July 18, 2022
By Gabe Rodriguez Morrison
Tesla CEO Elon Musk says that the company is getting closer to integrating Valve’s Steam gaming platform into its in-car gaming console. This integration would result in a huge array of video games inside Tesla vehicles.
Elon says that Tesla is making progress on Steam integration and the automaker is aiming for a demonstration next month.
Coincidently Tesla has its AI Day 2 event scheduled for September 30th, which was pushed back from its original August 19th date. Tesla plans to show off its humanoid robot among other “many cool updates.” This may be a good time for Tesla to share its progress on Stream integration as well.
We’re making progress with Steam integration. Demo probably next month.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 15, 2022
Tesla’s current in-car gaming adds a lot of value to the Tesla ownership experience, but the automaker has bigger plans for gaming inside its vehicles.
Elon recently stated that “entertainment will be critical when cars drive themselves,” which he believes Tesla can achieve later this year.
In addition to Steam integration, Tesla offers video games inside its vehicles through “Tesla Arcade”, which could eventually compete with other gaming platforms such as Apple’s AppStore, the Playstation Store, or the Xbox Marketplace.
The new Model S and Model X feature a new gaming computer that is capable of 10 teraflops of processing power, enabling in-car gaming on par with today’s newest consoles.
The new gaming system is integrated and connects to both the front and rear screens inside the Model S and Model X.
Elon also revealed that the new computer has more storage to store more games on the platform. Tesla’s Bluetooth controller compatibility will allow gaming from any seat.
The website videocardz compared Tesla’s specs with next-gen consoles, showing that at least spec-wise, Tesla’s gaming platform in the Model S and X is on-par with the latest generation of gaming consoles.
Tesla owners are excited about the potential for Steam integration coming to their cars soon. While this has been an exciting development, according to Tesla hacker @GreenTheOnly, only the new Model S and X feature the discrete AMD GPU that provides “next-gen” level graphics.
MCU 3-based Model 3 and Model Y vehicles do not include the discrete GPU, which means that some games may be exclusive to the Model S or X.
It’s not clear whether Steam integration will be available for MCU 2 vehicles, although Tesla has a history of creating software that supports as many of their cars as possible.
Tesla still occasionally updates their original 2012 Model S vehicles with UI improvements and new features.
Tesla previously highlighted high-end games such as The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077. We should know more soon.
August 4, 2022
By Kevin Armstrong
Most modern cars come with access to a Controller Area Network (CAN) that lets you access information about systems in the vehicle.
It’s often used to help diagnose vehicle issues and find out if a certain part may need to be replaced.
Teslas, just like other vehicles will display critical alerts or warnings on the screen based on CAN data.
The warnings can be as simple as being low on windshield wiper fluid. They could also alert you of critical issues such as airbag errors or heat pump issues.
Service Mode
For owners or shops who wish to troubleshoot or repair their vehicles, Tesla also includes a Service Mode.
Service Mode gives you access to more details about any alerts the vehicle has shown, as well as letting you reset certain systems.
Not every vehicle alert is customer-facing, meaning that some alerts only show up in Service Mode. These alerts could be temporary warnings without any customer impact, so they’re of limited use to the vehicle owner, but they could be useful to a technician diagnosing an issue.
Although Service Mode displays additional details about vehicle alerts, they’ve also been somewhat limited.
Alerts are triggered based on certain readings from the vehicle’s CAN, which provides real-time information on a slew of vehicle systems and any errors they report.
If the vehicle detects a high temperature or low voltage in a given system, it may trigger an alert. The user may see an alert such ‘X system not available’, although usually the reason is omitted.
In Service Mode, some additional information may be shown about a given alert, such as why it was triggered, such as due to low voltage.
However, up until now the additional information provided in the alert in Service Mode has been somewhat limited.
Alert Payload
In a recent update, Tesla has added individual CAN readings to the alert, known as the alert payload, or crack data. Instead of seeing a simple ‘low voltage detected’ message, technicians or DIY owners can now see the exact value of the voltage when the alert was triggered.
Twitter user @greentheonly shared this news on Twitter, showing a screenshot that shows the plethora of information that is now available to Model S and X owners. Model 3 and Model Y owners do not yet have access to this data, but it’s reportedly coming soon in a future update.
Adding alert payload data to Service Mode is a significant shift, as Tesla kept this information close to the chest and encouraged owners to take their vehicles to Tesla service centers. However, with this kind of information now available, third-party electric vehicle shops will have the data to fix Teslas. Not only shops but do-it-yourself types will also have access to the same information previously available to the technical support team.
That said, it’s important to note that Tesla’s warranty can be voided “due to improper maintenance, service or repairs.” The warranty paperwork, which you should read before ever tinkering with a Tesla, or any expensive item, clearly detailed how the company “strongly recommends that you have all maintenance, service and repairs done at a Tesla Service Center or Tesla authorized repair facility in order to avoid voiding or having coverage excluded under this New Vehicle Limited Warranty.”
@greentheonly’s tweet got a lot of attention. In a follow-up tweet, the user tells readers to enter service mode, and the information can be found in the service mode menu. The tweet is accompanied by a short video showing how to get to service mode. The screenshot shows active alerts with drop-down menus that provide more details.
Reddit comments were supportive of having more information. One poster said: “After they made the service manuals free, I’ve found I can do literally whatever I’d like! I no longer need service to answer questions about parts, processes, or fixes. Just look it up in the manual!”
While another, clearly a DIYer, posted, “This pleases me. Hopefully, between this and the free service manual online, most repairs should be able to be done at home.”
But another commenter believes Tesla is still holding too much back, “Now give us gateway config tasks on the toolbox, and we’ll actually be able to make meaningful changes to our car.”
Keep in mind that Service Mode is aimed at technicians and is not meant to be accessed by customers. The information displayed is not consumer friendly and will often require some vehicle knowledge to be useful.
Service mode will also disable various safety systems while in use, and it is not recommended to be accessed by customers.
August 4, 2022
By Gabe Rodriguez Morrison
One criticism we’ve heard is that Tesla does not allow you to transfer its FSD package to a new vehicle.
Given that Tesla has steadily raised the price of FSD to the current $12,000 USD, it can cost early adopters thousands of dollars more to get FSD on their newer vehicle.
Tesla has now launched an offer that lets current customers upgrade to a new Tesla and receive a 50% discount on the FSD package.
The offer is available to owners with or without FSD on their current vehicle.
Tesla is testing this new loyalty program in China, seeking to retain customers and ensure they choose Tesla again when upgrading to a newer car.
This promotion will incentivize customers to upgrade their Tesla by offering them a more reasonable price for FSD.
In addition to offering a 50% discount on FSD for returning customers in China, Tesla is also offering 15,000 km of free Supercharging and a free home charging service valued at 元8,000 ($1,185 USD).
Tesla has previously launched local incentive programs such as 10,000 miles of free charging and $1,000 toward a home charging solution.
Tesla has previously offered a similar FSD promotion in China back in 2021. There’s no indication that Tesla will expand this promotion to other areas, but it certainly sets a precedent.
Tesla will likely continue to offer incentives that encourage sales where necessary, based on the conditions of each market. Although Tesla is the dominant leader in the EV race, competition is increasing.
Tesla is competing with western manufacturers like Rivian, GM and Ford, in addition to Chinese EV makers, that are aggressively expanding their investments in the EV market.
