Tesla is shipping Software Update 2023.12 to select employees today with a variety of new interface improvements and features that are aimed toward customization and ease of access.
Tesla has been making a recent effort to vastly improve both its vehicles and App with new features. In-vehicle updates have included a new version of the Owner’s Manual, a revision to the cabin heat system that improves its functionality, and navigation fixes.
For the app, Tesla improved Supercharger visits by including wait times and rates. Additionally, a small fix in the navigation feature of the App was also included.
Now, a variety of new interface-related features are being shipped as part of 2023.12, which was discovered by TeslaScope.
Text Size
“Choose Standard or Large text size for the touchscreen.
Go to Controls > Display > Text Size.”
Controls Search
“Use the ‘Search’ function for quicker access to controls and settings. Go to Controls > Search and enter a search term. Make changes directly from the result or tap the link to jump to that panel in Controls.”
Points of Interest
“See photos and reviews when you select a point of interest or Supercharger location.”
Phone Call Controls
“Control your phone calls from the steering wheel.
Use the left scroll button to answer or decline incoming calls. While you’re on a call, use it to mute/unmute yourself or hang up.”
Exclusive: A new unreleased @Tesla software update (2023.12) is now going out to employee vehicles, including a trove of interface-oriented improvements.
– Text Size Adjustments
– Controls Search
– Points of Interest
– Phone Call Controls
– and more (included in the next tweets) pic.twitter.com/yOWtXxGG5d— Teslascope (@teslascope) April 10, 2023
Scroll Wheel Customization
“Do more with the left scroll wheel button on the steering wheel.
You can adjust settings like brightness and Acceleration Mode, or perform actions like toggling the Camera App, opening the glovebox, and saving Dashcam footage.
Long press the left scroll button to bring up a list of functions and scroll through the list.
To choose which function comes up by default, go to Controls > Display > Scroll Wheel Function.”
Gear Chimes
“A chime now sounds when you shift gears. To toggle gear chimes, go to Controls > Safety > Gear Chimes.”
Passenger Seat Controls
“Adjust the passenger seat from the rear touchscreen to make it easier to enter or exit the rear seat.
To access the passenger seat controls, tap the seat icon on the rear touchscreen. Hold one of the arrows to move the passenger seat forward or backward. The controls are available only when the vehicle is not moving.
To access the same controls from the front touchscreen, tap the App Launcher and go to the rear screen remote control app.”
Get to Know Your Tesla
“Learn basics like creating Driver Profiles, using Phone Key and regenerative braking from the ‘Get to Know Your Tesla’ educational experience within the new ‘Manual’ app. Each topic includes a visual and, if applicable, a link to the relevant feature. The ‘Manual’ app also provides easy access to resources for learning much more about your Tesla, such as the on-screen Owner’s Manual and online tutorial videos.
Go to App Launcher > Manual.”
– Scroll Wheel Customization
– Gear Chimes
– Passenger Seat Controls
– Get To Know Your @Tesla (seen in a few recent builds, but soft launched) pic.twitter.com/owMfrPjAip— Teslascope (@teslascope) April 10, 2023
Zoom Meetings
Zoom Meetings are an already-launched feature in several markets, but it is now available in additional regions. There have also been improvements in performance and changes have been applied in the background.
Voice Recognition Language
“British English is now available as a voice recognition language.
To update your voice recognition language, go to Controls > Display > Voice Recognition Language and choose an option from the list.”
Factory Reset Bug Fix
This update also includes fixes to the factory reset bug that caused some vehicles to lose all data. It was partially resolved in 2023.6, but new fixes have been included in this update, TeslaScope said.
– Zoom Meetings (now available in additional regions, and minor improvements/performance changes have been applied in the background).
– Speech Recognition Language
British English is now available as a voice recognition language. pic.twitter.com/wCoHlRaFNq— Teslascope (@teslascope) April 10, 2023
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Elon Musk
Tesla CEO Elon Musk sends rivals dire warning about Full Self-Driving
Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed today on the social media platform X that legacy automakers, such as Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis, do not want to license the company’s Full Self-Driving suite, at least not without a long list of their own terms.
“I’ve tried to warn them and even offered to license Tesla FSD, but they don’t want it! Crazy,” Musk said on X. “When legacy auto does occasionally reach out, they tepidly discuss implementing FSD for a tiny program in 5 years with unworkable requirements for Tesla, so pointless.”
I’ve tried to warn them and even offered to license Tesla FSD, but they don’t want it! Crazy …
When legacy auto does occasionally reach out, they tepidly discuss implementing FSD for a tiny program in 5 years with unworkable requirements for Tesla, so pointless. 🤷♂️
🦕 🦕
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 24, 2025
Musk made the remark in response to a note we wrote about earlier today from Melius Research, in which analyst Rob Wertheimer said, “Our point is not that Tesla is at risk, it’s that everybody else is,” in terms of autonomy and self-driving development.
Wertheimer believes there are hundreds of billions of dollars in value headed toward Tesla’s way because of its prowess with FSD.
