury for Tesla's most premium models would be nice. Many other luxury brands already offer massaging seats so it’d help keep the Model S on par with these brands. Edit: Corrected that the Model S has never come with massaging seats.

  • Powershare for More Vehicles - Powershare is a fantastic feature, and bringing it to every Tesla is a must, especially as many other brands, including Ford, Kia, and Hyundai, offer either Vehicle to Load or Vehicle to Home capabilities as an option on their EVs. Tesla recently introduced the Mobile Connector with Powershare capabilities and an Outlet Adapter, but it's still exclusive to the Cybertruck for now.

  • Starlink Integration - Tesla currently uses cell networks for connectivity, which can sometimes be spotty. Starlink is a clear, high-tech solution that could provide data to vehicles when they have a clear line of sight to the sky.

  • Grok in Vehicles - Musk has already confirmed that Tesla will be integrating Grok into Tesla vehicles. We expected it to be included in Tesla's Spring Update, but it looks like they'll need a little bit longer. One of the lead xAI/Grok developers mentioned the request with a wink emoji, so it's clear it’s a feature that Tesla and xAI are actively working on. The way users will be able to naturally talk to AI will be game-changing for many users who are used to driving alone.

There was a lot of positivity in the comments, as well as a ton of interesting requests that could eventually be implemented in Tesla vehicles. Lars also responded to quite a few of the comments, which was nice to see.

While nothing is certain, some of these popular requests may come in a future update, while others may need hardware changes if Tesla wants to implement them.

2026 may seem far away, but there's already plenty of coming this year with a cheaper vehicle and the launch of the Robotaxi network.

If you love reading about feature suggestions, we also recently covered the top feature requests for Tesla, based on the many requests we hear about.

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