Firmware
Putting Tesla’s Supercharger idle fee to the test: firmware 8.0 review for non-Autopilot cars

Tesla Enhanced Autopilot continues to roll out on Model S and Model X vehicles equipped with Autopilot 2.o hardware, but let’s not forget the rest of us that pre-date Autopilot entirely. We received some updates as well in the latest version of Firmware 8.0.
While many companies wait for major or minor releases to introduce new features, Tesla has a history of adding features in patch releases too. Patch release 8.0 (2.52.22) introduced 3 new features for my “Classic” Model S without Autopilot.
Supercharger Fees
I was surprised to see the “$0.40/min idle fee” notice on the Supercharger map pin. A short while ago, Tesla announced that they would begin charging people for “idling” while plugged into a Supercharger. There were a number of issues with the original plan for Supercharger fees outlined by Tesla, but they later refined how the plan would work.
I’m definitely in favor of the new Supercharger plan. Here on the East Coast, I rarely see other Teslas when I’m charging, but I understand it is a real problem out West. Based on the recent announcement that Tesla will begin charging a fee for Supercharger use that varies by region, one can assume that the idle fee will also vary by location – one day. It’s something that should be reflected on the onboard Nav. should they, one day, adopt that policy.
Time will tell how this story will play out, but for the heck of it I decided to venture out and put Tesla’s Supercharger idle fee to the test. I drove out to the Tesla Supercharger in Auburn, Massachusetts to begin my test. Luckily no one was there except me making my test even more viable. I plugged in, charged, and sat in the car for 20 minutes even after it had completed charging to my set limit.
In theory that should have cost me $8.00, if the site was busy, but I was the only there. We’ll see if Tesla tries to charge me for that event the next time I visit my Service Center. At least for a few months, I’d recommend keeping photo records of how busy the charging sites, especially if there’s risk of leaving your car plugged in after the car has completed charging.
Supercharger Amenities
Also released in the new firmware updates is Supercharger Amenities. Straight and to the point, this feature is essentially worthless. Tesla introduced icons that hint at the types of amenities at each Supercharger, but with no details.
Sure, the brief list of icons is nice to see, but what would have been better is if they could have made them “clickable”. It seems more natural to be able to tap on the icon set and see a summary of the Supercharger details listed on their maps page.
Overall, this feature is not very useful in my opinion, but has legs.
- EVTripping.com route planner highlights Supercharger details
Automatic Driver Profiles
With this feature, Tesla finally implemented something my old 2007 Acura MDX has. You can now link your driver profile to one of the two key fobs that came with your Tesla. The fobs are not numbered or labeled by Tesla, so determining FOB 1 from FOB 2 is something you’ll have to figure out and mark for yourself, but otherwise the feature works exactly as you’d expect.
If you have more than 2 profiles in the car, you can only set one profile per FOB, the others will need to manually select their profiles from the menu.
Also note that the profile doesn’t “activate” until you open the driver’s door. If you unlock the car and get in the passenger seat the profile does not trigger.
Equalizer Settings
In the past, the equalizer only had 3 different levels you could control, now there are 5 individual controls for better-tuned sound.
The settings worked as you’d expect and it’s nice to have a bit more control over the sound settings.
Summary
While most of the updates taking place on firmware releases have been focused on Autopilot, it’s great to see that Tesla has not alienated the early adopters. We continue to receive new features and experience new initiatives by the company, regardless of the age of our vehicle. Buy a Tesla one time and you’re grandfathered in. For life.
The driver profile linking to the FOBs are by far the best addition in this update. The Supercharger amenities are disappointing and the idle fees are useful, but will need to better reflect changes made to its Supercharger policy.
This patch release of 8.0 was great and I can’t help but wonder what goodies 8.1 will have in store for us. Any guesses?
Firmware
Tesla mobile app shows signs of upcoming FSD subscriptions

It appears that Tesla may be preparing to roll out some subscription-based services soon. Based on the observations of a Wales-based Model 3 owner who performed some reverse-engineering on the Tesla mobile app, it seems that the electric car maker has added a new “Subscribe” option beside the “Buy” option within the “Upgrades” tab, at least behind the scenes.
A screenshot of the new option was posted in the r/TeslaMotors subreddit, and while the Tesla owner in question, u/Callump01, admitted that the screenshot looks like something that could be easily fabricated, he did submit proof of his reverse-engineering to the community’s moderators. The moderators of the r/TeslaMotors subreddit confirmed the legitimacy of the Model 3 owner’s work, further suggesting that subscription options may indeed be coming to Tesla owners soon.
Did some reverse engineering on the app and Tesla looks to be preparing for subscriptions? from r/teslamotors
Tesla’s Full Self-Driving suite has been heavily speculated to be offered as a subscription option, similar to the company’s Premium Connectivity feature. And back in April, noted Tesla hacker @greentheonly stated that the company’s vehicles already had the source codes for a pay-as-you-go subscription model. The Tesla hacker suggested then that Tesla would likely release such a feature by the end of the year — something that Elon Musk also suggested in the first-quarter earnings call. “I think we will offer Full Self-Driving as a subscription service, but it will be probably towards the end of this year,” Musk stated.
While the signs for an upcoming FSD subscription option seem to be getting more and more prominent as the year approaches its final quarter, the details for such a feature are still quite slim. Pricing for FSD subscriptions, for example, have not been teased by Elon Musk yet, though he has stated on Twitter that purchasing the suite upfront would be more worth it in the long term. References to the feature in the vehicles’ source code, and now in the Tesla mobile app, also listed no references to pricing.
The idea of FSD subscriptions could prove quite popular among electric car owners, especially since it would allow budget-conscious customers to make the most out of the company’s driver-assist and self-driving systems without committing to the features’ full price. The current price of the Full Self-Driving suite is no joke, after all, being listed at $8,000 on top of a vehicle’s cost. By offering subscriptions to features like Navigate on Autopilot with automatic lane changes, owners could gain access to advanced functions only as they are needed.
Elon Musk, for his part, has explained that ultimately, he still believes that purchasing the Full Self-Driving suite outright provides the most value to customers, as it is an investment that would pay off in the future. “I should say, it will still make sense to buy FSD as an option as in our view, buying FSD is an investment in the future. And we are confident that it is an investment that will pay off to the consumer – to the benefit of the consumer.” Musk said.
Firmware
Tesla rolls out speed limit sign recognition and green traffic light alert in new update

