Connect with us

News

Tesla 2023 Holiday Update release notes leaked, underwhelms fans

Credit: Tesla Asia/Twitter

Published

on

Details of Tesla’s 2023 Holiday Update — or at least a notable portion of it — have been leaked online. Based on the reaction from Tesla owners on social media, it appears that Tesla’s 2023 Holiday Update has made some EV owners feel like Santa Claus gave them coal instead of toys. 

The anticipation for Tesla’s 2023 Holiday Update was palpable, with software tracking services such as Teslascope hinting that employees who received the update were under a nondisclosure agreement. The release notes for update 2023.44.25 were posted online anyway, providing a pretty good teaser of what’s to come with the 2023 Holiday Update. 

Following are the release notes of Tesla update 2023.44.25, as shared by Not a Tesla App. 

Advertisement
-

Apple Podcasts

Listen to millions of the world’s most popular podcasts. Apple Podcasts for Tesla syncs with your favorite Apple devices, so you can seamlessly follow shows, save episodes, and pick up right where you left off. Browse new and noteworthy podcasts or explore what’s trending on Top Charts.

From the Application Launcher, open the Apple Podcasts app, scan the QR code, and log in with your Apple ID. Premium Connectivity required.

Tesla Arcade Updates

-Beach Buggy Racing – Unlock new vehicles and tracks. Your racing vehicle now matches the color you’ve set in Toybox > Colorizer.

-Polytopia Diplomacy Update — Explore new options for peaceful and hostile interactions, from peace treaties and embassies to stealth infiltration and guerrilla warfare.

-Vampire Survivors Chilling Update – Melt hordes of snowmen and defend against ice monsters in the new wintry Whiteout map, along with a new character, achievements, and items to collect.

-PS4, PS5, and Xbox Controllers – Feel more immersed in the action with rumble effects in select Tesla Arcade games.

Advertisement
-

To pair a controller, open the Bluetooth panel and follow the instructions.

Availability varies by model and location.

Automatic 911 Calls

Your vehicle will call 911 if an accident triggers the airbags.

A countdown timer allows you to cancel the call before it’s placed if you don’t need 911.

This feature works automatically when your mobile phone is connected to your vehicle via Bluetooth.

Speed Cameras on Your Route 

Navigation now includes symbols along your route to show speed cameras, stop signs, and traffic lights.

Advertisement
-

To see this route information, you must have Navigation > Online Routing turned on. Requires Premium Connectivity.

Trip Planner on Mobile App

Use the Tesla mobile app to plan a trip.

Go to Location > Navigate and enter a destination. For multiple stops or to make changes, simply Edit Trip > Add Stop. If needed, Trip Planner will also include charging stops along the way. Then choose Send to Car to share it with your vehicle.

Requires Tesla app 4.27.5+ to add multiple stops to a trip.

More Cameras in Live Camera View

When you view your vehicle surroundings from the Tesla app, now you’ll have access to the left and right pillar cameras.

On your vehicle touchscreen, go to Controls > Safety > View Live Camera via Mobile App. Then you can view from the app on your phone.

Advertisement
-

Live Camera is end-to-end encrypted and can’t be accessed by Tesla. Requires Tesla app 4.27.5+ and Premium Connectivity.

Automatic Blind Spot Camera 

The blind spot camera view now alerts you with red shading along the edge when your turn signal is on and your vehicle detects an object or another vehicle in your blind spot.

Go to Controls > Autopilot > Automatic Blind Spot Camera.

Advertisement
-

Light Show

Time to celebrate with the latest Light Show to the tune of The Arrival by Irving Victoria.

Play it right away, or schedule the show up to 10 minutes in advance, with one vehicle or synced with friends. Go to Toybox > Light Show.

Light Show enthusiasts can now play multiple custom Light Shows from the same USB flash drive. Simply save the show files to a directory named “LightShow” on your flash drive, connect, and choose.

Shuffle Play in TIDAL

Shuffle your TIDAL playlists and albums.

Apple and Spotify Profile Image 

In Apple Music and Spotify, you can show your account profile image to indicate which account you’re using for each.

