News
Tesla audio partner DSP Concepts discusses noise cancellation tech & the future of sound in autonomous cars
Sound might play a bigger role in the auto industry with the advent of the electric cars and the age of autonomous vehicles dawning. Tesla’s audio partner DSP Concepts (DSPC) knows a lot about sound and how big of a role it plays in everyday life. Teslarati spoke with part of the DSP Concepts team, who revealed the significance of sound in vehicles, especially as the electric car revolution starts to hit its stride.
“It turns out a car is your most complicated audio product,” said Chin Beckmann, the co-founder and CEO of DSP Concepts. Beckmann described all the ways audio and sound play a part in how people interact with their vehicles, like phone calls, voice commands, or simple in-car communication from driver to passenger and vice versa.
Engine noise cancellation is a feature that interests traditional cars owners as well. Inversely, for electric car owners, engine noise enhancements or noisemakers have become a sought after feature, particularly in the United States where it is mandatory for EVs.
Tesla probably contributed to the popularity of noisemakers in vehicles with its recently-released Boombox feature, which allows drivers to play sounds through an external speaker. Funnily enough, EV owners seeking to increase the noise coming out of their vehicles, may also be looking for ways to decrease the sounds coming into their cars.
“There’s a lot of interest in road noise cancellation from EVs,” said Dr. Paul Beckmann, founder and CTO of DSP Concepts.
Last month, DSP Concepts announced that Audio Weaver would port Bose’s QuietComfort Road Noise Control (RNC) technology into its platform. The collaboration meant that car companies using the Audio Weaver platform, like Tesla, Porsche, or BMW, could offer Bose’s QuietComfort RNC to their vehicles.
Dr. Beckmann clarified, however, that some hardware needs to be integrated into the vehicle for the Bose QuietComfort RNC to work.
“The way the RNC works is it uses microphones inside the car to listen. It’s kind of like those active noise cancelling headphones. The headphones have microphones close by your ears. So [for] the retrofit, you’d have to put microphones, maybe, by the headrest or somewhere close to your ears,” he shared with Teslarati.
Dru Wynings, Sr. Director of Marketing at DSP Concepts, added that some sensors would probably be needed in the car’s chassis as well. He also talked about the complexities of bringing Bose’s QuietComfort RNC to vehicles.
“There’s a huge hardware component to it in terms of how much computation is needed, in terms of what their audio sound system is…all of that could take a toll. So, [automakers are] planning on what could actually fit on this specific chip to run this software,” said Wynings.
DSP Concepts did not reveal any details about Bose RNC coming to Tesla vehicles. There’s really no telling what features Tesla will roll out to its vehicles at the end of the day.
However, the possibility is very high. It isn’t too far-fetched to think that Tesla might have already equipped its vehicles with the necessary hardware for features like Bose’s QuietComfort RNC, especially considering the upcoming release of the much-anticipated Model S and Model X refresh. The company already did something similar with its in-cabin camera. The hardware for the camera feature was equipped well before it was enabled via an OTA software update.
Road noise cancellation seems like a premium feature that could be available for Tesla’s top-tier vehicles, like the Model S and Model X. Or Tesla may roll out the Bose RNC feature to its entire fleet in a later update. After all, the Model 3 just had a refresh as well.
Sound in Autonomous Vehicles
Aside from Tesla, DSP Concepts works with an array of automakers in the industry, both old and new companies. The company’s main goal is to bring audio engineering into the 21st century with the help of Audio Weaver.
When it comes to the auto industry, DSPC seems very aware of how audio in cars will evolve as autonomy enters the industry. It has become evident that car companies, both legacy and startups, have started producing more tech-savvy vehicles.
Tesla vehicles might be the most tech-savvy cars on the market. The EV manufacturer’s cars incorporate technology that people might look for in their vehicles now, like Netflix, Spotify, or even Caraoke. Yes, these features might not be necessary, but the same argument could be made for phones, laptops, or other devices.
People can do much more than call others with their phones now. They can watch their favorite shows, listen to music, search the internet and much, much more. People seem to want their tech to be well-rounded, so why not their vehicles?
Other car makers seem to be following Tesla’s footsteps. In addition to making more tech-oriented vehicles, more auto companies are also exploring autonomous cars.
