Tesla released software update 2022.2.1 in China for the Lunar New Year.
The update contained several new features, however many of them will likely be exclusive to China since they're for services that are popular in the country.
However, the update also includes several changes that will almost certainly be brought to everyone in the future.
Status Bar
Many icons are making a return to the top status bar.
What's coming back:
Sentry Mode / Dashcam
Cellular/WiFi signal strength
Driver profiles
What's not coming back:
Bluetooth
Update notification
Car notifications (bell icon)
The Bluetooth, car notifications and update notification will continue to live in the car's Controls menu. The temperature, lock/unlock doors, and time will remain unchanged.
We're not sure yet whether HomeLink will come back to the top status bar, but given that it often got in the way of the rearview camera feed, it's likely that the HomeLink buttons will remain where they are now.
The Superchargers icon will return to its familiar place next to the satellite imagery and traffic overlay buttons.
Climate Controls
There are now various icons near the driver and passenger temperature controls.
Underneath the driver temperature control, there are icons for the front and rear defrost. The icons are a very small touch target, so they're likely not actual buttons.
Instead, it appears that they are there to either serve as a reminder of where to activate the defrosters, or they are potentially showing you when the defrosters are in use. We believe this is a temporary feature and Tesla is developing a better solution for the longer-term.
This appears to be similar to how the word "Manual" appears above the set temperature when the climate is set to Manual instead of Auto.
Other Changes Coming
This update doesn't address all issues with the v11 UI update, but it does appear to address some of the items that were quick fixes.
We still believe that Tesla will allow you to add seat heaters, windshield wipers, and defrost buttons to the launcher bar. These will be customizable so not everyone will need to have them.
For example, if you rarely drive with a passenger, you can choose to just include the driver's seat heater in the launcher and save the space for the passenger seat heater for something else.
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest Tesla news, upcoming features and software updates.
Tesla has added payment plan options to its shop items for the first time. They’ve partnered with Klarna, a deferred payment provider, to spread the cost of items across multiple payments. For now, this appears to be limited to the Tesla Shop in the United States—no support for other regions quite yet.
Payment Options
Klarna’s primary payment option allows buyers to get 0% APR for 6 weeks, with 4 payments. The payment schedule is essentially one payment every two weeks for whichever product you buy - enabling you to buy now, and pay later with 0% financing.
For example, the payment schedule for the $420 Wall Connector is evenly divided into four portions. Of course, you’d also have to pay for shipping and taxes, both of which will be included in your first payment.
Payment 1
Payment 2
Payment 3
Payment 4
Amount
$105
$105
$105
$105
Payment Due
Day of Purchase
Week 2
Week 4
Week 6
For some of Tesla’s more expensive Shop options - like the Cybertent, this could be a fantastic means for some owners to pick up something more expensive without having to worry about interest charges on their credit card.
Klarna also offers some other payment schedules, which do have interest. While these are far more expensive and are more like credit cards, they still provide buyers a means to buy now and pay over time. These are all open loans as well, so you can pay them down at a faster rate, thereby reducing the overall interest.
Payment Schedule
Payment Rate
Interest Rate
6 Months
Monthly
7.99% to 33.99%
12 Months
Monthly
7.99% to 33.99%
FSD Payment Options?
We’d love to see an equivalent payment option available for Tesla’s FSD purchase, which is currently $8,000, even if it's bought after the vehicle purchase. The high upfront cost is likely one reason why Tesla’s FSD subscription is so popular.
It’s likely that purchasing FSD is much more popular at the time of vehicle purchase, as owners can roll the cost of FSD into their financing rather than paying the full $8,000 later on.
IPO Filing
Interestingly enough, along with today’s news that Klarna is working with Tesla, Klarna has also filed for an IPO in the United States. It is one of the first financial tech (FinTech) companies to file for an IPO in 2025 and, interestingly, one of the first European companies to conduct an IPO in the United States.
For those who trade in the financial sector, this will be one to watch—Klarna was valued at around $46 billion in 2021 and is now valued at approximately $15 billion. Partnering with a large and well-known brand like Tesla could uplift Klarna, but that’s all financial speculation.
Earlier this year, Tesla released a update for its Beach Buggy Racing 2 game in update 2024.20, which brought a new leaderboard feature to the game.
Grab your wheel, and step on the accelerator, because it's time to take a look at Tesla’s updated Beach Buggy Racing 2 – Supercharger Edition.
Supercharger Leaderboards
Tesla introduced Supercharger Leaderboards to the game, which means anytime you’re at or near a Supercharger site, you can open up Beach Buggy Racing, and compete against other real people in a local leaderboard. Leaderboard are time-based, so that you’re able to compete against other drivers even if there’s no one else currently at the Supercharger.
Leaderboards are available for each track and are location specific, meaning that all Supercharger locations have their own unique leaderboard.
When you arrive at a Supercharger Tesla will prompt you to play Beach Buggy Racing and take a stab at the Leaderboards, but you don’t actually need to be charging to play. All the game requires is that your vehicle is physically at the Supercharger location.
So far, there are no global leaderboards, but competing with fellow Tesla owners at your local Supercharger offers a fun way to pass the time during a 15-minute charge.
Vehicle Colorizer
Not a Tesla App
One lesser known feature of Beach Buggy Racing is that changing your vehicle’s on-screen color through Tesla’s Colorizer will also change the way your vehicle looks in Beach Buggy Racing. It’s a neat little easter egg, but it's all the small details that count. The paint style options apply as well – so Solid, Matte, and Metallic also all reflect in the game.
How to Play Beach Buggy Racing
There are a few ways to play Beach Buggy Racing, and Tesla has thought of everything for this specific game.
You can open up the game from Tesla Arcade when the vehicle is in Park. You have three control options – using the touchscreen, using a Bluetooth or USB controller, or using your vehicle’s steering wheel.
If you’re using the steering wheel, keep in mind that unless you’ve got a Cybertruck with Steer-by-Wire, your actual wheels will also turn. This can add some flat spots to your tires if you play excessively. We recommend using a controller or the touchscreen. Keep in mind that if you’re playing with the vehicle’s steering wheel, you actually use the Brake pedal to accelerate, not the real accelerator pedal.
The author recently took first place at the Leaderboards for the Supercharger in Scarborough, so if you’re in Toronto anytime, feel free to challenge my score! If you’re a leaderboard holder, come let us know where you took first place in the forums.
![First Look at Tesla's New 'Service History' Feature [Photos]](https://www.notateslaapp.com/img/containers/article_images/service-mode/service-mode-records-4.jpg/8dd9d11fd3f5159c393831cbd9f4815a/service-mode-records-4.jpg)
_300w.png)