Availability varies by model and location.

Advertisement
-

Search Includes Owner’s Manual 

When you use Controls > Search on the touchscreen, your results now include links to entries in the Owner’s Manual, in addition to results with vehicle settings. So you can find the setting you want or learn more about it.

Charging Location Filters 

When you search the vehicle map for charging locations, you can now filter between two charging speeds: Three lightning bolts shows locations with more than 70 kW. One lightning bolt shows locations with 70 kW or less.

Among the most notable criticisms of Tesla’s 2023 Holiday Update is its apparent focus on minor features and quality-of-life improvements, not the rollout of substantial functions such as FSD V12 or the much-anticipated Actual Smart Summon. Some Tesla owners noted that the 2023 Holiday Update feels like a regular software update from the EV maker that could have been released at any month of the year. 

Advertisement
-

That being said, Tesla software tracking service Teslascope noted that the 2023 Holiday Update release notes do not include specific changes for vehicles that are running Full Self-Driving Beta, as those improvements have not been rolled out yet. Thus, inasmuch as the 2023 Holiday Update seems underwhelming so far, there seems to be a pretty fair chance that more will be coming. 

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

Advertisement
Comments

Elon Musk

Tesla Q3 2026 Earnings results: in-line revenues, slight beat on EPS

Published

on

Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) reported its earnings for the third quarter of 2026, marking a reasonable performance on the various financial metrics. Tesla still plans to hold a call that will field investor questions at 5:30 p.m. ET, 4:30 p.m. CT.

Here’s where Earnings came in:

  • Total Revenues: $28.046 reported vs. $28.34B expected
  • Non-GAAP EPS: $0.48 reported vs. $0.45 expected
  • Operating Margin: 2.6 % reported vs. 2.5% expected
  • Operating Income: $718M reported vs. $721M expected
  • Free Cash Flow: $1.531B reported vs. ~-$4.51B expected

Major Takeaways

Full Self-Driving (Supervised)

“FSD (Supervised)⁴ attach rate continued to grow, reaching over 75% of new vehicle deliveries in North America – our most mature market – a nearly twenty percentage point sequential increase. We believe that FSD is driving demand in markets where it is available, and we continue to work with regulators to get it approved in other markets.”

Advertisement
-

Tesla Semi

“We began volume production of Tesla Semi, our Class 8 heavy-duty truck. The top variant can go 500 miles at full 82,000 lbs gross combination weight while achieving an efficiency of 1.7 kWh/mile. That efficiency allows the Tesla Semi to use a third of the energy used by a comparable diesel truck to haul the same payload. In a transportation market where energy is one of the largest components of total cost per mile, this will provide a meaningful advantage to Tesla Semi operators.”

SI Compute

“We plan to reach 400 MW of SI training compute by the end of the year, supporting the development of both vehicle and humanoid robot autonomy software. Additionally, we continued construction for the Austin Fab, where we plan to start commissioning equipment in 2027.”

Robotaxi

“We began deployment of Cybercab into our Robotaxi fleet in Austin. We reached nearly two million cumulative unsupervised miles for our Robotaxi service as of the end of the quarter. Operating hours in Austin are now 6am to midnight, and we expect to reduce wait times via increased fleet supply and improvement of Robotaxi orchestration algorithms. Grok is available in Cybercab with access to Grok Bot and Connectors, which allows users to manage their inbox, calendars, files, chats and tasks – all hands free via voice command – making Cybercab a mode of transport, a productivity space and, with our entertainment options, a second living room.”

Interested in ordering a Tesla? Use my referral code for three free months of Full Self-Driving (Supervised) here.

Continue Reading

Investor's Corner

Tesla reports Q3 Earnings today: here’s what to expect

Published

on

Credit: TechOperator | X

Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) reports its earnings for Q3 today. Here’s what to expect, as the company will reveal its balance sheet after the market closes on Wednesday.

Tesla already reported deliveries just after Q3 ended, and it demolished Wall Street consensus estimates of roughly 462,000 vehicles. Tesla delivered 486,532 cars in the third quarter, which was a big beat, but was down 2.1 percent from the same quarter last year. Energy storage deployments were 13.7 GWh, up year-over-year.

