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Tesla 2023 Holiday Update release notes leaked, underwhelms fans

Credit: Tesla Asia/Twitter

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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

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.

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-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.

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.

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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.

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.

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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.

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

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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.

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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.

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Availability varies by model and location.

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. 

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.

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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.

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Elon Musk

Elon Musk echoes worries over Tesla control against activist shareholders

Elon Musk has spoken on several occasions of the “activist shareholders” who threaten his role at Tesla.

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Credit: xAI | X

Elon Musk continues to raise concerns over his control of Tesla as its CEO and one of its founders, as activist shareholders seem to be a viable threat to the company in his eyes.

Musk has voiced concerns over voting control of Tesla and the possibility of him being ousted by shareholders who do not necessarily have the company’s future in mind. Instead, they could be looking to oust Musk because of his political beliefs or because of his vast wealth.

We saw an example of that as shareholders voted on two separate occasions to award Musk a 2018 compensation package that was earned as Tesla met various growth goals through the CEO’s leadership.

Despite shareholders voting to award Musk with the compensation package on two separate occasions, once in 2018 and again in 2024, Delaware Chancery Court Judge Kathaleen McCormick denied the CEO the money both times. At one time, she called it an “unfathomable sum.”

Musk’s current stake in Tesla stands at 12.8 percent, but he has an option to purchase 304 million shares, which, if exercised, after taxes, he says, would bump his voting control up about 4 percent.

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However, this is not enough of a stake in the company, as he believes a roughly 25 percent ownership stake would be enough “to be influential, but not so much that I can’t be overturned,” he said in January 2024.

Musk’s concerns were echoed in another X post from Thursday, where he confirmed he has no current personal loans against Tesla stock, and he reiterated his concerns of being ousted from the company by those he has referred to in the past as “activist shareholders.”

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Elon Musk explains why he wants 25% voting share at Tesla: “I just want to be an effective steward of very powerful technology”

The CEO said during the company’s earnings call in late July:

“That is a major concern for me, as I’ve mentioned in the past. I hope that is addressed at the upcoming shareholders’ meeting. But, yeah, it is a big deal. I want to find that I’ve got so little control that I can easily be ousted by activist shareholders after having built this army of humanoid robots. I think my control over Tesla, Inc. should be enough to ensure that it goes in a good direction, but not so much control that I can’t be thrown out if I go crazy.”

The X post from Thursday said:

There is a concern that Musk could eventually put his money where his mouth is, and if politicians and judges are able to limit his ownership stake as they’ve been able to do with his pay package, he could eventually leave the company.

The company’s shareholders voted overwhelmingly to approve Musk’s pay package. A vast majority of those who voted to get Musk paid still want him to be running Tesla’s day-to-day operations. Without his guidance, the company could face a major restructuring and would have a vastly new look and thesis.

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People are already finding value in Tesla Robotaxi services

Tesla initially launched its Robotaxi service in Austin, though the company more recently launched it in the Bay Area.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla’s Robotaxi service is still in its earliest days, but some consumers are already finding surprising value in the autonomous ride-hailing system. 

This was hinted at in recent comments on social media platform X. 

Robotaxi Ramp

Tesla initially launched its Robotaxi service in Austin, though the company more recently launched it in the Bay Area. Tesla’s geofence for its Robotaxi service in the Bay Area is massive, covering several times the area that is currently serviced by rival Waymo. 

As noted by the EV community members on social media, going end-to-end in Tesla’s Bay Area geofence would likely take over an hour’s worth of driving. That’s an impressive launch for the Robotaxi service in California, and considering Tesla’s momentum, its California geofence will likely grow substantially in the coming months.

Secret Advantage

As noted by Tesla owner and photographer @billykyle, the Tesla Robotaxi service actually has key advantages for people who travel a lot for their work. As per the Tesla owner, using a Robotaxi service would give back so much of his time considering that he gets about 5-7 shoots per day at times. 

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“I’ve been reflecting on how much of a game changer this is. As a photographer that runs my own business, servicing clients all around the Philadelphia area, I could ditch having a car and let an autonomous vehicle drive me between my 5-7 shoots I have per day. This would give me so much time back to work and message clients,” the photographer wrote in a post on X.

The Tesla owner also noted that the Robotaxi service could also solve issues with parking, as it could be tricky in cities. The Robotaxi service’s driverless nature also avoids the issue of rude and incompetent ride-hailing drivers, which are unfortunately prevalent in services such as Uber and Lyft. Ultimately, just like Unsupervised FSD, Tesla’s Robotaxi service has the potential to reclaim time for consumers. And as anyone in the business sphere would attest, time is ultimately money.

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Tesla Robotaxi and Supercharger Diner are killing a dreaded consumer tradition

Tesla is still just charging strictly for its services–while asking for zero tips.

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Credit: Joe Tegtmeyer/X

Tesla’s Robotaxi service and its newly launched Supercharger Diner are killing a longtime but increasingly dreaded consumer tradition in the United States. Based on videos taken of consumers using the Robotaxi service in the Bay Area, Tesla is still just charging strictly for its services–while asking for zero tips.

Tesla Services with Zero Tips

When Tesla launched the Robotaxi pilot in Austin, users quickly noticed that the company was not allowing riders to leave a tip for the service. If one were to try leaving a tip after a Robotaxi ride, the app simply flashes an image of Tesla’s meme hedgehog mascot with a “Just Kidding” message. 

At the time, this seemed like a small tongue-in-cheek joke from the electric vehicle maker. The initial Robotaxi pilot in Austin was rolled out on a small scale, after all, and some social media users speculated that tipping may eventually just be introduced to the service.

But upon the opening of the Tesla Supercharger Diner, consumers also observed that the facility does not allow tipping. Tesla’s notice is simple: “Gratuity: Tesla covers tipping for staff.” This means that employees who work at the Tesla Diner make enough to not rely on gratuities from consumers. 

And with the launch of the Robotaxi service in the Bay Area, users observed once more that Tesla is still not allowing tipping. This was highlighted by longtime Tesla owner @BLKMDL3, who shared a video of the Tesla Robotaxi app also briefly displaying the hedgehog mascot with a “Just Kidding” message when he tried leaving a tip.

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Out of Control

As noted in a report from The Guardian, tipping has been a longstanding business practice in the United States, were service workers typically make less than the federal minimum wage. With this system in place, service workers end up relying on gratuities to make ends meet. This was understandable, but after the pandemic, tipping culture ended up going out of control.

On platforms such as Reddit, users have also complained about services like Uber asking for large tips for using their services. Consumers have also shared shocking experiences involving some services that ask for tips. These include self-checkout counters, drive-throughs, hotdog stands, drug stores, a bottled water stall at a jazz festival, an airport vending machine, a used bookstore, a cinema box office, and a children’s arcade, among others.

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