While some owners may receive an update within a few days of it being released, most owners will actually not receive the latest update for several weeks.
There are a couple of reasons why Tesla doesn't update all of its vehicles at the same time.
Unfortunately, updates for Teslas aren’t like mobile devices where an update is available for everyone right away. There’s a little more that goes into pushing updates for vehicles, especially for a vehicle that can drive itself.
How Tesla Rolls Out Updates
Tesla rolls out updates to its fleet based on the vehicle's VIN, region, model, hardware, and other factors. The main reason Tesla rolls out updates in this manner is to minimize risk and to assess how an update is performing.
Rolling out updates slowly lets Tesla quickly iterate on their update and focus on feedback and bug fixes before a potential issue has the chance to affect a large number of vehicles.
If, for example, an update caused the MCU reboot
, making the display go dark while the vehicle was in motion, Tesla could more easily isolate the issue. Tesla would then be able to roll out a fix before the issue had a chance to affect a larger portion of their fleet.
Your vehicle model or other hardware in your vehicle is taken into account as well. For example, if Tesla is looking to gather feedback on a feature that requires MCU 2 or MCU 3, they may first send the update to those vehicles before releasing it more widely.
If you look at our software updates page you'll see that there are Tesla vehicles on a wide variety of updates. Some may be on the same major update, but on a different revision, while others may be one or two major updates 'behind'.
Although a vehicle can have an update that gets 'stuck' while downloading, that's usually relatively rare. If you notice that your vehicle falls too far behind, you can send a message to Tesla Service to see whether there is an issue with your vehicle.
What do the Numbers in Tesla Updates Mean?
Tesla's release process is why you may notice several versions for the same update.
For example, Tesla may first release update 2022.36, but as new issues are found and Tesla fixes them, Tesla will roll out further updates such as 2022.36.1 and 2022.36.2.
The 2022 in the version number stands for the year in which development began for this update. The 36 stands for the week number, and the last number stands for the revision of the update.
So in general, 2022.36.1 would include the same features as update 2022.36 but would contain several fixes for issues that were found in 2022.36, while 2022.36.2 would contain fixes that were fixed after 2022.36.1 was released.
This isn't always the case since Tesla does sometimes release new features with a minor revision, or but in general it's a good rule of thumb.
Once Tesla is confident they have solved all known issues, they'll then send out the update to the entire Tesla fleet.
Can I Force My Vehicle to Receive an Update?
Unfortunately, no. Under normal circumstances, there is no way to force your Tesla to receive an update. You'll simply have to wait until the update is available for your vehicle.
However, there are a couple of things you can do to receive updates as soon as possible.
It's not clear how much this toggle does anymore, but if you're interested in receiving updates as soon as they're available it's a good idea to toggle on “Advanced Updates” under the Software tab in your vehicle.
You'll also want to make sure your car is connected to Wi-Fi as often as possible, such as at home or work. Tesla prefers to download updates over Wi-Fi so this will ensure you get an update as soon as it's available to you.
You can track which updates are going out to by checking our software updates page.
How to Check if Your Tesla is Running the Latest Update
If an update is available for your Tesla, it will usually show up in your mobile app, although it's not clear how often the mobile app checks for updates. If you suspect an update may be available for your vehicle, you can check in your vehicle, although Tesla has recently started limiting this check to once per 24-hour period.
To check if there is an update available for your Tesla, tap Controls (the car icon), and then tap on Software. On the right side, you'll be able to check your vehicle's version and whether an update is available.
Your vehicle does not need to be connected to Wi-Fi to check whether an update is available
Do I Need to be on Wi-Fi?
For the most part, Tesla requires that updates be downloaded while the vehicle is connected to Wi-Fi.
However, there are exceptions to this. If an update includes important fixes or a recall then it is usually available over cellular. The same goes if you haven’t updated your vehicle in a while, are on FSD Beta, or other unique scenarios.
If you can't connect to Wi-Fi at home or work, you can try using public Wi-Fi networks or using your mobile phone as a hotspot for your vehicle.
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There has been extensive reporting on what the long-anticipated affordable EV option would become, and we’ve seen numerous news stories mentioning that it was delayed or even arriving on time. The executive team revealed the near-term and long-term plans for Tesla’s upcoming vehicles, and there’s definitely good news to share here.
Updated Timeline
The most important piece of news is that despite all the talk of delays from supposed inside sources, Tesla has confirmed that the plan for its more affordable model remains on schedule for production to begin in the first half of 2025. Tesla’s executive team narrowed that timeline down further - and said that they expect production to kick off as soon as June and that the new model will be in the market shortly thereafter.
