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Tesla Model X doors receive safety feature with new firmware update

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Tesla has released a new over-the-air software update for the Model X that addresses concerns over unintended closure of the vehicle’s electronically actuated doors. A previous software update released by Tesla provided owners with the ability to close the falcon wing and self-presenting front doors along with the trunk through a single press of the key fob. While convenient and show-worthy to be able to remotely retract both falcon wing doors simultaneously, owners complained that the single press action of the key fob was too accident prone thereby causing unintended and often stressful situations when doors unexpectedly close onto passengers.

Accidental depression of the key fob often occurs when it’s stowed within an individuals pant pocket. Leaning into the vehicle, whether to load luggage or remove a child from a car seat can often lead to inadvertent compression of the key fob and activation of door closures.

Model-X-Firmware-7-1-Falcon-Wing-Close

The latest v7.1 (2.30.61) software update addresses the issue with a new setting that allows owners to either enable or disable the key fob control. With the CLOSE ALL WITH KEY FOB setting in the OFF position, pressing the key fob will no longer initiate simultaneous door closures.

The new feature is seemingly important as Tesla has decided to default the key fob to have no control over closing of the doors. Owners must explicitly toggle the setting to the ON position if they choose to have that accessibility.

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Another feature that was introduced in the latest software update aims to address a safety issue whereby Model X self-presenting front doors inadvertently open onto oncoming traffic. Currently, if the AUTO FRONT DOOR setting is set to the ON position, the front doors will automatically swing open when it detects close proximity to a key fob. The feature is designed to welcome owners into the vehicle, all hands-free, however it lacked the ability to detect an owner’s intention.

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If one were to exit the vehicle and initiate a press of the key fob to close all doors yet maintained close proximity to the front door – perhaps while parked curbside and waiting to cross a street – the doors could automatically swing open onto oncoming traffic.

The new v7.1 (2.30.61) update adds a 30 second delay to the activation of the self-presenting front doors after it has been closed through the key fob. According to the release notes, “When AUTO FRONT DOOR is enabled, locking the car using the key fob suspends AUTO FRONT DOOR for 30 seconds. This feature is particularly useful to protect the driver’s door from opening into oncoming traffic.”

Model-X-P90D-Ludicrous-Badge-Firmware

The latest features come from Tesla’s third over-the-air update aimed to provide better user control of the vehicle’s unique falcon wing doors. CEO Elon Musk’s rare off-the-cuff remarks from Tesla’s annual shareholder meeting instilled confidence that the company had its sights set on addressing early issues related to Model X doors. “If you order a Model X now, or soon, trust me, you will love the doors, because the software will actually be right.”, said Musk.

Past Model X Firmware Updates

 

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Tesla Model Y L’s impressive specs surface in China’s recent MIIT filing

The Tesla Model Y L is expected to launch later this year.

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Credit: Tesla

The specs of the upcoming Tesla Model Y L has appeared in new Chinese regulatory filings, revealing key specifications including a six-seat layout and an extended range of up to 751 kilometers. The variant is expected to launch later this year alongside a new long-range Model 3 variant rated at 830 kilometers.

The updates were listed on the China Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s (MIIT) latest batch of new energy vehicle models that are eligible for vehicle purchase tax exemptions.

Model Y L to debut with larger battery, six-seat layout

Listed under the model code TSL6500BEVBA0, the Model Y L will feature dual motors producing 142 kW at the front and 198 kW at the rear. It will be powered by a 465-kilogram 82.0-kWh lithium-ion battery from LG Energy Solution, with a pack energy density of 176 Wh/kg, as noted in a CNEV Post report. The long-range crossover achieves 751 km on the lenient CLTC cycle, making it Tesla’s highest-range Model Y to date in China despite its curb weight of 2,088 kg.

The “L” designation is believed to refer to the vehicle’s larger size and seating configuration, as the new variant is listed with six seats. It builds on Tesla’s strategy to diversify offerings in the Model Y lineup, which currently includes both RWD and AWD five-seat versions.

Model 3+ breaks record with 830 km CLTC range

Alongside the Model Y L, Tesla China also registered a new rear-wheel-drive Model 3, which was designated with the model code TSL7000BEVBR1. The vehicle boasts either 800 or 830 km of range on the CLTC cycle, depending on its trim. This marks the highest range yet for any Tesla vehicle in China.

