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.
Here is your Tesla’s 2023 holiday update:
– Trip Planner on Mobile App
– More Cameras in Live Camera View
– Automatic Blind Spot Camera
– Light Show
– Apple Podcasts
– Tesla Arcade Updates
– Automatic 911 Calls
– Speed Cameras on Your Route
– Shuffle Play in TIDAL
– Apple and… pic.twitter.com/FRh2Rfv3E6— Not a Tesla App (@NotATeslaApp) December 7, 2023
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.
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.
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.
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
Tesla’s blind spot warning in this year’s holiday update
— Not a Tesla App (@NotATeslaApp) December 7, 2023
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.
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.
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.
As we were saying… Take a moment, enjoy what has been posted so far, and remember “Don’t Panic”.
More is still coming… pic.twitter.com/y0AlGLmknl
— Teslascope (@teslascope) December 7, 2023
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.
SpaceX has achieved an incredible milestone by launching its 11,000th Starlink satellite into orbit.
This accomplishment occurred during the Starlink Group 17-50 mission, which lifted off on August 19 at 04:01 UTC from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
Falcon 9 launches 24 @Starlink satellites from California pic.twitter.com/UscpmAxDls
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 19, 2026
A Falcon 9 rocket carried 24 Starlink V2 Mini satellites on this flight, successfully deploying them into low Earth orbit approximately one hour after liftoff. The first stage booster, identified as B1097 on its twelfth flight, landed successfully on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean.
According to tracking data compiled around that date, this deployment brought the total number of Starlink satellites in orbit to just over 11,000.
The Starlink program began with test satellites known as Tintin A and B, launched on February 22, 2018. The first operational batch of 60 Starlink satellites followed on May 24, 2019, when a Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral. Those initial satellites marked the start of a rapid expansion that has continued for more than seven years.
SpaceX has conducted hundreds of dedicated Starlink missions since then, routinely launching batches of 20 to 30 satellites at a time using reusable Falcon 9 rockets. By mid-2026, the company had already surpassed 12,000 total satellites launched across all versions, with continuous replacements for units that deorbit as designed to manage space debris.
Looking ahead, SpaceX continues to expand the Starlink constellation to enhance global broadband coverage, capacity, and speed. The network already serves millions of users across more than 160 countries and supports applications ranging from residential internet to maritime, aviation, and emergency services.
Future plans center on next-generation hardware, including larger V3 satellites capable of delivering substantially higher throughput, which require the increased payload capacity of the Starship vehicle currently under development and testing.
In July, SpaceX submitted an application to the Federal Communications Commission seeking authority for a Gen3 constellation of up to 100,000 satellites. These spacecraft would operate in very low Earth orbit shells at altitudes near 325 kilometers and 475 kilometers. The filing requests use of existing Ku, Ka, V, and E band spectrum along with new greenfield W and D band frequencies between 92 and 275 GHz.
SpaceX states that the expanded system aims to deliver multi-gigabit symmetrical broadband to consumers, enterprises, governments, and billions of AI-powered devices worldwide while handling a majority of global internet traffic. Approval and subsequent deployment would depend on regulatory review and the operational readiness of Starship for high-volume launches.
This ambitious scale reflects SpaceX’s ongoing commitment to providing ubiquitous high-speed connectivity from space.
Tesla has opened a new sweepstakes to allow the public to be among the first to take an initial ride in a Cybercab. This all-electric, steering-wheel-less, pedal-less vehicle is the centerpiece of the company’s autonomous ride-hailing platform, Robotaxi.
There are two ways Tesla fans can get to Austin to take part in the first public rides of the Cybercab: by riding on the Robotaxi platform by August 23, or by mailing a very specific entry to their Headquarters at Gigafactory Texas.
Tesla announced the latter portion of the sweepstakes last night:
🚨 Want to win a trip to Austin to ride in one of the first Cybercab rides ever?
Here’s how:
Tesla has opened up a new sweepstakes to ride in a Cybercab upon its public launch. Here’s the details.
There are two methods of entry into the sweepstakes, and they are as follows:… pic.twitter.com/iJRd4evuWo
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 19, 2026
Tesla will give one entry into the sweepstakes if you mail a 3″ by 5″ piece of paper with your full name, mailing address, telephone number, email address, and date of birth to their address:
Tesla, Robotaxi Sweeps Event
1 Tesla Road,
Austin, TX 78725
There is a limit of one entry per stamped envelope. You can send as many as you’d like, but they must be in separate envelopes.
The company’s unique strategy to give people the opportunity to ride in a Cybercab before pretty much anyone else outside of the company is a hilarious but spot-on representation of how Tesla operates. In classic fashion, they had the perfect response to the event:
— Tesla (@Tesla) August 19, 2026
Cybercab will launch later this month, it appears, especially as it plans to announce the winners of the sweepstakes on August 25. The car has already been operating internally, as employees have been able to utilize the Cybercab for rides in some capacity, something it announced earlier this month.
Tesla weirdly confirms Cybercab employee rides, a huge milestone
Moving forward, the big goal is to get Cybercab out on the roads and integrated into the public Robotaxi fleet, one that will pick up real-world ride-hailers and give them a ride from Point A to Point B.
No matter which way you cut it, it appears Tesla is close to putting a vehicle with no steering wheel and no pedals on the road to help people travel autonomously.
You can ride along with us in our first Cybercab ride from the We, Robot event in October 2024. The video is embedded below:
🎥: Our FULL first ride in the @Tesla Cybercab pic.twitter.com/6gR7OgKRCz
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) October 11, 2024
Tesla has revealed plans through permit submissions for a massive Robotaxi charging hub in Austin, Texas.
Tesla plans to build the Supercharger hub in multiple phases, with the second phase potentially introducing wireless induction charging, something the company has been developing for the Robotaxi fleet.
Initially, 48 Tesla Robotaxi-geared Superchargers will be built on a lot just across from the St. Elmo, Texas, Service Center. There are about 80 additional spots that will not be impacted by phase 1 of the construction process.
Filings show that the second phase of the project will turn those 80 additional spots into wireless charging for Robotaxi, but it might be an error. The Key Notes state that item 3 is listed as “V4 Charging Cabinet to Support 80 Wireless Chargers in Phase 2. However, the drawings point to V3 Cabinets that are already tied to Superchargers:
There are roughly 128 total spots in the lot, but it is unclear if they will all be used for charging based on what appears to be some sort of typo in the blueprint.
A new Robotaxi fleet charging hub is coming soon to Austin, Texas!!
Permits have been filed for the installation of 48 (V3) stalls in a vehicle storage lot across the road from Tesla’s St Elmo service center. pic.twitter.com/xwRgSWDqht
— MarcoRP (@MarcoRPi1) August 18, 2026
This is among the first Robotaxi charging hubs Tesla has started to develop, as it currently has four others planned throughout various areas: one in Phoenix, one in San Antonio, another in Irving, which will serve the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and another in Las Vegas.
These projects are necessary as Tesla expands its Robotaxi program. Now that preparations have started for the public launch of Cybercab, Robotaxi will likely be expanding aggressively, especially over the next two to three years.
Last night, The Information reported that Tesla was planning to launch Cybercab as soon as the end of August. Hours later, Tesla then announced it was launching a competition for fans to potentially ride in Cybercab during its first public rides.
Tesla’s plan to expand its charging infrastructure in the regions where Robotaxi will initially operate is great preparation for the expanding service. There is still a lot to do, including launching the Cybercab on time.
SpaceX achieves incredible milestone with Starlink program
Tesla is opening Cybercab rides to a select few