A few years ago, Musk first remarked that Tesla was in early talks with one legacy automaker regarding licensing Full Self-Driving for its vehicles. Tesla never confirmed which company it was, but given Musk’s ongoing talks with Ford CEO Jim Farley at the time, it seemed the Detroit-based automaker was the likely suspect.
Tesla’s Elon Musk reiterates FSD licensing offer for other automakers
Ford has been perhaps the most aggressive legacy automaker in terms of its EV efforts, but it recently scaled back its electric offensive due to profitability issues and weak demand. It simply was not making enough vehicles, nor selling the volume needed to turn a profit.
Musk truly believes that many of the companies that turn their backs on FSD now will suffer in the future, especially considering the increased chance it could be a parallel to what has happened with EV efforts for many of these companies.
Unfortunately, they got started too late and are now playing catch-up with Tesla, XPeng, BYD, and the other dominating forces in EVs across the globe.
News
Tesla backtracks on strange Nav feature after numerous complaints
Tesla is backtracking on a strange adjustment it made to its in-car Navigation feature after numerous complaints from owners convinced the company to make a change.
Tesla’s in-car Navigation is catered to its vehicles, as it routes Supercharging stops and preps your vehicle for charging with preconditioning. It is also very intuitive, and features other things like weather radar and a detailed map outlining points of interest.
However, a recent change to the Navigation by Tesla did not go unnoticed, and owners were really upset about it.
For trips that required multiple Supercharger stops, Tesla decided to implement a naming change, which did not show the city or state of each charging stop. Instead, it just showed the business where the Supercharger was located, giving many owners an unwelcome surprise.
However, Tesla’s Director of Supercharging, Max de Zegher, admitted the update was a “big mistake on our end,” and made a change that rolled out within 24 hours:
The naming change should have happened at once, instead of in 2 sequential steps. That was a big miss on our end. We do listen to the community and we do course-correct fast. The accelerated fix rolled out last night. The Tesla App is updated and most in-car touchscreens should…
— Max (@MdeZegher) November 20, 2025
The lack of a name for the city where a Supercharging stop would be made caused some confusion for owners in the short term. Some drivers argued that it was more difficult to make stops at some familiar locations that were special to them. Others were not too keen on not knowing where they were going to be along their trip.
Tesla was quick to scramble to resolve this issue, and it did a great job of rolling it out in an expedited manner, as de Zegher said that most in-car touch screens would notice the fix within one day of the change being rolled out.
Additionally, there will be even more improvements in December, as Tesla plans to show the common name/amenity below the site name as well, which will give people a better idea of what to expect when they arrive at a Supercharger.
News
Dutch regulator RDW confirms Tesla FSD February 2026 target
The regulator emphasized that safety, not public pressure, will decide whether FSD receives authorization for use in Europe.
The Dutch vehicle authority RDW responded to Tesla’s recent updates about its efforts to bring Full Self-Driving (Supervised) in Europe, confirming that February 2026 remains the target month for Tesla to demonstrate regulatory compliance.
While acknowledging the tentative schedule with Tesla, the regulator emphasized that safety, not public pressure, will decide whether FSD receives authorization for use in Europe.
RDW confirms 2026 target, warns Feb 2026 timeline is not guaranteed
In its response, which was posted on its official website, the RDW clarified that it does not disclose details about ongoing manufacturer applications due to competitive sensitivity. However, the agency confirmed that both parties have agreed on a February 2026 window during which Tesla is expected to show that FSD (Supervised) can meet required safety and compliance standards. Whether Tesla can satisfy those conditions within the timeline “remains to be seen,” RDW added.
RDW also directly addressed Tesla’s social media request encouraging drivers to contact the regulator to express support. While thanking those who already reached out, RDW asked the public to stop contacting them, noting these messages burden customer-service resources and have no influence on the approval process.
“In the message on X, Tesla calls on Tesla drivers to thank the RDW and to express their enthusiasm about this planning to us by contacting us. We thank everyone who has already done so, and would like to ask everyone not to contact us about this. It takes up unnecessary time for our customer service. Moreover, this will have no influence on whether or not the planning is met,” the RDW wrote.
The RDW shares insights on EU approval requirements
The RDW further outlined how new technology enters the European market when no existing legislation directly covers it. Under EU Regulation 2018/858, a manufacturer may seek an exemption for unregulated features such as advanced driver assistance systems. The process requires a Member State, in this case the Netherlands, to submit a formal request to the European Commission on the manufacturer’s behalf.
Approval then moves to a committee vote. A majority in favor would grant EU-wide authorization, allowing the technology across all Member States. If the vote fails, the exemption is valid only within the Netherlands, and individual countries must decide whether to accept it independently.
Before any exemption request can be filed, Tesla must complete a comprehensive type-approval process with the RDW, including controlled on-road testing. Provided that FSD Supervised passes these regulatory evaluations, the exemption could be submitted for broader EU consideration.