Tesla has officially started deploying a software update activating its in-cabin radar, a feature that has been supported and expected for a few years, and one that may require a retrofit for some owners.
On Friday, Tesla began rolling out software update 2025.2.6, featuring the activation of its in-cabin radar located just above the passenger dome light. The company lists the feature in its owner’s manuals, noting that the cabin radar is currently only available for 2022 model-year Model Y units and later, though it’s also expected to roll out to refreshed Model 3 and Cybertruck units at some point.
Some have also said that they believe the refreshed Model S and Model X have been equipped with the radar hardware, so it’s possible these vehicles could also receive the feature. Tesla calls the feature the First-Row Cabin Sensing Update in the release notes for 2025.2.6, which also seems to be related to the company’s debut of the so-called 4D Radar in the new Model Y.
What does Tesla’s in-cabin radar do?
“Cabin radar can detect the presence of people inside the vehicle and use the measurements to determine occupancy,” Tesla writes in the owner’s manual. “Cabin radar supports certain vehicle and safety features, such as occupancy detection for the front passenger seat.”
The benefit of cabin radar is that it uses radio waves to detect objects and passengers inside the vehicle, and it can do so more precisely than the selfie camera when identifying what exactly is in the front and rear seats. Recently, Tesla has also highlighted the 4D radar system’s ability to pick up on things like the heartbeat of a pet or small child, offering an extra layer of safety for passengers.
READ MORE ON IN-CABIN RADAR: Tesla plans to use cabin radar, ditching seat sensors for safety
In a video interview with Tesla Owners Silicon Valley earlier this week, the company’s Model Y Program Manager, Emmanuel Lamacchia, also detailed the 4D imaging radar, saying that it both detects and classifies passengers based on their size. This lets the system toggle necessary airbags and even take further precautions against passengers being left behind in the vehicle.
Eventually, Lamacchia says the system will be able to protect against a child or pet being left behind by sending a reminder to owners, turning on the HVAC system, rolling down the window, or even calling 911. The Model Y Program Manager says that these will be enabled in the refreshed model in Q3.
Tesla’s Lead Cybertruck Engineer said on X on Friday that, while incidents related to these issues are extremely low, their severity can be extremely high, pointing to the importance of the upcoming feature.
You can watch the full talk from Lamacchia and Tesla Owners Silicon Valley below, with the bit about the 4D in-cabin radar starting around 30:30.
What are your thoughts? Let me know at zach@teslarati.com, find me on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us tips at tips@teslarati.com.
Tesla vehicles in the U.S. are set to get this long-awaited feature
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Elon Musk
Brazil Supreme Court orders Elon Musk and X investigation closed
The decision was issued by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes following a recommendation from Brazil’s Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet.
Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court has ordered the closure of an investigation involving Elon Musk and social media platform X. The inquiry had been pending for about two years and examined whether the platform was used to coordinate attacks against members of the judiciary.
The decision was issued by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes following a recommendation from Brazil’s Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet.
According to a report from Agencia Brasil, the investigation conducted by the Federal Police did not find evidence that X deliberately attempted to attack the judiciary or circumvent court orders.
Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet concluded that the irregularities identified during the probe did not indicate fraudulent intent.
Justice Moraes accepted the prosecutor’s recommendation and ruled that the investigation should be closed. Under the ruling, the case will remain closed unless new evidence emerges.
The inquiry stemmed from concerns that content on X may have enabled online attacks against Supreme Court justices or violated rulings requiring the suspension of certain accounts under investigation.
Justice Moraes had previously taken several enforcement actions related to the platform during the broader dispute involving social media regulation in Brazil.
These included ordering a nationwide block of the platform, freezing Starlink accounts, and imposing fines on X totaling about $5.2 million. Authorities also froze financial assets linked to X and SpaceX through Starlink to collect unpaid penalties and seized roughly $3.3 million from the companies’ accounts.
Moraes also imposed daily fines of up to R$5 million, about $920,000, for alleged evasion of the X ban and established penalties of R$50,000 per day for VPN users who attempted to bypass the restriction.
Brazil remains an important market for X, with roughly 17 million users, making it one of the platform’s larger user bases globally.
The country is also a major market for Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet service, which has surpassed one million subscribers in Brazil.
Elon Musk
FCC chair criticizes Amazon over opposition to SpaceX satellite plan
Carr made the remarks in a post on social media platform X.
U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr criticized Amazon after the company opposed SpaceX’s proposal to launch a large satellite constellation that could function as an orbital data center network.
Carr made the remarks in a post on social media platform X.
Amazon recently urged the FCC to reject SpaceX’s application to deploy a constellation of up to 1 million low Earth orbit satellites that could serve as artificial intelligence data centers in space.
The company described the proposal as a “lofty ambition rather than a real plan,” arguing that SpaceX had not provided sufficient details about how the system would operate.
Carr responded by pointing to Amazon’s own satellite deployment progress.
“Amazon should focus on the fact that it will fall roughly 1,000 satellites short of meeting its upcoming deployment milestone, rather than spending their time and resources filing petitions against companies that are putting thousands of satellites in orbit,” Carr wrote on X.
Amazon has declined to comment on the statement.
Amazon has been working to deploy its Project Kuiper satellite network, which is intended to compete with SpaceX’s Starlink service. The company has invested more than $10 billion in the program and has launched more than 200 satellites since April of last year.
Amazon has also asked the FCC for a 24-month extension, until July 2028, to meet a requirement to deploy roughly 1,600 satellites by July 2026, as noted in a CNBC report.
SpaceX’s Starlink network currently has nearly 10,000 satellites in orbit and serves roughly 10 million customers. The FCC has also authorized SpaceX to deploy 7,500 additional satellites as the company continues expanding its global satellite internet network.
Energy
Tesla Energy gains UK license to sell electricity to homes and businesses
The license was granted to Tesla Energy Ventures Ltd. by UK energy regulator Ofgem after a seven-month review process.
Tesla Energy has received a license to supply electricity in the United Kingdom, opening the door for the company to serve homes and businesses in the country.
The license was granted to Tesla Energy Ventures Ltd. by UK energy regulator Ofgem after a seven-month review process.
According to Ofgem, the license took effect at 6 p.m. local time on Wednesday and applies to Great Britain.
The approval allows Tesla’s energy business to sell electricity directly to customers in the region, as noted in a Bloomberg News report.
Tesla has already expanded similar services in the United States. In Texas, the company offers electricity plans that allow Tesla owners to charge their vehicles at a lower cost while also feeding excess electricity back into the grid.
Tesla already has a sizable presence in the UK market. According to price comparison website U-switch, there are more than 250,000 Tesla electric vehicles in the country and thousands of Tesla home energy storage systems.
Ofgem also noted that Tesla Motors Ltd., a separate entity incorporated in England and Wales, received an electricity generation license in June 2020.
The new UK license arrives as Tesla continues expanding its global energy business.
Last year, Tesla Energy retained the top position in the global battery energy storage system (BESS) integrator market for the second consecutive year. According to Wood Mackenzie’s latest rankings, Tesla held about 15% of global market share in 2024.
The company also maintained a dominant position in North America, where it captured roughly 39% market share in the region.
At the same time, competition in the energy storage sector is increasing. Chinese companies such as Sungrow have been expanding their presence globally, particularly in Europe.
Brazil Supreme Court orders Elon Musk and X investigation closed
FCC chair criticizes Amazon over opposition to SpaceX satellite plan
