A few days ago, we learned about Tesla’s most recent over-the-air (OTA) update to its handling-enhancing Track Mode, called Track Mode V2. But bundled with it were five less-celebrated improvements meant to enhance the driving experience of certain Model 3s, Ss, and Xs when you’re not driving at the limit. Here’s what else you can expect from Tesla’s latest firmware update, known as 2020.8.1.
Full Self-Driving Preview available for new regions
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Toward the end of 2019, Tesla released what it called “Full Self-Driving Visualization Preview,” which was sent to cars purchased with the Full Self-Driving (FSD) option and equipped with hardware version 3. What this does is populate the center display with additional objects that it recognizes on the road ahead, such as road markings, stop lights, stop signs, and cones. It gives owners a sense of what FSD (once it appears) is going to be able to see in the real world. The preview is now available in some regions of Mexico, Canada, and Europe.
Third-party charging stations added to the nav system
Now, instead of seeing just a list of Tesla charging stations when you tap the lightning bolt icon on a Tesla’s screen, non-Tesla charging locations will appear, too. In addition to Level 2 ones, we’re hoping this will include EVgo’s Level 3 CHAdeMO chargers, which can be used by attaching a Tesla-made adapter. This is being implemented in California first, but it’s sure to spread to other areas eventually.
Bluetooth improvements
Previously, if the driver made a call while standing outside the car but close enough for Bluetooth to connect, the paired phone’s audio would come through the car’s speakers. Now, that only happens if someone is sitting in the driver seat and all the doors are closed.
exFAT file system support for USB storage
Before this update, Tesla only supported USB storage in FAT32, a file system that was introduced back in the Windows 95 era. The problem with that is it limits file size to 4GB. But exFAT, on the other hand, has no realistic limit to file size. Here’s a tip for saving Track Mode V2’s track video data (for either FAT32 or exFAT file systems): To utilize this function or Dashcam or Sentry Mode, the USB drive must contain a base-level folder named TeslaCam and another one named TeslaTrackMode.
Higher brake regen for Model S and X
Already, both the Tesla Model X and Model S have a noticeably high deceleration rate when you release the accelerator pedal (and the motors subsequently work to capture a portion of the car’s otherwise-wasted kinetic energy). Now, that regen rate is going to be even higher (just how much, we don’t yet know).
Tesla doesn’t roll out OTA updates to the whole fleet in one day; instead, updates trickle out gradually over a few days to make sure everything is safe. So, in the meantime, keep your Tesla connected to WiFi when it’s parked.