With autonomy in the picture, features like Tesla Theater or Tesla Arcade will be more utilized and with that comes the significance of sound. DSP Concepts understands that people might start looking for better sound quality in their autonomous vehicles as more entertainment options are offered by car companies.
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Energy
Tesla Model 3 and Model Y can now do what only Cybertruck could
Tesla Model 3 and Model Y can power your home with Powerwall 3 during outages.
Tesla has turned its two top sellers into backup batteries for the house.
Tesla Energy announced on Tuesday that Powershare Home Backup is now available for new Model 3 and Model Y vehicles paired with a Powerwall 3, saying the car can “extend your home backup by over 2 days.” Minutes later, Tesla’s main account quoted the post with a broader pitch: “With Powerwall 3, every Tesla can now serve as your home’s backup battery.”
Until this week, the Cybertruck was the only Tesla that could send power back into a home, and that capability only began working alongside Powerwall 3 last month, after years of ambitious targets.
Tesla’s updated Powershare page says every Model 3 and Model Y ordered in the U.S. or Puerto Rico on or after October 1, 2026 can use the feature. Some, but not all, earlier cars also qualify. Owners can check on the touchscreen under Software, then Additional Vehicle Information, where a capable car shows “Powershare Support: Enabled.” As Electrek reported, bidirectional power on the two cars runs through an inverter Tesla calls PCS2 Lite, and the company has not said when that part entered production on each trim.
The home side is simpler. A house that already has a Powerwall 3 and either a Wall Connector 3 or Universal Wall Connector needs no additional equipment, and Tesla says compatibility is enabled through a software update. When the grid drops, the Powerwall and the car work together, with up to 11.52 kW of continuous power available. Tesla’s “over two days” estimate assumes a home using 30 kWh per day and a car starting at a 90 percent charge. Standard trims are rated for up to two days, while the Cybertruck adds more than three.
There are limits. Powerwall 2 and Powerwall+ support is listed as “coming soon.” Model S and Model X are not included, and Grid Support, the program that lets Cybertruck owners in Texas send power back to the grid during demand spikes for bill credits, is not available for Model 3 or Model Y.
The rollout also lines up with something Elon Musk said more than three years ago. At Tesla’s March 2023 Investor Day, Musk said, “I don’t think very many people are going to want to use bidirectional charging, unless you have a Powerwall.” Tesla has now shipped the feature for its volume cars with exactly that requirement attached.
The Powerwall pairing was the hard part on Cybertruck. Tesla told owners in December 2025 that Powershare with Powerwall had been pushed to mid 2026, and lead engineer Wes Morrill explained that two devices capable of forming a home’s grid have to negotiate which one leads during an outage, across multiple generations of hardware. With that work done for the truck, Tesla was able to extend it to the Model 3 and Model Y within a month.
Ford and GM have offered home backup from their EVs for several years, but both require a separate inverter and backup hardware. Tesla’s version leans on equipment many Powerwall 3 owners already have on the wall. Powershare for the two cars also ships as part of software update 2026.38.3, the same release that began delivering Halloween Mode on Tuesday.
Tesla is now starting to ship a “Halloween Mode” that is filled with some creepy and fun features; the company says, “This spooky update turns your Tesla into a haunted house on wheels.”
The update is just the latest in a series of updates that Tesla typically ships out in a seasonal fashion. The Spring and Summer Updates provided some fun novelty items while also packing some cool features that are actually useful for the ownership experience.
This one seems to be more fun-forward, and there are not any updates to the Full Self-Driving suite or overall operation of the vehicle. Instead, these novelty features are geared toward getting you in the mood for the Fall and Halloween.
Halloween Mode now rolling out 🎃
This spooky update turns your Tesla into a haunted house on wheels
– Ghost costume on your car’s avatar
– Enable Trick or Treat to play spooky sounds & flicker the lights when visitors approach
– New haunting light show, wraps & lock sound
– A rather chilling Photobooth
– Frighten people remotely by speaking through the app…your car will say it in a voice of its own
Side effects may include neighborhood notoriety
— Tesla (@Tesla) October 6, 2026
New Ghost Costume on Car Avatar
Driver Visualization will now show your vehicle as a ghost, as an all-white sheet is draped over the vehicle. Pedestrians are turned into mummies or skeletons, and other vehicles are all a spooky green:
Credit: Tesla
Additionally, the Park Scene with your Tesla now displays that ghost costume draped over your vehicle in the foreground of a scary backdrop with Jack-o-Lanterns and a haunted house:
Credit: Tesla
Trick or Treat Mode
Trick or Treat Mode will enable the vehicle to play spooky sounds and flicker the lights as visitors approach. This might be a nice touch for when you’re handing out candy to kids on Halloween Night.