Tesla has started rolling out update 2020.36 this weekend, introducing a couple of notable new features for its vehicles. While there are only a few handful of vehicles that have reportedly received the update so far, 2020.36 makes it evident that the electric car maker has made some strides in its efforts to refine its driver-assist systems for inner-city driving.
Tesla is currently hard at work developing key features for its Full Self-Driving suite, which should allow vehicles to navigate through inner-city streets without driver input. Tesla’s FSD suite is still a work in progress, though the company has released the initial iterations of key features such Traffic Light and Stop Sign Control, which was introduced last April. Similar to the first release of Navigate on Autopilot, however, the capabilities of Traffic Light and Stop Sign Control were pretty basic during their initial rollout.
2020.36 Showing Speed Limit Signs in Visualization from r/teslamotors
With the release of update 2020.36, Tesla has rolled out some improvements that should allow its vehicles to handle traffic lights better. What’s more, the update also includes a particularly useful feature that enables better recognition of speed limit signs, which should make Autopilot’s speed adjustments better during use. Following are the Release Notes for these two new features.
Green Traffic Light Chime
“A chime will play when the traffic light you are waiting for turns green. If you are waiting behind another car, the chime will play once the car advances unless Traffic-Aware Cruise Control or Autosteer is active. When Traffic Light and Stop Sign Control is activated, a chime will play when you can confirm to proceed through a green traffic light. To enable, tap Controls > Autopilot > Green Traffic Light Chime.
“Note: This chime is only designed as a notification. It is the driver’s responsibility to observe their environment and make decisions accordingly.”
Speed Assist Improvements
“Speed Assist now leverages your car’s cameras to detect speed limit signs to improve the accuracy of speed limit data on local roads. Detected speed limit signs will be displayed in the driving visualization and used to set the associated Speed Limit Warning.
“As usual, to adjust Speed Assist settings, tap Controls > Autopilot > Speed Limit.”
Footage of the new green light chime in action via @NASA8500 on Twitter ✈️ from r/teslamotors
Amidst the rollout of 2020.36’s new features, speculations were abounding among Tesla community members that this update may include the first pieces of the company’s highly-anticipated Autopilot rewrite. Inasmuch as the idea is exciting, however, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has stated that this was not the case. While responding to a Tesla owner who asked if the Autopilot rewrite is in “shadow mode” in 2020.36, Musk responded “Not yet.”
Firmware
Tesla rolls out Sirius XM free three-month subscription

Tesla has rolled out a free three-month trial subscription to Sirius XM, in what appears to be the company’s latest push into making its vehicles’ entertainment systems more feature-rich. The new Sirius XM offer will likely be appreciated by owners of the company’s vehicles, especially considering that the service is among the most popular satellite radios in the country today.
Tesla announced its new offer in an email sent on Monday. An image that accompanied the communication also teased Tesla’s updated and optimized Sirius XM UI for its vehicles. Following is the email’s text.
“Beginning now, enjoy a free, All Access three-month trial subscription to Sirius XM, plus a completely new look and improved functionality. Our latest over-the-air software update includes significant improvements to overall Sirius XM navigation, organization, and search features, including access to more than 150 satellite channels.
“To access simply tap the Sirius XM app from the ‘Music’ section of your in-car center touchscreen—or enjoy your subscription online, on your phone, or at home on connected devices. If you can’t hear SiriusXM channels in your car, select the Sirius XM ‘Subscription’ tab for instruction on how to refresh your audio.”
Tesla has actually been working on Sirius XM improvements for some time now. Back in June, for example, Tesla rolled out its 2020.24.6.4 update, and it included some optimizations to its Model S and Model X’s Sirius XM interface. As noted by noted Tesla owner and hacker @greentheonly, the source code of this update revealed that the Sirius XM optimizations were also intended to be released to other areas such as Canada.
Interestingly enough, Sirius XM is a popular feature that has been exclusive to the Model S and X. Tesla’s most popular vehicle to date, the Model 3, is yet to receive the feature. One could only hope that Sirius XM integration to the Model 3 may eventually be included in the future. Such an update would most definitely be appreciated by the EV community, especially since some Model 3 owners have resorted to using their smartphones or third-party solutions to gain access to the satellite radio service.
The fact that Tesla seems to be pushing Sirius XM rather assertively to its customers seems to suggest that the company may be poised to roll out more entertainment-based apps in the coming months. Apps such as Sirius XM, Spotify, Netflix, and YouTube, may seem quite minor when compared to key functions like Autopilot, after all, but they do help round out the ownership experience of Tesla owners. In a way, Sirius XM does make sense for Tesla’s next-generation of vehicles, especially the Cybertruck and the Semi, both of which would likely be driven in areas that lack LTE connectivity.
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