If you’re one of the lucky ones to have already received Tesla’s latest software update, 2019.36.2.1, you already know and have experienced all the goodies bundled in there. For those of you still waiting, here’s what to expect.
Stopping Mode
This is probably the most highly anticipated feature of this release. It was first hinted at during Tesla’s Q3 2019 earnings call, Stopping Mode finally brings true one pedal driving to Tesla’s. You might have thought your regenerative braking before was helpful, but this update takes it to the next level.
When the new “HOLD” feature is selected in the Driving settings, your regenerative braking will continue to engage at speeds under 8km/h, bringing you to a complete stop without having to use the brakes. Once stopped, the HOLD gear will be automatically engaged for you. This will greatly improve the life of your brake pads, which were already going to last you a very long time, likely for as long as many of you will own your Tesla (200,000km+).
Stopping Mode is only available for the Model 3 and Raven Model S and X, as only these vehicles in Tesla’s lineup have permanent magnet synchronous reluctance motors.
Scheduled Departure
Another highly anticipated feature of this update, especially for us Canadians as we enter winter (see our Winter Driving Tips). Before this update, there was no official way of scheduling your charging to preheat your battery prior to leaving in the morning. This would ensure that your cabin was warm, your battery was warm, and as a result you would get more range, more efficiency, and more regenerative braking. There are still third party options of scheduling your charging, like Stats App, but now Tesla officially offers it in their vehicles.
Power Increase
With this update, the Model 3 has received a 5% power increase, and Model S and X has received a 3% power increase. When was the last time your ICE vehicle got a power increase, FREE, over-the-air? That’s right, never. Tesla continues to make our cars faster (and safer, and more fun) with free updates after purchasing the vehicle. If you’ve had your Tesla long enough, your vehicle could now have more than 10% more power than when you first bought it. From some informal tests, it appears the power increase is not underestimated.
Automatic Navigation
If you leave every morning for work at roughly the same time, or if you leave work for home at roughly the same time, the computer will now automatically enter directions for your trip to home/work on your workdays. If you have Navigate on Autopilot (NOAP), it will not engage this feature for you, it will simply enter in your destination and give your directions for your trip. This update brings us one step closer to full self-driving (FSD).
Additionally, if you’ve synced your calendar, and you have an event with an address, the computer will also recognize this and enter your destination in the trip planner for you when you enter vehicle.
Driving Visualizations Improvements
Who would have thought you would be this excited to see traffic cones. Now your Tesla can show you traffic cones in the driving visualization with this latest update. The catch is your vehicle must be equipped with the HW3.0 computer (FSD computer) in order to see the cones. This feature will apparently be coming to cars without the necessary hardware at a later date, but for now it is reserved for HW3.0 vehicles. If you’ve been wondering which computer you have in your Tesla, this will give you the answer. Elon Musk has stated that any Tesla built after about mid-April 2019 will have a HW3.0 computer in it.
Supercharging Improvements
It appears that this latest feature might has been pulled, as this was not included in the release notes. This feature is supposed to give Standard Range (SR), Standard Range Plus (SR+), and Mid-Range Model 3’s a charging rate of up to 170 kWh. This would be a huge increase for those vehicles, increasing the charging rate and cutting Supercharging time by up to 70%! Have you received the Supercharging improvements in your update?
Check out the release notes below with more details.
