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Tesla’s newest software update shows it’s not resting on its laurels

Credit: Glenn Lindberg/Vi Bilägare

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Tesla has launched its 2023.12.9 software update for its vehicles worldwide, showing that it remains an innovation leader, even as an established company.

While Tesla continues to astonish its customers with the regularity of its software updates, perhaps more remarkable is its ability to continually innovate on its already industry-leading software experience. Such is the case with the automaker’s most recent update, 2023.12.9, which launched earlier this month, but has only recently released its list of changes, initially reported by NotATeslaApp.

The most recent Tesla software update comes with numerous changes, ranging in their effect on the driving experience, but five stand out as genuinely product-defining. Most notably, as Tesla continues to improve its excellent vehicle safety, its Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) system has been updated to better detect perpendicular movement, which could help prevent t-bone collisions at intersections, among other situations. Moreover, AEB now operates up to 124mph, up from 90mph.

Further improving its autonomous offerings, particularly outside of the United States, Tesla’s Autopilot system has also received a sizable update, which adds traffic-aware cruise control, autosteer (beta), and navigate on Autopilot (beta). Tesla’s Speed Asist has also been improved, helping more accurately show drivers the speed limit within different areas, thanks to improvements in visual computing.

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Tesla has also introduced further refinements to driver control, allowing drivers unparalleled control over their vehicles no matter the circumstance. Predominantly, Tesla’s “anonymous data collection” can be disabled, allowing for significantly improved privacy.

Further granting the driver control over their driving experience, Tesla has added toggles to air suspension settings available on the Model S and Model X. Specifically, drivers can elect for temporarily raised or lowered suspension settings to remain in place up to 35mph, and can even set suspension settings for specific locations.

The last major change comes to the Tesla Model S Plaid, which can now be equipped with the “Track Package,” making the vehicle more potent on track than ever. Most importantly, this update includes changes to track mode, which will allow the Model S Plaid to reach its 200mph top speed when the Track Package is equipped.

With the rest of the changes coming in the 2023.12.9 update being either cosmetic or improving the software usability generally, Tesla continues to make its infotainment offering industry-leading by a wide margin. In all likelihood, with a growing number of automakers investing in systems similar to Tesla’s offering, it will continue to be a selling point for the world’s top EV brand.

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What do you think of the article? Do you have any comments, questions, or concerns? Shoot me an email at william@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @WilliamWritin. If you have news tips, email us at tips@teslarati.com!

Will is an auto enthusiast, a gear head, and an EV enthusiast above all. From racing, to industry data, to the most advanced EV tech on earth, he now covers it at Teslarati.

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Tesla Supercharger vandalized with frozen cables and anti-Musk imagery amid Sweden union dispute

The incident comes amid Tesla’s ongoing labor dispute with IF Metall.

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Credit: Tesla Charging/X

Tesla’s Supercharger site in Vansbro, Sweden, was vandalized during peak winter travel weeks. Images shared to local media showed frozen charging cables and a banner reading “Go home Elon,” which was complete with a graphic of Musk’s controversial gesture. 

The incident comes amid Tesla’s ongoing labor dispute with IF Metall, which has been striking against the company for more than two years over collective bargaining agreements, as noted in a report from Expressen.

Local resident Stefan Jakobsson said he arrived at the Vansbro charging station to find a board criticizing Elon Musk and accusing Tesla of strikebreaking. He also found the charging cables frozen after someone seemingly poured water over them.

“I laughed a little and it was pretty nicely drawn. But it was a bit unnecessary,” Jakobsson said. “They don’t have to do vandalism because they’re angry at Elon Musk.”

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The site has seen heavy traffic during Sweden’s winter sports holidays, with travelers heading toward Sälen and other mountain destinations. Jakobsson said long lines formed last weekend, with roughly 50 Teslas and other EVs waiting to charge.

Tesla Superchargers in Sweden are typically open to other electric vehicle brands, making them a reliable option for all EV owners. 

Tesla installed a generator at the location after sympathy strikes from other unions disrupted power supply to some stations. The generator itself was reportedly not working on the morning of the incident, though it is unclear whether that was connected to the protest.

The dispute between Tesla and IF Metall centers on the company’s refusal to sign a collective agreement covering Swedish workers. The strike has drawn support from other unions, including Seko, which has taken steps affecting electricity supply to certain Tesla facilities. Tesla Sweden, for its part, has insisted that its workers are already fairly compensated and it does not need a collective agreement,

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Jesper Pettersson, press spokesperson for IF Metall, criticized Tesla’s use of generators to keep charging stations running. Still, IF Metall emphasized that it strongly distances itself from the vandalism incident at the Vansbro Supercharger.

