Privacy Policy

Protecting your private information is our priority. This Statement of Privacy applies to https://www.NotATeslaApp.com and Not a Tesla App and governs data collection and usage. For the purposes of this Privacy Policy, unless otherwise noted, all references to Not a Tesla App include https://www.NotATeslaApp.com. The Not a Tesla App website is a News and information site. By using the Not a Tesla App website, you consent to the data practices described in this statement.

Advertising

This Site is affiliated with CMI Marketing, Inc., d/b/a CafeMedia ("CafeMedia") for the purposes of placing advertising on the Site, and CafeMedia will collect and use certain data for advertising purposes. To learn more about CafeMedia's data usage, click here.

Analytics Collection

We use Google Analytics to analyze the use of our website. Google Analytics gathers information about website use by means of cookies. The information gathered relating to our website is used to create reports about the use of our website. You can read Google's privacy policy here.

Collection of your Personal Information

In order to better provide you with products and services offered on our Site, Not a Tesla App may collect personally identifiable information, such as your e-mail address, geographic region and/or Tesla model.

We do not collect any personal information about you unless you voluntarily provide it to us. However, you may be required to provide certain personal information to us when you elect to use certain products or services available on the Site. These may include: (a) registering for an account on our Site; (b) entering a sweepstakes or contest sponsored by us or one of our partners; (c) signing up for special offers from selected third parties; (d) sending us an email message; (e) submitting your credit card or other payment information when ordering and purchasing products and services on our Site. To wit, we will use your information for, but not limited to, communicating with you in relation to services and/or products you have requested from us. We also may gather additional personal or non-personal information in the future.

Use of your Personal Information

Not a Tesla App collects and uses your personal information to operate its website(s) and deliver the services you have requested.

Not a Tesla App may also use your personally identifiable information to inform you of other products or services available from Not a Tesla App and its affiliates.

Sharing Information with Third Parties

Not a Tesla App does not sell, rent or lease its customer lists to third parties.

Not a Tesla App may share data with trusted partners to help perform statistical analysis, send you email or postal mail, provide customer support, or arrange for deliveries. All such third parties are prohibited from using your personal information except to provide these services to Not a Tesla App, and they are required to maintain the confidentiality of your information.

Not a Tesla App may disclose your personal information, without notice, if required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to: (a) conform to the edicts of the law or comply with legal process served on Not a Tesla App or the site; (b) protect and defend the rights or property of Not a Tesla App; and/or (c) act under exigent circumstances to protect the personal safety of users of Not a Tesla App, or the public.

Automatically Collected Information

Information about your computer hardware and software may be automatically collected by Not a Tesla App. This information can include: your IP address, browser type, domain names, access times and referring website addresses. This information is used for the operation of the service, to maintain quality of the service, and to provide general statistics regarding use of the Not a Tesla App website.

Use of Cookies

The Not a Tesla App website may use "cookies" to help you personalize your online experience. A cookie is a text file that is placed on your hard disk by a web page server. Cookies cannot be used to run programs or deliver viruses to your computer. Cookies are uniquely assigned to you, and can only be read by a web server in the domain that issued the cookie to you.

One of the primary purposes of cookies is to provide a convenience feature to save you time. The purpose of a cookie is to tell the Web server that you have returned to a specific page. For example, if you personalize Not a Tesla App pages, or register with Not a Tesla App site or services, a cookie helps Not a Tesla App to recall your specific information on subsequent visits. This simplifies the process of recording your personal information, such as billing addresses, shipping addresses, and so on. When you return to the same Not a Tesla App website, the information you previously provided can be retrieved, so you can easily use the Not a Tesla App features that you customized.

You have the ability to accept or decline cookies. Most Web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. If you choose to decline cookies, you may not be able to fully experience the interactive features of the Not a Tesla App services or websites you visit.

Links

This website contains links to other sites. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the content or privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of any other site that collects personally identifiable information.

Security of your Personal Information

Not a Tesla App secures your personal information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. Not a Tesla App uses the following methods for this purpose: SSL Protocol.

When personal information (such as a credit card number) is transmitted to other websites, it is protected through the use of encryption, such as the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol.

We strive to take appropriate security measures to protect against unauthorized access to or alteration of your personal information. Unfortunately, no data transmission over the Internet or any wireless network can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. As a result, while we strive to protect your personal information, you acknowledge that: (a) there are security and privacy limitations inherent to the Internet which are beyond our control; and (b) security, integrity, and privacy of any and all information and data exchanged between you and us through this Site cannot be guaranteed.

Right to Deletion

Subject to certain exceptions set out below, on receipt of a verifiable request from you, we will:

Delete your personal information from our records; and
Direct any service providers to delete your personal information from their records.

