Tesla completely redesigned their app with version 4.0 last year. Since then Tesla has been quickly iterating on its features with updates and new features coming every few weeks.
With version 4.3 of the Tesla app, Tesla added the ability to customize the Quick Control buttons on the main screen.
You can add up to four buttons, but with this little trick, you can also add a fifth icon.
To add a fifth icon start by long-pressing the row of icons to bring up an editing screen to sort or replace those icons with the ones you use most frequently.
Now here is where the fun starts because it will take a little manual dexterity to add the additional icon but when you do it correctly your sense of accomplishment will out weight your initial frustration.
With your right thumb, pick up one of the available icons and drag it over the fourth icon (in the screen above it is the Front Trunk icon), but do not release it.
While keeping your right thumb held down, use your thumb on your left hand to press on the 1st icon (in the screen above it is the HVAC icon), and drag it to the second icon (the Defrost icon). The icon you have brought up will move offscreen to the right into the invisible fifth spot.
Release both fingers simultaneously and VIOLA a fifth icon will magically appear.
Have fun mixing and matching your icons as your needs change. You can update the icon bar as often as needed.
Tesla used to allow users to continue to add an unlimited amount of icons, but it wasn't a great experience so the total number of icons is now limited to five.
There are several other useful bits of information about the Tesla app that could make it more useful.
For example, you can tap the battery icon at the top of the screen to access charging information. This brings up the same information as tapping on the Charge Quick Control icon.
If you prefer tapping the battery icon, you can remove the Charge icon from the Quick Controls area, allowing you to free up a spot, essentially giving you an extra Quick Control slot.
When using the app most commands are executed through the vehicle's internet connection, which requires your vehicle to be awake.
Waiting for your vehicle to wake up could sometimes take up to a minute, but there is a way to speed it up if you're within Bluetooth distance (around 30 feet).
Some commands are sent via Bluetooth, which allows them to be completed even if the vehicle is asleep. This includes locking and unlocking the doors.
When completing one of these commands, your Tesla starts to turn on almost immediately.
If you're waiting for your vehicle to turn on, you can send a command to lock/unlock your vehicle and your vehicle should wake up quicker than just waiting.
If you've added a fifth icon to your Quick Controls and use the Tesla app widget, then the widget will now display all five icons as well.
With the introduction of the Tesla app version 4.0 last year, Tesla quietly rolled out a feature that changes the way you use the app.
Previously, you needed to open the Tesla app, wait for your vehicle to wake up, and then you could send a command to the car, such as using turning on the climate system or using HomeLink.
However, now you can simply open the app, tap your desired function (it'll show a spinning circle) and you can quit the app.
Instead of the command going directly to your car, it will now be sent to Tesla. Tesla's servers will be the ones who wait for your vehicle to wake up, and when it does, Tesla will execute the command.
If for some reason Tesla isn't able to wake up your vehicle due to a poor connection or another error, then you'll receive a notification saying the command failed.
This makes turning on the HVAC system a much more enjoyable experience.
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Earlier this week Elon Musk spoke to the Financial Times at the Future of the Car conference. The Chief executive of Tesla and SpaceX gave a few interesting quotes in this exclusive interview.
The interview started with a bit of overlap with Elon Musk and Co-Founder of Tesla JB Straubel both talking together. JB mentioned that it's "tougher now for EV startups because what are they going to do that Tesla hasn't or won't do. What is their niche?"
Elon added "Companies are jumping in at the deep end, trying to make a high volume vehicle without having ever made a vehicle before. Start small and make mistakes at a small scale with a lot of reserve capital."
Elon was asked who he views as the most impressive EV startup and he answered "Volkswagen is making the most progress aside from Tesla." He also noted that there will be some strong EV companies coming out of China.
When asked about supply constraints, Elon said that he sees constraints in lithium coming in about three years, in large part due to the difficulty of converting the ore into battery-grade material.
Elon said that Tesla may have to get involved in mining/refining raw materials. When discussing supply constraints, Elon also iterated that the 20 million vehicle target for 2030 is simply an aspiration; "We may achieve it, but we may not."
