With more EV’s hitting the market there’s little doubt Tesla may be feeling a tad uncomfortable. But the original pioneer in this space does have some very handy party tricks that are worth a mention. Here’s a snapshot of what has arrived over-the-air this year via Wi-Fi.

Sentry Mode – February 2019

This is basically a security update. Using the cameras on the car it monitors what’s happening around the car. For example take a look at this video of two imbeclies keying a Tesla.

Dog Mode – February 2019

This allows you to lock your pet inside the car, usually a massive no no. However the cabin remains at a temperature to keep your pet comfortable. It also lets passers-by know your furry friend is safe via a prominent  message on the centre screen.

Dash Cam Improvement – February 2019

We tried this out when Version 9.0 with a lap around Mount Panorama, Bathurst. But at the time it only captured frontal vision. This update activated additional features allowing for recordings from the car’s side cameras.

On-Route Battery Warm Up – March 2019

This update recongnsed when the car was navigating to a Supercharger station. As a result it would intelligently heat up on the way,  which can reduce charging times by 25%. You can check that out here.

Lane Departure Avoidance and Emergency Lane Departure Avoidance – May 2019

This is great, because it’s actually a case of Tesla catching up. It prevents drivers from straying from their lane by applying corrective steering. It also has Emergency Lane Departure Avoidance. This will attempt to prevent a head-on crash or even going off the edge of the road. For more info click here.

New Language Support – June 2019

The touchscreen display now supports ten different languagesm, including French (Canada), Italian, Dutch, Swedish, Korean, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese (Taiwan) and Traditional Chinese (Hong Kong).  

Tesla Arcade – June 2019

This is one of the brands more novel offerings. Tesla Arcade is showcased on-screen with a growing catalogue of games including the Teslatari collection and Beach Buggy Racing 2.