Please note that we may not be able to comply with requests to delete your personal information if it is necessary to:

Complete the transaction for which the personal information was collected, fulfill the terms of a written warranty or product recall conducted in accordance with federal law, provide a good or service requested by you, or reasonably anticipated within the context of our ongoing business relationship with you, or otherwise perform a contract between you and us;
Detect security incidents, protect against malicious, deceptive, fraudulent, or illegal activity; or prosecute those responsible for that activity;
Debug to identify and repair errors that impair existing intended functionality;
Exercise free speech, ensure the right of another consumer to exercise his or her right of free speech, or exercise another right provided for by law;
Comply with the California Electronic Communications Privacy Act;
Engage in public or peer-reviewed scientific, historical, or statistical research in the public interest that adheres to all other applicable ethics and privacy laws, when our deletion of the information is likely to render impossible or seriously impair the achievement of such research, provided we have obtained your informed consent;
Enable solely internal uses that are reasonably aligned with your expectations based on your relationship with us;
Comply with an existing legal obligation; or
Otherwise use your personal information, internally, in a lawful manner that is compatible with the context in which you provided the information.

Children Under Thirteen

Not a Tesla App does not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from children under the age of thirteen. If you are under the age of thirteen, you must ask your parent or guardian for permission to use this website.

E-mail Communications

From time to time, Not a Tesla App may contact you via email for the purpose of providing announcements, promotional offers, alerts, confirmations, surveys, and/or other general communication. In order to improve our Services, we may receive a notification when you open an email from Not a Tesla App or click on a link therein.

If you would like to stop receiving marketing or promotional communications via email from Not a Tesla App, you may opt out of such communications by visiting https://www.NotATeslaApp.com/preferences.

Changes to this Statement

Not a Tesla App reserves the right to change this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you about significant changes in the way we treat personal information by sending a notice to the primary email address specified in your account, by placing a prominent notice on our site, and/or by updating any privacy information on this page. Your continued use of the Site and/or Services available through this Site after such modifications will constitute your: (a) acknowledgment of the modified Privacy Policy; and (b) agreement to abide and be bound by that Policy.

Contact Information

Not a Tesla App welcomes your questions or comments regarding this Statement of Privacy. If you believe that Not a Tesla App has not adhered to this Statement, please contact Not a Tesla App using the Contact Us form on the website.

Effective as of April 1, 2021

Tesla Adds Improvements to Tow Mode and Tire Service

April 17, 2025

By Karan Singh

Not a Tesla App

Tesla offers users some specific tools under its service menu (Controls > Service). These tools include features such as Car Wash Mode and Tow Mode. Just like other vehicle features, these are also updated and improved over time.

In a recent undocumented change in update 2025.2, Tesla has improved its Tow Mode feature and it’s Tire Service menu.

Tow Mode Improvements

As Tesla vehicles use electric motors, towing them with any wheels on the ground could cause the motors to backfeed energy, generating considerable amounts of heat. If done for an extended period of time, especially at higher speeds, it could cause damage since the vehicle isn’t running its coolant loop to dump waste heat.

To help solve this problem, Tesla provides Tow Mode, which breaks down the steps needed to tow a Tesla. It also provides an easy way to put the vehicle in neutral and disengage the parking brake.

The improvement to Tow Mode now displays a checklist similar to Car Wash Mode. Each item in the list will light up green or red, depending on whether it’s already in the correct setting for Tow Mode.

Tesla has also added a readout of the low-voltage battery. While this could be useful for anyone wanting to check the current on their LV battery, it’s an important detail to be aware of if you’re towing because the vehicle’s high-voltage battery has been run down. All of the vehicle’s electronics are powered by the LV battery, and depleting it could cause the display to not turn on, as well as prevent access to certain vehicle features.

The vehicle shown in the diagram is also unique to the vehicle you are driving - a Model 3 will display a Model 3, while the Cybertruck will display a Cybertruck - just a subtle touch of Tesla precision to the entire presentation.

You can activate or check out Tow Mode from Controls > Service > Tow Mode.

Tire Service Improvements

Tesla has also improved its Tire Service menu, which is now tied into Maintenance History. These menus allow you to switch the wheels and tires your vehicle is using. It’s important to note that the wheel is not only used in the vehicle’s visualization, but also has impacts on the vehicle’s ability to accurately predict its range.

In the Tire menu, Tesla has added a Service Type dropdown, allowing you to select why you’re switching your tires. You can choose whether you’re rotating your tires, replacing them, or swapping them out for seasonal tires. This change will then be recorded in Maintenance History, allowing you to track the maintenance of your tires, including the date of the last maintenance and the ability to see the mileage on your current set of tires.

You can navigate to the Wheel and Tire menu by going to Controls > Service > Wheel & Tire.