While the production timeline itself is on track, Tesla did note that the subsequent ramping process will likely be slower than initially hoped, citing global tariff and financial impacts as challenges to overcome to prepare its production lines.
Hybrid Production Approach
Tesla has once again confirmed that this will not be their next-generation vehicle, built using new production methods. Instead, they outlined a relatively more pragmatic approach for this new model.
Tesla will utilize aspects of both the next-generation platform as well as some parts of its current platforms (namely the Model 3 and Model Y). This means that Tesla will produce this new vehicle on the same manufacturing lines as the Model 3 and Model Y.
This strategy allows Tesla to bring the vehicle to the market more quickly, while also managing capital expenditures more efficiently by using existing infrastructure. However, Tesla’s executive team also noted that this approach, while faster, will result in fewer cost reductions than what might have been achieved with an entirely new platform and dedicated manufacturing process.
Vehicle Design
Using these existing production lines means that Tesla’s new vehicle will likely share some considerable similarities with either the existing Model 3 or Model Y. Rather than being a radically different and smaller vehicle, this new model will resemble the overall form factor and shape of Tesla’s current core offerings, while being optimized for a lower cost.
This doesn’t mean that Tesla is forgetting the overall goal here. Their ultimate goal is to reduce the initial cost of ownership and lower monthly payments for customers while maintaining a standard of excellence and safety.
Not Unboxed
Both at this Earnings Call and previous ones, Tesla has indicated that this new vehicle will not be using the innovative unboxed assembly method, at least for the time being. That relatively unique method will be developed and implemented specifically for the purpose-built Cybercab and for future vehicles on the next-generation platform.
We’re just a few days away from May, so it won’t be long before we see more about this upcoming vehicle. Stay tuned.
In a follow-up move to the current US administration’s goals to introduce a federal framework for autonomous vehicles, the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) is loosening autonomy restrictions following an announcement from Secretary Sean Duffy on X. This new initiative helps streamline complex regulatory processes and foster home-grown innovation.
From the Wright Brothers to the first astronauts on the moon, our nation has always been at the forefront of transportation technology.
That’s why today we're unveiling a new Automated Vehicle Framework from @USDOT’s Innovation Agenda ⬇️ ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/W3kbMUwQSn
As part of the broader upcoming USDOT Innovation Agenda, the newly unveiled AV Framework is designed to promote American innovation and strengthen domestic engineering while maintaining existing safety standards. The framework centers around three key principles:
Prioritize Safety
Unleash Innovation
Enable Commercial Deployment
To kickstart this AV framework, USDOT announced two initial steps focused on streamlining processes and expanding opportunities.
Crash Reporting Requirements
Under the first principle to Prioritize Safety, the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) will maintain its Standing General Order requiring crash reporting on Advanced and Automated Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS and ADS).
However, the reporting process will be streamlined following feedback from AV innovators, likely including Tesla. The goal here is to focus on collecting critical safety information while removing unnecessary or duplicative items from the reporting process, thereby reducing the burden without compromising safety.
Cutting Red Tape
Directly tied to the second principle of Unleash Innovation, the framework also seeks to slash red tape. The first step here is the expansion of the Automated Vehicle Exemption Program, or AVEP. This program allows manufacturers to petition for temporary exemptions from certain federal motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS) for testing or deployment purposes.
Previously, the standard excluded domestically produced vehicles. Now, domestically produced AVs will not need to meet FMVSS, which will broaden the scope for manufacturers to test more innovative and unique designs and technologies.
Single National Standard for AVs
Finally, tied to the third principle of Enable Commerical Development, USDOT intends to move the United States closer to a single national standard for autonomous vehicles. This aims to prevent a confusing and inefficient patchwork of state-level or city-level laws and regulations, which can create hurdles for companies attempting to innovate, deploy, and scale their technology.
A unified standard across the United States also means that Canada and Mexico will likely be able to follow, as they share homologization standards across North America, including for vehicle crash safety and some autonomy regulations.
What This Means for Tesla
These framework changes will likely have a substantial impact on Tesla. The move towards a national standard is potentially the most impactful change, as Tesla identified regulatory hurdles as one of the most significant challenges it will face with the deployment of both Unsupervised FSD and its Robotaxi network.
The reduction of FMVSS requirements and streamlined reporting will likely play a role in the future as well. The FMVSS requirements are probably already being worked on, if not already met, by the Cybercab and other vehicles in Tesla’s lineup.
Meanwhile, the streamlined reporting will be helpful once Tesla officially launches its Robotaxi network in June.
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