We previously covered how Tesla plans to open up Superchargers in Norway, but Elon Musk has now said that Tesla plans on opening up Superchargers in all countries over time. We'll explain why this can be an absolutely brilliant move by Tesla.
In Europe Tesla uses a universal CCS port on their cars and chargers, making it much easier for owners to charge elsewhere without the use of an adapter. In this case though, it will also help Tesla open up their Superchargers to others.
In the US and other regions where Tesla uses their proprietary connection, it will be a little trickier. Tesla would likely need to develop an adapter from CCS to Tesla’s port. It’ll be a hurdle for any customers wanting to use Tesla Superchargers.
Why is Tesla doing this?
So here’s where it gets interesting. Why is this Tesla opening up Superchargers to others when they’re already congested in some areas? Tesla built their proprietary cable connection and their Superchargers because they had no other choice. Fast charging DC stations were simply not available when Tesla released their first Model S in 2012 (the original Tesla roadster used a different connection). So if Superchargers are not a revenue stream for Tesla, then they’ll likely be surpassed as the leader in fast charging stations.
So what I believe Tesla is thinking here is that they can get actually two hugely important things out of opening Superchargers to everyone. First, they create a new revenue stream for themselves. They’re not giving out this energy for free, and they’ll likely charge a premium for it. Secondly, with this additional revenue, they could use it to continue building out their Supercharger network and become the de facto standard for car charging. Something that surely would please Tesla owners as they can keep the simplicity of charging at Tesla’s chargers, and don’t need to buy an adapter when charging. Having a greatly expanded Tesla charging network would be a great form of advertising for Tesla and would surely help sell Tesla vehicles.
However, there is something Tesla needs to solve. Today, Superchargers communicate with the vehicle to transmit information such as how much energy was transferred and it leaves the authentication and payment details to the car.
In order to allow other vehicles to charge at Superchargers Tesla would need to change or add a way for other cars to authenticate at the Supercharger and pay for the charging session.
I still remember my first experience at a Supercharger and being in awe with the simplicity of the whole thing. The first time I used one I thought I’d need to authenticate at the charger, or maybe even on my phone. I was even ready to pay for it manually, like at a gas station. Tesla absolutely nailed this experience for its customers so I don’t believe they’re going to want to change any of that, nor should they.
Instead I believe they’ll create a payment system where a non-Tesla vehicle could go up to a Tesla Supercharger and open up the Tesla app to start a charging session. Very similar to what some gas stations do today. You simply log in, choose your pump and start pumping. The charging session would be automatically terminated when the charger is removed from the car. This will again force non-Tesla vehicles to use Tesla’s system, instead of the opposite where Tesla owners would need to use someone else’s chargers, possibly interrrupting the simplicity of charging that exists today at Superchargers.
By having non-Tesla owners use the Tesla app to authenticate their charging session, Tesla also gains a unique opportunity to sell them on a Tesla, right there while they’re waiting for their car to charge. Clever move.
CSS port?
So as Tesla expands their Supercharging network and offers non-Tesla vehicles fast DC charging, we face the question, why is Tesla still using their proprietary adapter? Sure, it was necessary in 2012, but in 2021 where so many things have changed, it doesn’t add many benefits over a CCS connection. It prevents Tesla owners from charging at CCS stations, it prevents some non-Tesla owners from their at Tesla chargers and it requires Tesla to build and manage multiple parts for their cars.
We believe Tesla will announce that all future Teslas will come with a CCS charge port, instead of the Tesla port. They will slowly switch over Superchargers to use a CCS connection and offer an adapter at the station for non-CCS Teslas.
Tesla has released software update 2025.2.6, and while minor updates typically focus on bug fixes, this one introduces a major new feature. With this update, Tesla has activated the in-cabin radar, a sensor that has been included in some vehicles for more than three years but remained unused until now.
Why Not Vision?
Unlike vision-based systems, radar can precisely measure object dimensions and even detect movement behind obstacles by bouncing radio waves off surrounding surfaces. This allows for more accurate and reliable measurements of objects that vision may not even be able to see, such as behind the front seats.
What Tesla Announced
Tesla recently highlighted the 4D radar in the new Model Y, explaining how it will improve passenger safety. Tesla executives stated that the radar would be used to properly classify passengers and improve the way airbags deploy.
Tesla went on to say that in a future update, Tesla will use the in-cabin radar to detect any potential passengers left in the vehicles. Since radar can even pick up on heartbeat and breathing patterns, it can provide a much more accurate method of detecting children left in a vehicle. Tesla talked about how the vehicle will send owners a notification via the Tesla app and enable the HVAC system if it detects a passenger in the vehicle. It’ll even call emergency services if needed.