Other Features
Tesla is also adding a new Light Show, new Wrap Options, and a new Lock Sound with this update.
Credit: Tesla
Additionally, Photobooth has a new Halloween option:
Credit: Tesla
You will also be able to speak remotely through the app and transmit your voice to people outside, which is not a new feature, but the car will say it in a voice of its own, which is a new feature with that bullhorn-like feature.
Investor's Corner
SpaceX reveals how its 1 Million AI satellite network will work and prevent space collisions
SpaceX reveals plans for one million Starmind AI satellites and calls out operators hiding maneuvers.
SpaceX has put the largest satellite count it has ever published into writing, and it says that plan only works if every other operator in orbit starts sharing what it knows.
In a new Space Safety page highlighted Tuesday morning by Sawyer Merritt on X, SpaceX said it “plans to operate up to 100,000 Starlink satellites and up to 1 million Starmind AI satellites to meet the growing demand for broadband and supercompute.” Starlink has a little over 11,000 satellites in orbit today, so the target alone implies roughly a ninefold expansion of the broadband network.
Starmind is SpaceX’s orbital AI compute constellation. Elon Musk confirmed the Starmind name in June after an xAI trademark filing surfaced, and in August SpaceX said it was working with Nvidia on the compute payload. The FCC accepted the filing for up to one million satellites back in February.
FCC accepts SpaceX filing for 1 million orbital data center plan
SpaceX also released a new render of what a full Starmind constellation could look like. Alongside it, SpaceX VP Michael Nicolls explained why the satellites will not operate on their own. “We need to operate clusters of satellites in tight formation to get enough coherent compute to run AI models efficiently,” Nicolls said. “A cluster will be 10-ish satellites connected with 10 terabits or so of bandwidth between them, and interconnected to the broader constellation.”
That is the most specific detail SpaceX has given on how Starmind will be built. Instead of a million independent servers, the network would work as tightly packed groups of about 10 satellites acting as one compute unit, with Starlink’s laser links carrying results back to Earth.
There is a bright and exciting future for humanity ahead – and space is fundamental to that future.
To achieve this, space safety must be done right. We encourage every operator to not only share ephemeris data proactively the same way Starlink already does, but to also adopt the high standards of space safety that SpaceX and Starlink use every day → https://t.co/QizAkQZvEm
— Starlink (@Starlink) October 6, 2026
Packing satellites that close together, at that scale, makes collision avoidance the central problem, and most of the Space Safety page is aimed at other operators. SpaceX said Starlink encountered collision risks with about 650 unique maneuvering third party satellites in 2026, and only about half of them shared data. Over six months, Starlink recorded roughly 164,000 more collision risks where the closest approach came within four hours of an unannounced maneuver.
Some operators keep maneuver plans private over proprietary concerns, while others cannot get government permission to share them. SpaceX called those policies “counterproductive,” saying they “largely only serve to create preventable collision risk between satellites.” Starlink is also offering a free ephemeris sharing and screening platform that returns risk results within a minute, backed by its Stargaze network of 30,000 optical sensors.
The push comes as the Starmind application draws opposition from astronomers and environmental groups. In a September filing with the FCC, SpaceX said each Starmind satellite could weigh up to 4,000 kg, nearly seven times the mass of a Starlink V2 Mini. Musk has brushed off crowding concerns before, telling viewers in June that “space is enormous” and that SpaceX already knows how to run very large constellations safely.
SpaceX’s Starmind page says its Gigasat factory in Bastrop, Texas, is designed to produce AI satellites at scale, with deployment of thousands of units starting as soon as late 2027.
Tesla Model 3 and Model Y can now do what only Cybertruck could
Tesla ships ‘spooky’ Halloween Mode with creepy and fun features