Tesla showrooms picked clean ahead of Q3 end as demand looks strong

For the quarter, analysts have already compiled their predictions for what Tesla will report this afternoon:

  • Total Revenues: $28.34B
  • Non-GAAP EPS: $0.43
  • Operating Margin: 2.5%
  • Operating Income: $721M
  • Free Cash Flow: ~-$4.51B

Here are a few things we are looking forward to hearing about on the call:

Automotive Gross Margin and Overall Profitability

This was 16.3 percent in Q2, down from 19.2 percent in Q1, and was impacted by warranty charges and some fading regulatory credits. Consensus implies overall gross margin near 18 percent, but a miss here would potentially reinforce concerns about pricing pressure on its vehicles.

Pay attention to energy storage margins as well, especially since Tesla missed GWh expectations, although it was still a strong quarter.

Advertisement
-

Robotaxi/Cybercab, Unsupervised FSD, and Optimus Progress

The Say questions from retail investors usually focus on these types of projects, and this quarter is no different. Scaling the Cybercab fleet beyond Austin amid the open NHTSA safety review, timeline for Unsupervised FSD in customer cars, Robotaxi unit economics, and Optimus cost per unit plus when it could start generating revenue, are all things to be looking for.

Any concrete timelines or regulatory path details will likely move the stock more than the near-term numbers. SpaceX merger speculation, which was detailed during SpaceX’s earnings call last night, may also surface, although the key details were shared last night.

Elon Musk just confirmed the Tesla and SpaceX merger step everyone was waiting for

Say Investor Questions

  1. How does the Cybercab fleet scale past Austin, and what’s the regulatory path outside Texas given NHTSA’s open safety review?
  2. When can we anticipate FSD unsupervised in customer cars?
  3. When will the CyberCab be available for customer purchase/ownership?
  4. What’s the unit economics per paid robotaxi mile, and how does it compare to the thirty-cent target?
  5. Tesla has acknowledged that HW3 vehicles cannot support unsupervised FSD. When will owners know whether they can upgrade their hardware for free, and when will Tesla provide a clear plan?

The full Earnings Call will be streamed this evening after market close around 5 p.m. this evening.

Continue Reading

News

SpaceX confirms Starship 15 launch window with massive ambitions

Published

on

Credit: SpaceX

SpaceX confirmed the date of Starship’s 15th launch window with some massive ambitions for the mission, as it will attempt to catch Ship for the first time.

CEO Elon Musk confirmed during SpaceX’s Earnings Call last night on October 20 that it would launch Starship for its 15th test flight in November, and there are some incredible things the company wants to try, making it perhaps the most groundbreaking launch in the program’s history.

SpaceX delivers blockbuster Q3 results as Super Intelligence segment booms

The most major development of the call was SpaceX’s intention to catch Ship alongside catching the Super Heavy Booster, something that has happened in the past. SpaceX showed an animation of the Ship catch, which will be done on the launch tower’s chopsticks:

Advertisement
-

This monumental goal is to catch both the Ship and Booster in a dual-catch scenario, an incredible feat since SpaceX has never been able to reuse a Ship after launch. Musk said it would be “the first time that an orbital launch vehicle has been fully recovered,” and said it would be a “profound technology milestone.”

Musk said the odds of success on this first Ship catch attempt are “more likely than not,” but SpaceX is ultimately prepared for more tries moving forward. The SpaceX frontman said that, starting next year, Starship would have a “steady stream” of flights through the end of the year.

The cadence will accelerate in 2027, with Musk stating the company plans to target weekly flights in the first half of 2027 and twice-weekly by year-end.

The Flight 15 attempt follows that of Flight 14, which took off in late September and was Starship’s first orbital mission. It deployed 26 Starlink V3 satellites, accomplished a controlled ocean splashdown of both stages, and shed more light on potential challenges for the program moving forward.

As of now, the Starship program is firing on all cylinders.

Interested in ordering a Tesla? Use my referral code for three free months of Full Self-Driving (Supervised) here.

Advertisement
-

Continue Reading