“We think it is remarkable that instead of taking the easy route and signing a collective agreement for our members, they are choosing to use every possible means to get around the strike,” Pettersson said.

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Tesla Cybertruck owner credits FSD for saving life after freeway medical emergency

The incident was shared by the Tesla owner on social media platform X, where it caught the attention of numerous users, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

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Credit: Tesla

A Tesla Cybertruck owner has credited Full Self-Driving (FSD) Supervised for saving his life after he experienced a medical emergency on the freeway.

The incident was shared by the Tesla owner on social media platform X, where it caught the attention of numerous users, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

In a post on X, Cybertruck owner Rishi Vohra wrote that he had unintentionally fasted for 17 hours, taken medication, and experienced what he described as a severe allergic reaction while driving.

“What started as a normal drive turned terrifying fast. My body shut down. I passed out while driving on the freeway, mid-conversation with my wife on the phone,” he wrote.

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Vohra stated that his Tesla was operating with FSD Supervised engaged at the time. According to his account, the Cybertruck detected that he had lost consciousness using its driver monitoring system, slowed down, activated hazard lights, and safely pulled over to the shoulder.

“Thank God my Tesla had Full Self-Driving engaged. It detected I lost consciousness (thanks to the driver monitoring system), immediately slowed, activated hazards, and safely pulled over to the shoulder. No crash. No danger to anyone else on the road,” Vohra wrote.

The Cybertruck owner added that his wife used Life360 to alert emergency services after hearing him go silent during their call. He said responders located him within five minutes. After being attended to, Vohra stated that the vehicle then drove him to the emergency room after he refused to leave his truck on the freeway.

“So the Tesla autonomously drove me the rest of the way to the ER. I walked in, got admitted, and they stabilized me overnight,” he wrote.

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He later posted that he was being discharged and thanked Tesla and Elon Musk. Musk replied to the post, writing, “Glad you’re ok!” The official Tesla X account also reposted Vohra’s story with a heart emoji. 

Tesla recently published updated safety data of vehicles operating with FSD (Supervised) engaged. As per Tesla’s latest North America figures, vehicles operating with FSD (Supervised) engaged recorded one major collision every 5,300,676 miles. The U.S. average is one major collision every 660,164 miles. 

Considering the experience of the Cybertruck owner, Tesla’s safety data does seem to hold a lot of water. A vehicle that is manually driven would have likely crashed or caused a pileup if its driver lost consciousness in the middle of the freeway, after all. 

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Tesla Cyberbeast price drops to less than $100k but loses Luxe package with FSD

The change adjusts the truck’s positioning in the high-performance premium EV pickup truck segment, where several rivals now command six-figure price tags.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has reduced the price of the Cyberbeast to below $99,990, but the update also removes a compelling feature set from the vehicle.

The change adjusts the truck’s positioning in the high-performance premium EV pickup truck segment, where several rivals now command six-figure price tags.

Prior to its price adjustment, the Cyberbeast was listed for $114,990. However, the vehicle’s prior configuration included a Luxe package that bundled features such as Full Self-Driving Supervised and other premium inclusions. That package is no longer listed as part of the Cyberbeast.

For its sub $100,000 price, the Cyberbeast offers 325 miles of estimated range, a 0-60 mph time of 2.6 seconds, a payload capacity of 2,271 lbs with the Cyber Wheel, and Powershare.

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Interestingly enough, the Cyberbeast now undercuts some of its most powerful competitors with its updated price. The Rivian R1T Quad, for example, starts at $116,900, though the R1T has more range at 374 miles per charge, and it is also a bit faster with a 0-60 mph time of 2.5 seconds. 

Other rivals include the GMC Hummer EV 3X Omega Edition Truck, which has a starting MSRP of approximately $148,000 before dealer markups, the Chevy Silverado EV LT Max Range, which starts at over $91,000 before dealer markups, and the GMC Sierra EV Denali Max, which starts at about $101,000. 

Considering that rivals like the Rivian R1T Quad, Chevy Silverado EV LT Max Range, and GMC Sierra EV Denali Max outgun the Cyberbeast in raw range, the Cyberbeast’s competitiveness will likely rely on its Full Self Driving Supervised system, which allows it to navigate inner city streets and highways. 

For $99 per month, the Cyberbeast practically becomes a self-driving vehicle, and that is something that its rivals cannot match, at least for now. 

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