News
Tesla rolls out 2020 Holiday Update: New Driving Visualizations, Supercharger Display Improvements and more (Release Notes)
Tesla is beginning to roll out its highly anticipated over-the-air 2020 ‘Holiday Update’ that includes new driving visualizations for Full Self-Driving, new games, and an improved display for Supercharger and Vehicle Information, among others.
The following are some of the most notable aspects of Tesla’s 2020 holiday update as part of Firmware 2020.48.25.
Arguably, the Tesla community fan-favorite comes in the form of a new “Boombox” feature that enables the much-talked-about Snake Jazz and Goat easter eggs.
Vehicle Information
Tesla has removed the Tesla “T” from the top menu, which provides better use of the touchscreen display’s real estate. Display improvements can be seen throughout much of the 2020 Tesla Holiday Update.
“The Tesla ‘T’ has been removed from the top status bar. Tap Controls > Software for the same information.”
Release Notes Improvements
Release notes can be accessed under the controls menu. Each feature has been itemized into a tabular left menu that provides quick access to the description for previous and current features.
“Release notes now include improved browsing and access. To view current and previous release notes, tap controls > Software > Release Notes.”
Driving Visualization Improvements
Improved driving visualizations to support Full Self-Driving capabilities take center stage in this year’s highly-anticipated Tesla Holiday Software Update.
“The driving visualization has been refreshed and now offers a larger visualization to allow drivers to view more details of the road surroundings. The next turn will now appear above the visualization if the navigation turn list is covered by another app.
Additionally, select items have slightly moved but will continue to look and behave the same. Some notable differences include the following:
- Quick access to the backup camera and wipers has moved to the bottom bar.
- Indicator lights have been moved to the side of the touchscreen.
- Autopilot set speed, Autopilot availability, and detected speed limit are now displayed next to the driving speed.”
Scheduled Departure Improvements
A refreshed look for the “Scheduled Departure” feature, previously known as “Smart Preconditioning” and released in October 2019, puts more emphasis on a simple design for easier control of charging costs and interior comfort when ready to drive. Tesla notes that Scheduled Departure can operate even when the vehicle is unplugged.
The previous language of not being functional below a 20% battery state of charge is no longer visible.
“Schedule departure can now precondition your battery and cabin even when your car is unplugged. To account for different utility rate plans, you can now set the time when your off-peak rates end to save on charging costs. To access, tap SCHEDULE from the climate control or charging panel when parked.”
Supercharger Display Improvements
Real-time Supercharger occupancy information was rolled out nearly 4 years ago (see version 1.0), and since then Tesla has continued to make user experience improvements for drivers looking to quickly access information from their touchscreen for distraction-free driving. This includes the ability to see available charging stalls at-a-glance and without the need for unnecessary taps of the touchscreen.
“Supercharger pins on your touchscreen will now display the number of available stalls at charging sites. Quickly search for nearby amenities by tapping an amenity icon on the Supercharger popup display.”
Tesla has replaced the iconic Tesla Supercharger lightning bolt icon with a number that denotes the number of currently available chargers at the location.
Emissions Testing Mode Improvements
How can one improve upon Tesla’s famed “Emissions Testing Mode”, better known as “Fart Mode”? Fart at strangers.
“Emissions Testing Mode can be used outside the car. To setup, select your desired sound and place the cushion on the external speaker. When ready, play selected sound by pressing the left scroll wheel button or using the turn signal. To access, tap the Application Launcher > Toybox > Emissions Testing Mode.”
Boombox
Elon Musk has made good on his promise to give Tesla owners the ability to entertain crowds and passersby through honking-fart and goat sounds, plus more.
Customized horn & movement sounds (coconuts being one, of course) coming to Teslas soon— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 6, 2019
In addition to several new out-of-the-box sound clips that blast out of Tesla’s exterior speaker, the latest Boombox feature enables the upload of five custom sounds.
“Turn your car into a boombox and entertain a crowd with your media player when parked. You can also customize the sound your car makes when you press the horn, drive the car or when your car is moving with Summon. Select an option from the dropdown menu or insert your own USB device and save up to five custom sounds.”
Tesla Arcade: New Games
Tesla launched a series of new games for its Tesla Arcade collection, including The Battle of Polytopia, Cat Quest, Solitaire, and Boombox.
- The Battle of Polytopia
- Cat Quest
- Solitaire
Last month, Elon Musk teased the community when he tweeted about this year’s holiday software update. Musk hinted that 2020’s holiday update would be “lit.” He also mentioned that the highly-anticipated update would include features that customers wanted, and some that they didn’t even know they wanted.
Last year, Elon Musk and the Tesla team outdid themselves with the holiday software update. Tesla’s 2019 holiday update included a sneak preview of the company’s Full Self Driving suite, TRAX v0.1, and introduced new games to the arcade, such as Stardew Valley and Lost Backgammon.
Lifestyle
NTSB findings on fatal Tesla crash tell a very different story
The NTSB confirmed the driver, not Tesla’s FSD, caused the fatal Texas house crash.
The National Transportation Safety Board released preliminary findings Wednesday confirming that a Tesla driver, not the vehicle’s software, caused a fatal crash in Katy, Texas in June. The driver, 44-year-old Michael Butler, had engaged Full Self-Driving Supervised mode on Rose Hollow Lane, a residential street with a 30 mph speed limit, before manually overriding the system by pressing the accelerator pedal all the way to 100%. Data recovered from the 2025 Tesla Model 3 showed the vehicle was traveling over 70 miles per hour when it struck a home and killed 76-year-old Martha Avila, who was inside. Weather was clear, the road was dry, and it was daylight.