New Feature in Update 2025.2.6
Tesla has officially named this feature in update 2025.2.6, “First-Row Cabin Sensing Update,” which appears to align with the first portion of what Tesla discussed in the new Model Y video.
In the release notes, Tesla describes the update as:
“The first-row cabin sensing system has been updated to use cabin radar, which is now standard in all new 2025 Model Ys. Your Model Y was built pre-equipped with the necessary hardware, allowing Tesla to also bring this technology to your vehicle.”
For now, it appears that Tesla is using the radar to detect and classify passengers in the front seats. This could eventually replace traditional seat sensors, reducing the number of hardware components and lowering production costs.
Tesla plans to expand the feature later this year, bringing rear-seat passenger detection in Q3 2025. While Tesla talked about the feature for the new Model Y, we expect it to be available for all vehicles with the in-cabin radar.
Supported Models
Although Tesla is vague in their release notes, this feature is being added to all Model Ys that include a cabin radar. Tesla started including the cabin radar in 2022, but its availability may vary by region and model. The Model 3 didn’t receive the cabin radar until it was redesigned in 2024, while all Cybertrucks already include it.
The owner’s manual for the redesigned Model S and Model X doesn’t specifically mention the interior radar, although Greentheonly believes the vehicles also include one, so we’ll have to wait to determine whether those vehicles also receive this new feature.
At this time, the feature appears to be only going out to Model Y vehicles, but we expect it to become available on other supported models soon.
We love to see these kinds of updates. Tesla is increasing the safety of existing and new vehicles through a software update while also making them more affordable to own.
Tesla has updated the Tesla app to version 4.42.0, and this time, it’s more than just bug fixes. The app includes a new service interface, introduces support for the new Model Y, and, for the first time, includes some code for the Robotaxi coming later this year.
This update was released for iOS and should be available on Android within a few days.
Refreshed Model Y 3D Model
First up in the update is the introduction of the 3D model for the refreshed Model Y. Interestingly, while we all know it as Juniper, the file code name inside the update lists the vehicle as “Bayberry.” The Bayberry name was introduced in Tesla app update 4.41.5. Tesla’s internal code names sometimes change as the vehicle evolves - and we’ll continue to refer to it as the refreshed or new Model Y for ease of understanding.
A rear-angle shot of the Refreshed Model Y from the Tesla App
@olympusdev_ on X
As usual with Tesla’s 3D models in the app, there’s a lot of detail, although it’s not easy to see since you can pinch and zoom the model in the app. The 3D models used in the app are actually the same models that Tesla uses in the vehicle, although sometimes they include different lighting effects, but they’re all highly detailed.
Robotaxi API
Tesla has added a new endpoint in their app for Robotaxi - and it’s the very first Robotaxi or Cybercab-related item we’ve seen in the app. With the Robotaxi fleet launching in June, according to Tesla, it looks like they’re now adding support to the Tesla app.
What the Robotaxi interface is supposed to look like in the future.
Not a Tesla App
The new app API is called “rides_feedback_upload,” which seems pretty explanatory. Tesla will need to gather a lot of information on ride quality and all the little things in between. What better way than to get feedback directly from users?
While Tesla previously released prototype images of what the Robotaxi app will look like, the introduction of this API into the Tesla app leads us to believe that Tesla will utilize the current app for Robotaxi use.
Updated Service Interface
The Updated Service Panel in the Tesla App
Not a Tesla App
Tesla has released an updated UI for the Tesla Service panel, and we have a ton of details on these changes. This new pane displays appointment details more prominently. If you have a service appointment scheduled, you’ll now see a lot more details on the main service screen. The app will now display:
Your current service status
Appointment date and time, which you can now tap on to add the event to your calendar
Address and hours of the service center. You can now also tap on the address to open up the location in your maps app
There’s also a new appointment details screen (the right portion of the image). This screen displays additional details that were previously unavailable, such as your transport type. The app will display whether you’ll get a loaner vehicle, demo vehicle, or something else.
There are a ton of user experience (UX) improvements in this update regarding service, including clearer language, improved UI fixes to images, and more.
Tesla has been making a lot of positive updates to the Service-related sections of the app lately, and we’re happy to see these coming rapid-fire. Tesla Service is now easier to use and understand. In the previous app update, Tesla also added the ability to pull down to update the service screens.
![The Design & Engineering Behind the New Model Y [Video]](https://www.notateslaapp.com/img/containers/article_images/model-y-2025/2025-model-y-speaker.webp/e933556c6b2b4ce77ab652524f3a8ac0/2025-model-y-speaker.jpg)
