Tesla hacker @greentheonly has found another potential gem while looking through the source code of the latest 2020.44 software update released today.
Tesla’s vehicles are some of the most, if not the most connected vehicles on the road today. With its onboard data connection, the car can not only stream music and entertainment, but also send important information to Tesla to improve the performance of its self-driving software.
One big feature that has been missing is the ability to use that always-on data connection as a hotspot, allowing your passengers to connect their devices to the internet.
Based on what @greentheonly was able to discover, a hotspot feature may be coming soon to your Tesla, possibly alongside a new Cypress A Automotive 5G modem.
And then there's additional bandwidth usage monitoring added and a curious mothership option to ask cars to "collect hotspot info" – hotspot might really appear in foreseeable future?
— green (@greentheonly) November 3, 2020
The first connected Tesla vehicles started off with a 3G connection, eventually upgrading to the latest 4G LTE connection today. The eventual progression to 5G seems obvious, but we now know Tesla is working on it behind the scenes.
A hotspot feature will be particularly useful for Tesla owners with free lifetime Premium Connectivity. Owners who purchased a Tesla in Canada between March 2019 and March 2020 recently saw their subscriptions added for free, after an “act of goodwill” from the automaker.
Would you find a hotspot feature useful? Let us know in the comments below.
