Release notes for Tesla’s holiday software update were shared earlier this month, including the addition of the High Fidelity Park Assist feature. Some have since shared footage of the feature in action, showing how it works in parking lots and garages as users evaluate its usefulness when trying to park.
Tesla’s holiday update release notes were shared on X earlier this month, where the company first mentioned the new High Fidelity Park Assist mode. Tesla owner Ryan Hoffman, along with others, have shared videos of the feature on X, including one taken in a Supercharger lot on Saturday.
As can be seen in the video, the activated High Fidelity Park Assist mode shows a similar view to the highly requested Birds Eye 360-degree visualization. Hoffman says he drives a 2023 Model 3 RWD with HW3 and the Ryzen chip, meaning the car doesn’t have Ultrasonic Sensors (USS) and utilizes just Tesla Vision.
The video is taken at a Supercharger station, where Hoffman backs into a charging spot. Behind the visualization of the car, you can see an orange and yellow zone, signifying the vehicle’s close proximity to the charging pile. The top-down visualization shows that it recognizes the charging stalls as well as the parking lines on the ground, making it easy to back into the spot without the car ending up crooked.
He also shared a short video of what it looks like to back into the spot, including the actual rear camera’s video footage and the High Fidelity Park Assist view, and calling the feature a “game changer” for parking.
Here’s a short video of what it looked like to reverse into the spot. The lines for each parking spot are very handy… it’s a game changer for parking. pic.twitter.com/47BDBbXw7z
— Ryan Hoffman (@tekmaven) December 16, 2023
Others have shared similar footage of High Fidelity Park Assist, as many have wondered how exactly the feature is activated when being used in a parking lot. According to X user EVBaymax, the feature appears to engage when there is a clearly defined object in front of or around the car, and when users shift into reverse in a parking lot. Still, the current version seems to lack the ability to engage when driving forward, although it probably should have this ability.
In his videos of the feature, you can see the visualization switch on from the regular Autopilot view when reversing in the parking lot, and he also says that speeding up to around 15-20 mph makes the visualization disappear again. He goes on to call the feature “surprisingly accurate” and “definitely helpful,” and he also includes footage using it in a darker, in-garage environment.
Here’s what the switch from Autopilot visualizations to High-Fidelity Park Assist looks like in a parking lot pic.twitter.com/xtx8BylI0W
— kEV (@EVBaymax) December 16, 2023
You can see in the above videos that the feature still requires some prodding to work as desired, though once it’s engaged, it looks to be pretty useful. It does, however, appear to fill the need that many have requested with Birds Eye, 360-degree views, as the top-down visualizer makes it especially easy to see where the vehicle is in relation to other cars, parking lines, and more when parking.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently said that the company’s cars will eventually offer a convenient “Tap to Park” feature, in which the vehicle will identify open parking spots and let drivers select on-screen which to use, then letting the driver get out and allow the car to park itself in the selected space. Still, many are awaiting updates like Tesla’s Actually Smart Summon and the automaker only reintroduced its Vision-based Park Assist earlier this year.
Tesla Model 3 Highland owner’s manual confirms Auto Shift out of Park feature
What are your thoughts? Let me know at zach@teslarati.com, find me on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send your tips to us at tips@teslarati.com.
Elon Musk
Texas township wants The Boring Company to build it a Loop system
The township’s board unanimously approved an application to The Boring Company’s “Tunnel Vision Challenge.”
The Woodlands Township, Texas, has formally entered The Boring Company’s tunneling sweepstakes.
The township’s board unanimously approved an application to The Boring Company’s “Tunnel Vision Challenge,” which offers up to one mile of tunnel construction at no cost to a selected community.
The Woodlands’ proposal, dubbed “The Current,” features two parallel 12-foot-diameter tunnels beneath the Town Center corridor near The Waterway. Teslas would shuttle passengers between Waterway Square, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Town Green Park and nearby hotels during concerts and large-scale events, as noted in a Chron report.
Township officials framed the tunnel as a solution for the township’s traffic congestion issues. The Pavilion alone hosts more than 60 shows each year and can accommodate crowds of up to 16,500, often straining Lake Robbins Drive and surrounding intersections.
“We know we have traffic impacts and pedestrian movement challenges, especially in the Town Center area,” Chris Nunes, chief operating officer of The Woodlands Township, stated during the meeting.
