Tesla has started rolling out Version 10.0 of their software to vehicles in the US, ahead of a global roll release. The company says this is their biggest update yet and when you look through what’s new, it’s easy to see why.
The update contains entertainment features like the highly anticipated arrival of Netflix and YouTube, but it’s Smart Summon (renamed from Enhanced Summon) that is the most impressive technically.
Smart Summon
With Smart Summon, customers who have purchased Full Self-Driving Capability or Enhanced Autopilot can enable their car to navigate a parking lot and come to them or their destination of choice, as long as their car is within their line of sight.
It’s the perfect feature to use if you have an overflowing shopping cart, are dealing with a fussy child, or simply don’t want to walk to your car through the rain. Customers who have had early access to Smart Summon have told us that it adds both convenience to their trips and provides them with a unique moment of delight when their car picks them up to begin their journey. Those using Smart Summon must remain responsible for the car and monitor it and its surroundings at all times.
In terms of who can get Smart Summon, the order page for the Model 3 lists Parking as a feature of Full Self Driving. Summon (no mention of Smart Summon) lists this as a feature coming later this year. Almost all Tesla’s made this year have the necessary Hardware 3 to enable this capability.
Now lets take a look at the rest of the features on offer in Version 10.0 update.
Tesla Theater
Get the most out of Model S, Model X, and Model 3 center displays by connecting to your Netflix, YouTube, and Hulu or Hulu + Live TV accounts to watch your favorite shows, movies and content right from your car while parked. For our China-based customers, we’ll be launching with iQiyi and Tencent Video access, and we expect to add more global streaming and entertainment services over time. Additionally, all customers will have access to Tesla tutorial videos to learn more about their vehicle.
Karaoke
Our new “Car-aoke” feature lets you sing your heart out with friends on a road trip – or by yourself. Caraoke comes with a massive library of music and song lyrics, with support for multiple languages.
Restaurants & Destinations
Our new “I’m Feeling Lucky” and “I’m Feeling Hungry” navigation features will lead you on an adventure to a local restaurant or point of interest that’s within your car’s range. In testing, we’ve been taken to hole-in-the-wall restaurants, gourmet meals, national parks, city landmarks and more.
We’ve also improved our maps so that your search results will be sorted based on distance to each destination. Owners can also tap on highlighted points of interest, businesses, or search results in the larger map view to see business ratings, start a phone call, or begin navigating to the location.
Music & Podcasts
We’re expanding our music and audio platform to enable Spotify Premium account access in all supported markets – one of the most requested features from Tesla owners. This will be in addition to Slacker Radio and TuneIn, which are also available in Tesla vehicles. We are also launching the Ximalaya service for podcasts and audiobooks in China.
Tesla Arcade
Cuphead, Studio MDHR’s popular run-and-gun action game, is now available in the Tesla Arcade. Traverse strange worlds, acquire new weapons, learn super moves, and discover hidden secrets while you try to pay your debt back to the devil. Using a USB controller, single-player and co-op modes are available to play in the Tesla Edition of Cuphead, which includes the game’s full first level as you play as Cuphead or Mugman.
Security & Convenience
To help make USB storage for our Dashcam and Sentry Mode features easier to manage, video clips taken while your vehicle is being protected by Sentry Mode will now be stored to a separate folder on your USB drive. Older clips will also be automatically deleted if you’re low on storage.
We have also made several UI and options changes available to drivers. One of our favorites is the new “Joe Mode,” which lowers the cabin volume for select alerts such as parking chimes – perfect for when you have sleeping passengers in the rear seats that you don’t want to wake up. Additionally, you can now do even more with your car from your Tesla app with the latest mobile software, including opening and closing your garage door via HomeLink, defrosting your vehicle’s cabin at the maximum temperature, and remotely controlling your Model 3 and Model X windows.
Streaming Media & Browser Support Coming to all Model 3 Vehicles
To take advantage of the advanced media features in Software Version 10.0, we are also enabling browser access on all Model 3 Standard Range Plus and Standard Range vehicles. The update will also enable streaming media access to Spotify, TuneIn, and Slacker while connected to WiFi for these cars.
While most of the auto industry tries to play catchup, Tesla have the foot well and truly planted on the accelerator and with this release, extends their lead in vehicle technology and entertainment.
