Connect with us

News

Tesla’s new Model Y gets first software update—Here’s what’s in it

Tesla’s new Model Y started delivering over the past few weeks, and its first software update is now here.

Published

on

Credit: Tesla

Tesla has officially started deploying its first software update for the recently refreshed Model Y, and it appears to add additional parts of a beta version of the Auto Shift feature, as highlighted by one owner this week.

After Tesla began deploying its software update 2025.8.6 over the past few days, photos from a couple of owners show that the refreshed Model Y has also started receiving the update. One Model Y owner, X user LRESP, posted on Sunday that the update also enables the latest version of Tesla’s beta Auto-Shift feature, as was echoed by another user in the thread.

Although some have pointed out that the new Model Y already had Auto-Shift enabled, the user points out that this update includes the version of the feature that allows three-point turns, though previous versions only allowed it to get out of park.

You can see the message displayed on the Model Y owner’s vehicle below, along with a few other notes about the recent software update.

Tesla’s Auto Shift (Beta) on Model Y

Auto Shift is currently in Beta.

Advertisement

For parking and multipoint turns, Auto Shift (Beta) can assist with shifting out of Park (P) or between Drive (D) and Reverse (R) drive modes based on your surroundings without you using the touchscreen.

Before you press the accelerator pedal, always check that the proposed drive mode matches your expectations and that it is safe to move in that direction.

Auto Shift (Beta) will only shift between Drive (D) or Reverse (R) drive modes in certain circumstances, and when transitioning out of Park (P) – not any other drive mode or situation. You must manually shift using the drive mode strip if the vehicle doesn’t do so.

Before you enable this feature, be sure that you understand how to operate the drive mode strip.

Do you want to enable Auto Shift while it is in Beta?

Advertisement

[No][Yes]

Credit: RE_LuisEV | X

READ MORE ON TESLA MODEL Y: Tesla redesigned this crucial piece of hardware on the new Model Y

Advertisement

Tesla’s software update 2025.8.6

Along with Auto-Shift, Tesla has also added a number of other features with software update 2025.8.6, as shared a few days ago by Not a Tesla App. The update is also going out to legacy vehicles and Cybertrucks, and while the Auto-Shift beta addition is the only feature exclusively going out to the new Model Y, a handful of minor improvements are going out to most or all of Tesla’s lineup.

These include the ability to view the last 10, 100, or 200 miles of energy usage in the Consumption page, and the ability to clear your energy history. Tesla also notes that the battery’s energy estimates now account for all vehicle usage characteristics, along with being adjusted over time based on your driving history.

The update also lets owners run a Battery Health Test, which measures battery energy retention since the vehicle was new. This option can be found in the Controls, Service, and Battery Health menus.

Select Model Y units with model years between 2022 and 2024 have now been updated to use the cabin radar, a feature which is now being deployed standard with the refreshed version of the SUV.

The update also includes security fixes and other improvements that aren’t specifically documented, which went out to the company’s entire lineup.

Advertisement

These include some improvements to voice guidance and spoken directions, including that they automatically and immediately stop when ending a trip, rather than finishing phrases that have already started being spoken.

Additionally, Tesla improved the rainbow road feature in the update, no longer overlaying the visual overtop of the blue Autopilot visualization as it did in past updates. It also still incorporates certain Autopilot features, such as the display of arrows when the vehicle suddenly slows down.

For the Cybertruck, the update adds steer-by-wire improvements and the ability to adjust air suspension ride height using the Tesla mobile app. Meanwhile, the update also makes it so that Model 3 vehicles automatically transition to Standard Ride & Handling when Autopilot is engaged, though it can be disabled by navigating to Controls, Dynamics, and Use Standard Ride & Handling in Autopilot within the menus.

Tesla has posted owner’s manuals for the new Model Y

Advertisement

Zach is a renewable energy reporter who has been covering electric vehicles since 2020. He grew up in Fremont, California, and he currently lives in Colorado. His work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, KRON4 San Francisco, FOX31 Denver, InsideEVs, CleanTechnica, and many other publications. When he isn't covering Tesla or other EV companies, you can find him writing and performing music, drinking a good cup of coffee, or hanging out with his cats, Banks and Freddie. Reach out at zach@teslarati.com, find him on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us tips at tips@teslarati.com.

News

Tesla reservation emails hint at imminent launch in India

Tesla appears to be nearing the launch of vehicle sales in India, as hinted at in a recent correspondence with early reservation holders.

Published

on

A report this week says that Tesla has sent out a new batch of emails to some of its earliest reservation holders in India, suggesting that the company’s highly anticipated launch of electric vehicles (EVs) in the country could be imminent.

As seen in emails viewed by Bloomberg in a Friday report, Tesla has begun refunding early reservation holders in India, indicating that the U.S. automaker seems to be nearing its official debut in the country. Some Model 3 reservation holders in India initially paid deposits to purchase a Tesla as early as 2016, and they come due to the company having refreshed the vehicle’s design last year.

“We would like to return your reservation fee for the time being,” Tesla writes in the email. “When we finalize our offerings in India, we will reach out in the market again. We hope to see you back with us once we are ready to launch and deliver in your country.”

The launch is thought to be highly consequential for Tesla, as India is the world’s third-largest auto market, and thousands of people in the nation are employed by vehicle and component manufacturing facilities. However, years of talks between Tesla and the government about launching sales and potentially a factory there have hit a standstill multiple times, largely due to disagreements over the country’s high import duties.

READ MORE ON TESLA INDIA: India to hold EV import policy workshop in bid to attract Tesla, other EV makers: report

While many are speculating as to when exactly Tesla could launch vehicle sales in India, several other indicators have also suggested that the maker is getting close to doing so.