The variant will use a 448-kilogram, 78.4-kWh LG-supplied battery with an energy density of 175 Wh/kg and a peak motor output of 225 kW. The vehicle’s curb weight is listed at 1,760 kg. The model was previously identified in filings as “Model 3+,” hinting at a possible tier above the existing long-range variant, which tops out at 753 km CLTC.

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Elon Musk explains why Tesla stepped back from Project Dojo

The update was initially reported by Bloomberg News, which cited people reportedly familiar with the matter.

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(Credit: Tesla)

Elon Musk has confirmed that Tesla is stepping back from its Dojo supercomputer initiative and focusing instead on the company’s in-house AI5 and AI6 chips. 

The update was initially reported by Bloomberg News, which cited people reportedly familiar with the matter.

Project Dojo Ends

As per Bloomberg, Peter Bannon, who led Project Dojo, will be departing Tesla following Elon Musk’s decision to shut down the initiative. The publication claimed that Tesla’s Project Dojo team has lost about 20 members recently, and the remaining members of the initiative would be reassigned to other data center and compute projects within Tesla. 

Dojo was expected to help Tesla train its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving systems. With this change, Tesla will reportedly be increasing its reliance on external partners for its training hardware. These partners reportedly include Nvidia, AMD, and Samsung, among other companies.

Credit: Elon Musk/X

Musk Explains Dojo Shutdown

In a series of posts on X, Elon Musk explained that it doesn’t make much sense for Tesla to divide its resources to scale two different chip designs. And since the company is putting in a lot of effort in its AI5 and AI6 chips–which would be used not for training but in actual products like Optimus and the Cybercab–it was time for Project Dojo to take a bow.

“It doesn’t make sense for Tesla to divide its resources and scale two quite different AI chip designs. The Tesla AI5, AI6 and subsequent chips will be excellent for inference and at least pretty good for training. All effort is focused on that.

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“In a supercomputer cluster, it would make sense to put many AI5/AI6 chips on a board, whether for inference or training, simply to reduce network cabling complexity & cost by a few orders of magnitude. One could call that Dojo 3, I suppose. The difference in real-world performance between AI4 and AI5 is far more than any chip version I’ve ever heard of by a lot. It’s real good,” Musk wrote in his post.

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Tesla creates clever solution to simplify and improve its Service

Raj Jegannathan, a Vice President of IT/AI-Infra, Apps, Infosec, and Vehicle Service Operations, revealed that Tesla has started a small pilot program at a few service locations to combat this issue.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has created a clever solution to simplify and improve its Service. Tesla performs most of the services that are needed on its vehicles at its company-owned Service Centers.

However, service has been a weak point of the company, as some regions have fewer Service Centers than others. This can cause long wait times for Tesla owners in some parts of the country.

There are also instances where customers do not agree with what Tesla is saying about their vehicle. In fact, one instance that revealed this new change Tesla is making to its Service was precisely that.

One owner posted on X that his vehicle’s battery seal had failed after a recall was issued. Tesla insurance and Tesla Service both did not assist, and it took CEO Elon Musk stepping in to get the issue resolved:

Another owner suggested there should be a more streamlined communications process between the customer and the Service Center, a solution that has been missing.

Raj Jegannathan, a Vice President of IT/AI-Infra, Apps, Infosec, and Vehicle Service Operations, revealed that Tesla has started a small pilot program at a few service locations to combat this issue.

Elon Musk wants Tesla Service to fix two-thirds of cars in the same day

Jegannathan said that Tesla has started to share local and regional leader contact information so customers have the ability to reach out when they have complaints or disagree with warranty claims, changes in estimates, or initial diagnostics.

It is available in a handful of locations already, and Jegannathan said that once abuse guardrails are built, this will expand to all locations:

This would be a major improvement in the Service portion of Tesla’s business. There are common disagreements between Service and customers, specifically when Service’s suggestions don’t align with the customer’s beliefs.

When it comes to things like a warranty claim, these issues are not really up for interpretation. Instead, the repairs should be made. If there is a misunderstanding on Service’s side, a simple message from the customer could have resolved the issue. That’s basically what happened here.

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