The updated Wheel and Tire menu

Not a Tesla App

Cybertruck

As a note, the Tire Service improvements are not fully implemented in the Cybertruck in the primary menu. If you wish to mark a Seasonal Tire Change in your Cybertruck, you’ll need to head into Service Mode and add a Correction Code for Seasonal Tire Change from there.

We expect Tesla to fix or add this in an upcoming update for the Cybertruck.

Is Tesla's Cybercab Using Structured Light? What It Is and Potential Uses

April 16, 2025

By Karan Singh

Not a Tesla App

During the unveiling of the Cybercab at We, Robot last year, we saw the Cybercab use a strange laser-like lighting system to project an interesting light pattern. It was a rather peculiar projection, and many observers passed over it without wondering too much - perhaps it was just a trick of the show?

But we went back and thought - what is it really? What kind of lighting technology could Tesla be using to accomplish this visual effect, and does it have a purpose? That led us down the rabbit hole of Structured Light, and we think that Tesla could be using this technique for a few different things.

Cybercab’s Autonomy

Unlike other autonomous vehicles, which are often retrofitted with complex and expensive sensor arrays, the Cybercab is purpose-built to be a mass-market autonomous taxi. Because of that, Tesla is using several new techniques to drive down the cost and simplify the vehicle, from the paint-impregnated panels to the easy-to-clean interior.

However, the drive to keep costs down hasn’t stopped Tesla from looking for ways to present a premium and safe product, which has been one of the Engineering and Design team’s goals for a long time.

Tesla’s Robotaxi service is expected to launch in just a couple of months, and the Cybercab itself is slated to be available for customers to buy in late 2026.

The Structured Light

Structured Light is a technique involving the projection of light using a distinct pattern (see it in action below). In particular, it’s a machine vision technique for capturing 3D information. Unlike normal, ‘passive’ cameras that interpret ambient light, structured light actively projects a known pattern, such as lines, grids, or dots, onto the environment.

A camera will then observe how the pattern deforms as it hits objects. By analyzing these distortions, the system can precisely calculate the 3D shape and depth of the scene in front of it. Structured light can generate dense, high-resolution 3D data, which is particularly useful at short ranges.

But is this useful for an autonomous vehicle? Potentially. It offers a close-range means of mapping the environment directly in front of the vehicle, and could theoretically complement the existing camera suite for precise maneuvering in tight spaces. It could also be used for detecting low-lying objects, although this task could be handled by the bumper camera that is arriving on newer Tesla vehicles as well.

Structured Light vs LiDAR

Not a Tesla App

The mention of an active 3D sensor brings to mind LiDAR (Light Detecting and Ranging) - which Elon Musk has repeatedly called a crutch for self-driving. But LiDAR is different than Structured Light - it emits a pulse of laser light and measures the time of flight to generate a 3D point cloud of the environment.

While both involve projecting light, structured light systems require specialized hardware distinct from Tesla's current Matrix LED headlights. Matrix headlights are designed to intelligently block parts of the main beam to prevent dazzling other drivers, using an array of controllable LEDs.

Structured light, conversely, requires a dedicated projector to cast a specific, known pattern (dots, lines, or a grid) precisely so a camera can analyze its deformation for 3D mapping. Implementing structured light would likely involve adding a new, dedicated projector component - perhaps another Cybercab exclusive feature.

Tesla already uses computer vision to navigate the environment, and adding Structured Light could potentially aid this process for Robotaxi challenges and edge cases, while not deviating from Tesla’s policy to use the same senses that a human uses to drive.

Structured light could be Tesla’s potential intelligent solution to an active 3D sensing system without adopting a more traditional approach like LiDAR.

Other Uses

Beyond the possibility of 3D sensing, could this light projection serve other purposes? Tesla is known for integrating novel new features into its vehicles - sometimes practical, sometimes just for fun. There are a few possibilities here.

Visual Communication - The lights could be used to project information onto a road surface - perhaps showing the vehicle’s intended path, or displaying warnings to pedestrians. It could even project a virtual crosswalk to signal that it is safe for pedestrians to pass.

Passenger Guidance - For a taxi without a driver, guiding passengers on how to approach and use the Cybercab could be useful. A projected welcome mat could show passengers exactly how to get into the Cybercab, reveal which passengers are being picked up, or provide other important information.

Improved Light Shows - We all know Tesla loves the little things in life. The projection could be used for more whimsical Light Shows in the future. We’re sure they’ll have more than just that in mind, though.

Wrapping Up

While we haven’t had any official confirmation that Tesla is using Structured Light, the possibility of the Cybercab using a novel new technology is relatively fascinating. It suggests that Tesla is looking into using its pre-existing tools and features in even more ways - something that they’ve always focused on. Whether this projection is for sensing or communicating, or even just for fun as a light show, we won’t know until Cybercab actually hits production.