Connect with us

News

Tesla Track Mode V2 turns the Model 3 Performance into a more potent racing beast

Tesla Model 3 Track Mode Package and Track Mode V2 Software (Source: Salomondrin | YouTube)

Published

on

Tesla will be rolling out Track Mode V2 as a free over-the-air (OTA) update to all Model 3 Performance owners who purchase the company’s race-focused Track Package.

Track Mode V2 introduces a deeper level of customizations and settings for Model 3’s Handling Balance, Stability Assist, and Regenerative Braking. Also included in Tesla’s second-generation Track Mode are features geared for Post-Driving Cooling, Compressor Overclock, and even one that acts as an onboard lap recorder.

The electric carmaker invited select Tesla owners and vloggers to a secret event last month at the Thunderhill Raceway in Willow, a town about eight hours away from Los Angeles, California, to showcase what drivers can do with the Model 3 Track Package and Track Mode V2. YouTuber Salomondrin was one of the fortunate guests to try the new hardware package in combo with the improved Track Mode. The Track Mode V2, according to Alejandro of the Salamondrin YouTube channel, is a huge upgrade from the previous iteration. The new Tesla Track Mode allows you to personalize the settings so drivers can squeeze more performance out of the car while feeling safer as well.

“Tesla wants to show that these cars are not just meant to go on road trips. These cars are not just meant to be your daily. These cars are fun like crazy,” said Alejandro.

Tesla Track Mode V2 comes as a welcomed addition to any Tesla race car driver and veteran performance tuner like California-based Unplugged Performance. CEO Ben Schaffer, whose company’s race-tuned Tesla Model 3 Ascension-R has continued to set lap records with, tells Teslarati that Track Mode has empowered amateur racers to compete with some of the industry’s most notable performance cars.

Advertisement
-->

“Software is so deeply rooted into the driving experience when racing any Tesla. Software is absolutely a key advantage of the Tesla platform, especially when more control is given to drivers to adjust settings to their liking. There is no question that V2 will instantly unlock faster lap times and allow more fun for all Tesla drivers of every level of skill and modification,” says Schaffer.

Tesla Model 3 Ascension-R rear spoiler, Japan (Source: Unplugged Performance)

Tesla Track Mode V2

To access Tesla Track Mode, one can click the car icon on the touchscreen, then go to Driving, and then click Track Mode. A disclaimer would pop up reminding drivers that the Track Mode disables or restricts certain Driver Assistance features and vehicle functions and that it should not be used in public roads.

Track Mode V2 will provide vehicle statuses, including data for the powertrain, tire temperature, and G-Force.

Track Mode V2 Release Notes

Track Mode has been improved to make it easier to monitor the status of your car, create custom track mode settings profiles and record your track day data.

Monitor the status of your car motors, battery, brakes and tires, allowing you to adjust your driving in real time. G-meter, a real-time accelerometer, can now be viewed in the Cards area of the touchscreen. The map now displays a Lap Timer. Follow the onscreen instructions to place a start/finish pin on the map. At the completion of each lap, the Lap Timer displays the duration of the lap. It also displays the times associated with the previous and best laps in the driving session.

Track Mode allows you to save up to 20 Track Mode profiles to suit your preferences or driving scenario, or customize for a specific track. A new settings profile can be created by tapping Track Mode Settings > Add New Settings, entering a name for the settings profile, then adjusting settings including Handling Balance, Stability Assist, Regenerative Braking, Post-Drive Cooling and Compressor Overclock. Refer to the Owner’s Manual for more information regarding each setting.

Advertisement
-->

You can now save a video and data of the Track Mode driving session to a plugged in USB flash drive which must contain a folder named “TeslaTrackMode” (without the quotation marks). When “Save Dashcam for Laps” is enabled, Track Mode stores a video of each lap in a driving session when using the Lap Timer. Track Mode also stores the car status and telemetry data including details about the vehicle’s position, speed, acceleration, and use of accelerator which is stored as a .CSV file on the USB flash drive.

“… fine-tuning control to get the rear bias, front bias however you like, and then stability and regen. Track Mode 2 was created for enthusiasts that just needed more control and Tesla went above and beyond here,” said YouTuber YouTuber EverythingApplePro who was also invited to test drive a Model 3 Performance with Track Mode Package and Track Mode V2 software.

“It’s well worth it. The amount of control you are given in the software is amazing. No manufacturer really gives you that amount of control where you can actually change a hundred percent to the rear and take away all the safety features. Beautiful experience.”

Tesla has not disclosed when the OTA update for the Track Mode V2 will roll out but the $5,500-Model 3 Track Package— which includes Zero-G Performance wheels, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, high-performance brake pads, track-focused brake fluid, center cups,  pressure sensors, and lug nut covers– shipment is expected to begin in April.

Check out the Tesla Model 3 Track Mode V2 videos from Salomondrin and EverythingApplePro below:

Advertisement
-->

 

A curious soul who keeps wondering how Elon Musk, Tesla, electric cars, and clean energy technologies will shape the future, or do we really need to escape to Mars.

Advertisement
Comments

News

Tesla Giga Berlin is still ramping production to meet Model Y demand: plant manager

Tesla Gigafactory Berlin has expanded to two full shifts, as per the facility’s plant manager, and a lot of it is due to Model Y demand.