“The Current” mirrors the Loop system operating beneath the Las Vegas Convention Center, where Tesla vehicles transport passengers through underground tunnels between venues and resorts.
The Boring Company issued its request for proposals (RFP) in mid-January, inviting cities and districts to pitch local uses for its tunneling technology. The Woodlands must submit its application by Feb. 23, though no timeline has been provided for when a winning community will be announced.
Nunes confirmed that the board has authorized a submission for “The Current’s” proposal, though he emphasized that the project is still in its preliminary stages.
“The Woodlands Township Board of Directors has authorized staff to submit an application to The Boring Company, which has issued an RFP for communities interested in leveraging their technology to address community challenges,” he said in a statement.
“The Board believes that an underground tunnel would provide a safe and efficient means to transport people to and from various high-use community amenities in our Town Center.”
News
Tesla Model Y wins 2026 Drive Car of the Year award in Australia
The Model Y is already Australia’s best-selling EV in 2025 and the tenth best-selling vehicle overall.
The Tesla Model Y has been named 2026 Drive Car of the Year overall winner, taking the top honor after being judged as the vehicle that “moves the game forward the most for Australian new car buyers.”
The Model Y is already Australia’s best-selling EV in 2025 and the tenth best-selling vehicle overall, but the vehicle’s Juniper update strengthened its case with new ownership benefits and expanded software capability.
Drive’s overall award compares category winners and looks at which model most significantly advances the local new car market. In 2026, judges pointed to the Model Y’s five-year warranty and the availability of Full Self-Driving (Supervised) as a monthly subscription as key differentiators.
Priced from AU$58,900 before on-road costs, the all-electric crossover SUV offers a lot of value compared to similarly sized petrol and hybrid rivals. The ability to access Tesla’s Supercharger network across Australia also reduces friction for buyers moving to EV ownership.
Owners can add FSD (Supervised) for AU$149 per month. While it still requires driver oversight, the system expands the vehicle’s advanced driver-assistance capabilities and reflects Tesla’s software-first approach.
“The default choice for a reason. The Tesla Model Y makes the transition to electric both effortless and rewarding,” Drive wrote.
The 2025 Model Y facelift also sharpened the vehicle’s exterior, highlighted by a distinctive rear light bar that gives the crossover SUV a more modern road presence.
Drive described the Model Y as a benchmark for combining practicality, efficiency and technology at an accessible price point. With eligibility for federal Fringe Benefit Tax exemptions through novated leasing, its value proposition has improved for numerous buyers.
For 2026, the Model Y’s combination of range efficiency, charging access and software capability proved decisive. Ultimately, the award all but cements the Model Y’s position as one of the most influential vehicles in Australia’s evolving new-car market today.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk reiterates rapid Starship V3 timeline with next launch in sight
Musk shared the update in a brief post on X, writing, “Starship flies again next month.”
Elon Musk has confirmed that Starship will fly again next month, reiterating SpaceX’s aggressive timeline for the first launch of its Starship V3 rocket.
Musk shared the update in a brief post on X, writing, “Starship flies again next month.” The CEO’s post was accompanied by a video of Starship’s Super Heavy booster being successfully caught by a launch tower in Starbase, Texas.
The timeline is notable. In late January, Musk stated that Starship’s next flight, Flight 12, was expected in about six weeks. This placed the expected mission date sometime in March. That estimate aligned with SpaceX’s earlier statement that Starship’s 12th flight test “remains targeted for the first quarter of 2026.”
If the vehicle does indeed fly next month, it would mark the debut of Starship V3, the upgraded platform expected to feature the rocket’s new Raptor V3 engines.
Raptor V3 is designed to deliver significantly higher thrust than earlier versions while reducing cost and weight. Starship V3 itself is expected to be optimized for manufacturability, a critical step if SpaceX intends to scale production toward frequent launches for Starlink, lunar missions, and eventually Mars.
Starship V3 is widely viewed as the version that transitions the program from experimental testing to true operational scaling. Previous iterations have completed multiple integrated flight tests, with mixed outcomes but steady progress. Expectations are high that SpaceX is now working on Starship’s refinement.
An aggressive launch schedule supports several priorities at once. It advances Starlink’s next-generation satellite deployment, supports NASA’s lunar ambitions under Artemis, and keeps SpaceX on track for its longer-term Moon and Mars objectives.
Texas township wants The Boring Company to build it a Loop system
Tesla Model Y wins 2026 Drive Car of the Year award in Australia