Advertisement

Last weekend, a Tesla Model Y with a privacy wrap was seen being tested in India, marking the second such sighting to take place in the past few weeks. The company also officially began the certification and homologation processes for the new versions of both the Model Y and Model 3 in India last month, and it has been hiring and picked out two sites for initial stores in the country, the first in Mumbai and a second in New Delhi.

A Bloomberg report in February also claimed that Tesla was aiming to sell vehicles in India around the third quarter of the year, though models being sold in the country had not yet been revealed at the time.

Tesla India partners with Tata Group on local supply chain: Rumor

Continue Reading

News

These Tesla Superchargers are free today for Earth Week

Canada and other countries are missing on the free Earth Week Supercharging map, while the U.S. state of California gets the promo at two sites.

Published

on

Tesla-supercharger-50000-installations

Tesla has made several of its Supercharging stations free in markets around the world over the weekend, in order to commemorate Earth Day, which took place earlier this week.

On Friday, Tesla posted on its charging account on X that it would be offering free Supercharging across 30 select stations on Saturday in celebration of Earth Day and Week. The chargers are set to be free during daytime work hours, and they’re scattered in locations across Europe, North America, and the Asia-Pacific region.

Tesla also says it may have employees handing out “goodies” at some of the sites, though the company didn’t disclose what they would be.

“Closing out Earth Week with free charging at the following Superchargers on April 26th,” Tesla writes. “You might even catch some Tesla employees with goodies!”

In the U.S., the Supercharger stations offering free charging include two located in California, along with one each in Florida, Arizona, Illinois, and New Jersey. The company is also offering free Supercharging in Nuevo León, Mexico, in the city of Monterrey.

Advertisement

You can see the full list of free Supercharger locations below, along with the times the offer is still available on Saturday.

READ MORE ON TESLA SUPERCHARGERS: Tesla’s Hollywood Diner is finally getting close to opening

Tesla Superchargers offering free charging on Saturday, April 26

Europe (9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.)

North America (9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.)

Asia-Pacific

Tesla’s Superchargers in North America opening to non-Tesla EVs

Along with allowing Tesla’s vehicles to charge at Supercharger stations, the company has slowly been rolling out access to other, non-Tesla electric vehicle (EV) brands in North America over the past several months. For example, Superchargers opened to Kia’s EVs in North America on Thursday, increasing the company’s chargers to the over 40,000 DC fast-charging stations and doubling the number of stations owners of the car brand can use.

Other brands with access to Tesla’s Superchargers include Kia parent company Hyundai, Ford, GM, Genesis, Lucid, Mercedes, Nissan, Polestar, Rivian, and Volvo, and Volkswagen and subsidiary Audi are the next brands in line to gain access.

Tesla also runs three-month Supercharger voting periods for owners to cast votes on where they’d like to see new Superchargers built, and the company recently opened its voting round for the second quarter along with revealing the winning locations from Q1.

Advertisement

Tesla Superchargers were over 10 times as reliable as these rivals

Continue Reading

News

Tesla Model Y and Model 3 still kings of Europe BEVs in March 2025: JATO

The Tesla Model 3 and Model Y remained the kings of Europe’s battery electric vehicle sector in March 2025.

Published

on

Credit: Tesla Europe & Middle East/X

Reports of Tesla’s death in Europe have been wildly exaggerated. This was recently highlighted by JATO Dynamics, which noted that Tesla’s decline in Europe actually slowed down in March.

As per JATO Dynamics data, the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y also remained the kings of Europe’s battery electric vehicle sector in March 2025. 

Tesla Europe’s Q1 2025

Tesla’s decline in January and February 2025 in Europe has resulted in quite a lot of alarmist reports about the electric vehicle maker. While Tesla noted in its Q1 vehicle delivery report that its sales decline was mostly due to the changeover to the new Model Y, critics nonetheless argued that Tesla’s brand has been utterly destroyed by the politics of CEO Elon Musk.

A look at JATO’s recent report, however, suggests that Tesla is starting to show some recovery in Europe. While Tesla saw a 38% year-over-year decline in the first quarter overall, the company’s drop became less severe as the quarter ended. In January, Tesla Europe recorded a severe 47% drop, and in February, the company’s year-over-year decline dropped to 44%. In March, Tesla Europe’s year-over-year decline had dropped to just 30%.

Interestingly, Felipe Munoz, Global Analyst at JATO Dynamics, noted that the Tesla Model 3 became a valuable player in the company’s Europe numbers in March. “As the brand continues to deal with a host of PR issues in addition to the changeover of the Model Y, Tesla is now relying on the Model 3 to offset the losses,” Munoz stated.

Tesla Model Y and Model 3 Still Dominates

Granted, Tesla’s decline in the first quarter in Europe paved the way for Volkswagen to become the region’s top BEV seller for Q1. However, when it came to the sales of individual BEVs in the region, the Tesla Model Y and Model 3 remained unstoppable. What was especially interesting was the fact that the Model Y and Model 3 topped Europe’s battery electric vehicle rankings in March despite the vehicles seeing a year-over-year decline in sales.

Advertisement

The Model Y topped Europe’s best-selling BEV list in March with a total of 15,164 units sold. Following the Model Y was the Model 3, which saw a total of 12,500 units sold in March. The mass market Tesla siblings’ sales figures were notably higher than their closest competitors. The Volkswagen ID.4, which was ranked 3rd, only saw sales of 7,675 units, and the Volkswagen ID.7, the 4th-best-selling BEV in Europe in March, only sold 7,438 units during the month.

“Despite the controversy surrounding the brand’s CEO and the limited availability of the new Model Y, Tesla continues to perform well as the most popular EV brand in Europe. Its success, amid these challenges, provides an indication of what European consumers are looking for in an EV,” Munoz stated.

Continue Reading

Trending