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- Tesla wants to “bring extra joy to Tesla owners this holiday season”
- All updates are free for Tesla owners
Tesla has announced a series of over-the-air software updates to inject some festive fun into the run-up to Christmas.
And Tesla says it wants to “bring extra joy to Tesla owners this holiday season.”
The 2024 Holiday Update brings new features and improvements to the Tesla fleet starting next week, from additions to the Apple Watch to improved battery and navigation settings to make driving home on Christmas easier.
As always, the update is free (there is no additional cost for Tesla owners), so Tesla drivers can consider it an early Christmas gift.
The big news is the Apple Watch update: you can finally get a Tesla app on your Apple Watch – a big connectivity step toward syncing your lifestyle.
But that’s just one of the many Christmas treats Tesla has introduced; So what else awaits us?
The Tesla app for Apple Watch users is a major new update that allows Tesla owners to use their Apple Watch as a phone key.
Getting Started with the Tesla Apple Watch App
For many people, the most interesting update by far is the new Tesla app customized for Apple Watch owners.
Using your Apple Watch as your phone key, you can remotely lock and unlock the car, adjust the climate controls, view the battery charge, and open the frunk.
Tesla updates are sure to bring holiday cheer
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For our American friends with Cybertrucks, there are many Christmas updates, such as ‘Santa Mode’, which changes the Cybertruck avatar into a Santa’s sleigh with reindeer and elves, but they are not available in the UK – Cybertrucks are not allowed in Europe because it does not meet safety standards.
But Christmas isn’t forgotten for Tesla owners in the UK because there are silly additions like a fart button on touch, a new Boomerang Fu party game and new light show settings with remote programming.
Tesla navigation and map updates
There are several more useful updates, including a new navigation feature that allows drivers to set the desired battery power level upon arrival.
Tesla’s route planner will then add or remove charging stops as needed along the way to ensure you arrive at your destination with the desired battery level.
And also new to mapping is an update to search results, which can now be filtered to show options along the route and estimated detour times.
If the driver wants to stop for a coffee or load up, the mapping function will add a time that reflects real-world times.
A useful new navigation feature allows drivers to set the desired battery power level upon arrival.
You can check the weather at your destination thanks to a new precipitation overlay feature added to maps, which tracks live weather data and projects it onto your map in the form of weather radar.
And also new to mapping is an update to search results, which can now be filtered to show options along the route and estimated detour times.
You can check the weather at your destination thanks to a new precipitation overlay feature added to maps, which tracks live weather data and projects it on your map in the form of weather radar, and you can also check if there are parking spaces nearby .
Tesla Safety and Security Updates
Dashcam and Sentry Mode clips can be viewed directly from the Tesla app and saved to your phone for editing or sharing.
Your Tesla will activate an alert if a pedestrian or vehicle crosses behind your car while you are reversing, and an audible warning will also play if a cross-traffic object is detected at that time.
There are also some very useful security updates.
Dashcam and Sentry Mode safety clips can be viewed directly from the Tesla app and saved to your phone for editing or sharing (these clips can be fun, as we’ve discovered in the past).
Your Tesla will activate an alert if a pedestrian or vehicle crosses behind your car while you are reversing, and will also play an audible warning if a cross-traffic object is detected at that time.
As part of Tesla’s move toward fully autonomous driving, in the form of the new Cybercab currently on display at Tesla Westfield, the Autoshift in the new stickless Model 3 can now automatically shift between Drive and Reverse to handle parking and multiple maneuvers. The point turns on its own.