Texas man charged in fatal Tesla crash where he blamed Autopilot
Butler told authorities he had passed out at the wheel. But security camera footage obtained by the NTSB told a different story, and showed the car accelerating through an intersection before leaving the road entirely. Police also found that Butler’s phone had Google searches including the terms “Tesla FSD not aggressive enough 2026” and “Tesla FSD too timid,” raising serious questions about how he was using the system before the crash. Butler has since been charged with manslaughter. The victim’s family has filed a lawsuit against both Butler and Tesla, alleging negligence.
The NTSB findings aligned directly with what Tesla VP of AI Software Ashok Elluswamy had already stated publicly on X in the weeks after the crash, writing that “the driver manually overrode self-driving by pressing the accelerator all the way to 100%.” The data confirmed his account.
Yup. In this case, the driver manually overrode self-driving by pressing the accelerator all the way to 100% of the accel pedal in this residential area. They reached a speed of 73 mph during the crash, and had the accelerator pressed even after the crash.
— Ashok Elluswamy (@aelluswamy) June 22, 2026
Investor's Corner
Lucid CEO dispels any rumors of bankruptcy: ‘So far from the facts’
Lucid CEO Silvio Napoli responded to rumors of an imminent bankruptcy that was reportedly being mulled after a report stated the automaker was working with the firm AlixPartners to iron out its next steps.
The company felt a massive loss on Wall Street yesterday, as the report essentially pushed the stock down as much as 55 percent on Tuesday.
The report, published initially by Eletric-Vehicles.com, claimed Lucid was essentially in dire straits and was told by AlixPartners, a commonly used restructuring advisor, to either take shares private or file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
Lucid’s head of Communications, Nick Twork, immediately challenged the report and stated the company “has sufficient liquidity to carry its operations well into next year.”
Now, the company’s CEO is chiming in as well, stating that the report is “so far from the facts that they require a direct response.”
Napoli said:
“Lucid is not considering bankruptcy or a transaction to take the company private. Those reports are false. The Board did not explore either scenario. Period.
As disclosed in our most recent quarterly filing, Lucid has sufficient liquidity to fund its operations well into next year.
We work with outside advisors to improve operational performance and execution. They are not advising Lucid on a take-private transaction or bankruptcy, and any suggestion that they have recommended either course of action to management or the Board is false.
My priority is clear: turn this company around. That is where the leadership team and I are focused.
I look forward to providing a full update during our quarterly earnings call on August 4th.”
🚨 Lucid CEO Silvio Napoli calls rumors of financial issues “so far from the facts that they require a direct response.”
Read his full remarks here: https://t.co/t3Pg1NHvzy pic.twitter.com/LvHUPhO4Qf
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) July 15, 2026
It seems pretty clear that Lucid is confident things will be okay, and, to be honest, they should not have much to worry about, especially considering the company has been backed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) for years. It has solid financial backing, and its sales, while weak, are pretty much right on par with a company of this age.
Lucid also sent a Cease & Desist letter to the publication for their report.
Lucid shares have rebounded nicely and are up nearly 21 percent at the time of publication. As soon as the company dispelled the rumors of bankruptcy yesterday, the stock began to climb back toward more reasonable levels.
News
Tesla responds to strange Supercharging pricing error with classy move
Tesla has once again demonstrated strong customer focus by swiftly addressing and fully refunding a bizarre Supercharger pricing glitch that affected drivers in Atlantic Canada.
The issue surfaced earlier this month when the Tesla app began displaying dramatically inflated per-minute charging rates at stations in Prince Edward Island and parts of New Brunswick.
One widely shared screenshot from a Charlottetown, PEI Supercharger showed rates reaching ridiculous levels: $6.00 per minute for the 180-250 kW tier, along with $3.57/min for 100-180 kW and $2.29/min for 60-100 kW.
Correct pricing will be going live at midnight tonight. All fees since July 2nd 2026 will be waived.
— Tesla Charging (@TeslaCharging) July 13, 2026
These figures were several times higher than normal Supercharger pricing in the region.
To put the error in perspective, charging at the highest incorrect rate would have been shockingly expensive.
At 250 kW, a common charging speed at Superchargers, a vehicle pulls roughly 4.17 kWh per minute. Under the glitch, a driver spending just 10 minutes at peak power would face a $60 bill. A typical 20- to 30-minute session to add meaningful range could have cost $120 to $180 or more, before any congestion fees.
Tesla gets another layer of gamification with Free Supercharging on the line
By comparison, standard Canadian Supercharger rates usually fall between $0.25 and $0.60 per kWh, making a similar session cost roughly $15–$40. The erroneous per-minute structure, combined with the inflated numbers, turned what should be a convenient stop into a potential financial shock.
The glitch appears to have started sometime around early July, and quickly drew attention on social media as owners questioned whether Tesla had implemented steep hidden increases. Some drivers even reported seeing $0 charges in their history, indicating broader billing confusion.
Tesla’s official Charging account on X stated that correct pricing would roll out at midnight on July 13, so the fix is already in effect. More importantly, the company announced it would waive all fees for every Supercharger session since July 2. This blanket waiver covers the entire affected period without requiring users to file individual claims, with automated refunds expected soon. The decision affects stations in PEI and nearby areas in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
It’s a classy move, and rather than issuing partial credits or forcing owners to submit support tickets, Tesla simply absorbed the cost of the system error and made drivers whole. In an industry where hidden fees and bill disputes are common, Tesla’s proactive, no-questions-asked approach reinforces owner trust and highlights the company’s commitment to service excellence.
The incident, while disruptive for a short time, ultimately showcases Tesla’s ability to own mistakes and prioritize customer satisfaction. Atlantic Canada Tesla owners can now charge with confidence again, knowing the company has their back when technology glitches occur.
In an era of complex EV billing, such transparency and generosity are refreshing and set a positive example for the industry.