Published

on

Credit: Tesla/X

Tesla Gigafactory Berlin has expanded to two full shifts, as per the facility’s plant manager, and a lot of it is due to Model Y demand. While registrations in some countries such as Sweden have fallen sharply this year, the company’s sales in other key territories have been rising. 

Giga Berlin shifts to two shifts

Giga Berlin factory manager André Thierig told the DPA that the facility has been running two shifts since September to manage a surge in global orders. And due to the tariff dispute with the United States, vehicles that are produced at Giga Berlin are now being exported to Canada. 

“We deliver to well over 30 markets and definitely see a positive trend there,” Thierig said.

Despite Giga Berlin now having two shifts, the facility’s production still needs to ramp up more. This is partly due to the addition of the Tesla Model Y Performance and Standard, which are also being produced in the Grunheide-based factory. Interestingly enough, Giga Berlin still only produces the Model Y, unlike other factories like Gigafactory Texas, the Fremont Factory, and Gigafactory Shanghai, which produce more than one type of vehicle. 

Norway’s momentum

Norway, facing an imminent tax increase on cars, has seen a historic spike in Tesla purchases as buyers rush to secure deliveries before the change takes effect, as noted in a CarUp report. As per recent reports, Tesla has broken Norway’s all-time annual sales record this month, beating Volkswagen’s record that has stood since 2016.

Advertisement
-->

What is rather remarkable is the fact that Tesla was able to achieve so much in Norway with one hand practically tied behind its back. This is because the company’s biggest sales draw, FSD, remains unavailable in the country. Fortunately, Tesla is currently hard at work attempting to get FSD approved for Europe, a notable milestone that should spur even more vehicle sales in the region.

Continue Reading

News

Tesla launches crazy Full Self-Driving free trial: here’s how you can get it

Published

on

tesla full self driving
Credit: Tesla

Tesla is launching a crazy Full Self-Driving free trial, which will enable owners who have not purchased the suite outright to try it for 30 days.

There are a handful of stipulations that will be needed in order for you to qualify for the free trial, which was announced on Thursday night.

Tesla said the trial is for v14, the company’s latest version of the Full Self-Driving suite, and will be available to new and existing Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, and Cybertruck owners, who will have the opportunity to try the latest features, including Speed Profiles, Arrival Options, and other new upgrades.

You must own one of the five Tesla models, have Full Self-Driving v14.2 or later, and have an eligible vehicle in the United States, Puerto Rico, Mexico, or Canada.

The company said it is a non-transferable trial, which is not redeemable for cash. Tesla is reaching out to owners via email to give them the opportunity to enable the Full Self-Driving trial.

Those who are subscribed to the monthly Full Self-Driving program are eligible, so they will essentially get a free month of the suite.

Once it is installed, the trial will begin, and the 30-day countdown will begin.

Tesla is making a major push to increase its Full Self-Driving take rate, as it revealed that about 12 percent of owners are users of the program during its recent earnings call.

Tesla CFO Vaibhav Taneja said during the call:

“We feel that as people experience the supervised FSD at scale, demand for our vehicles, like Elon said, would increase significantly. On the FSD adoption front, we’ve continued to see decent progress. However, note that the total paid FSD customer base is still small, around 12% of our current fleet.”

Earlier today, we reported on Tesla also launching a small-scale advertising campaign on X for the Full Self-Driving suite, hoping to increase adoption.

Tesla Full Self-Driving warrants huge switch-up on essential company strategy

It appears most people are pretty content with the subscription program. It costs just $99 a month, in comparison to the $8,000 fee it is for the outright purchase.

Continue Reading

News

Tesla Full Self-Driving warrants huge switch-up on essential company strategy

Published

on

tesla side repeater camera
(Credit: Tesla)

Tesla Full Self-Driving has warranted a huge switch-up on an essential company strategy as the automaker is hoping to increase the take rate of the ADAS suite.

Unlike other automotive companies, Tesla has long been an outlier, as it has famously ditched a traditional advertising strategy in favor of organic buzz, natural word-of-mouth through its production innovation, and utilizing CEO Elon Musk’s huge social media presence to push its products.

Tesla has taken the money that it would normally spend on advertising and utilized it for R&D purposes. For a long time, it yielded great results, and ironically, Tesla saw benefits from other EV makers running ads.

Tesla counters jab at lack of advertising with perfect response

However, in recent years, Tesla has decided to adjust this strategy, showing a need to expand beyond its core enthusiast base, which is large, but does not span over millions and millions as it would need to fend off global EV competitors, which have become more well-rounded and a better threat to the company.

In 2024 and 2025, Tesla started utilizing ads to spread knowledge about its products. This is continuing, as Full Self-Driving ads are now being spotted on social media platforms, most notably, X, which is owned by Musk:

Interestingly, Tesla’s strategy on FSD advertising is present in Musk’s new compensation package, as the eleventh tranche describes a goal of achieving 10 million active paid FSD subscriptions.

Full Self-Driving is truly Tesla’s primary focus moving forward, although it could be argued that it also has a special type of dedication toward its Optimus robot project. However, FSD will ultimately become the basis for the Robotaxi, which will enable autonomous ride-sharing across the globe as it is permitted in more locations.

Tesla has been adjusting its advertising strategy over the past couple of years, and it seems it is focused on more ways to spread awareness about its products. It will be interesting to see if the company will expand its spending even further, as it has yet to put on a commercial during live television.

We wouldn’t put it out of the question, at least not yet.

Continue Reading