Tesla has started deploying its latest software update, version 2024.2.6, bringing with a number of features designed to enhance the charging experience for owners, especially in cold weather conditions.
Most of the improvements in this update are related to Supercharging. Currently when you navigate to a Supercharger station the vehicle will preheat the battery to optimize your charging session. You know this is happening because of a message on the navigation display that Tesla added a few years that says the battery is “preconditioning for faster charging.”
With 2024.2.6, Tesla has now supplemented this message, telling the driver how much time is left for the battery to warm up sufficiently for optimal fast charging, according to the release notes shared by Not A Tesla App.
Additionally, the update introduces an automatic warming of the charge port. As with preconditioning, this feature is activated when the Supercharger location is set as a destination in the vehicle’s navigation system. This should help prevent the charge port from freezing shut in extremely cold temperatures.
Another feature of the update is that the range estimation now includes battery age as a consideration in its calculations. This means the range displayed to drivers will now offer a more accurate reflection of the actual distance the vehicle can travel, taking into account the natural aging process of the battery.
According to hacker @greentheonly, who shared additional details of the update on X (formerly Twitter), there are a number of other improvements included in 2024.2.6. However, many of them are for markets outside of North America, and have already been included in prior releases in Canada and the US.
There were two notable additions that are new however, with maps now displaying “accident” and “closed road” markings.
2024.2.6 brings us:
— green (@greentheonly) February 14, 2024
Latin America map region (for the impeding expansion in Chile/Colombia -also added Spanish language)
"Accident" mark on the maps
"closed road" mark on maps
Red light/speed camera display in China
Maps will support fastest/shortest/no tolls/… routes selection
Display of battery heating time remaining
— green (@greentheonly) February 14, 2024
The display of speed zones and such is improved with special display modes for speed zones.