When asked about the current situation in China, Elon stated that he has had recent conversations with government officials. From these conversations he believes that it is clear that the lockdowns are being lifted rapidly, adding "I would not expect this to be a significant issue in the coming weeks." This statement is optimistic as the lockdowns have posed huge supply chain challenges for Tesla and the broader economy.
When asked about demand, Elon said "now its demand is exceeding production to a ridiculous degree. We’re probably gonna just stop taking orders for anything beyond a certain period of time because some of that timing is like a year away.
Elon stated that there is some probability that Tesla would make a car smaller than the Model 3. Tesla has alluded to increasing efficiency when discussing the Robotaxi, so it would make sense that it would be smaller than the Model 3.
This would be an interesting move for the automaker. Tesla has previously alluded to the idea on their Q1 earnings call where they discussed the difficulty of setting their prices so far out because they don't know what their future costs will be.
When asked about how long he would stay at Tesla, Elon responded: "as long as I can be useful."
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The CCS (Combined Charging System) has become the standard for electric vehicle charging over the last few years.
When Tesla first debuted the 2012 Model S, the CCS charging connector didn't exist. In fact Tesla developed its proprietary Tesla connector because there wasn't anything capable of fast DC charging.
Today, the CCS connector supports charging speeds up to 350kW.
For comparison, Tesla's latest v3 Superchargers can currently charge at speeds up to 250kW, although Tesla plans to update v3 Superchargers later this year to support up to 324kW.
Tesla already offers Superchargers with CCS connectors in several regions, but they will now begin adding CCS connectors to Superchargers in the United States.
Tesla will add the CCS connector in addition to Tesla's own connector. This will give non-Tesla owners access the extensive charging network, Elon Musk said.
This announcement follows the path announced by the CEO to eventually open its Supercharger network to all-electric vehicles globally.
Non-Tesla electric cars have been allowed to charge at select Tesla Supercharger locations in France, the Netherlands, and Norway since November.
Allowing Superchargers - which account for more than half of all fast chargers in the United States to charge all electric vehicles would be easier and less expensive for everyone involved, and it would substantially improve the landscape of the current fast-charging infrastructure.
CCS is the obvious charging standard to go with, given that Tesla, like many other manufacturers, has already accepted CCS standards in Europe and its Supercharger stations are already equipped with CCS connectors.
Tesla's cars and Supercharger stations in North America use its own proprietary connector, which has rendered Non-Tesla owners unable to use Tesla's fast-charging infrastructure.
It also prevents Tesla owners from charging at other DC charging stations, unless they spend a considerable amount of money purchasing a CHAdeMO or CCS adapter.
Speaking at the Financial Times Future of the Car summit, Musk said they will add the connectors even if it lessens their competitive advantage over other automakers.
“It's a little trickier in the US because we have a different connector than the rest of the industry, but we will be adding the rest of the industry connectors as an option to Superchargers in the US. We are trying as best as possible to do the right thing for the advancement of electrification, even if that diminishes our competitive advantage,” Musk said.
This is comparable to Tesla's approach in Europe when the Model 3 was originally introduced with the CCS standard. Both Tesla and CCS connectors were installed at new Supercharger stations, and the carmaker also began retrofitting some existing stations.
Last year, the Taiwan EV Charger Equipment Supplier and Manufacturer Advancement Alliance declared that CCS should be the country's charging standard, forcing Tesla to retrofit CCS connectors to all Superchargers.
Tesla upgraded Superchargers with CCS connectors in addition to their proprietary connectors a few months after the decision.
Tesla's CEO gave no indication of when the company planned to begin installing CCS connectors at stations in the United States.
The connector the US is using differs slightly from the CCS connector in Europe. In the US it's known as CCS combo 1, or CCS1 for short. This is the connector that Tesla will support in the US and it is not interchangeable with CCS2 that is used in Europe.
Tesla is already selling an adapter to go from CCS1 to Tesla's plug, but it is currently only available in South Korea. Tesla is likely to make this adapter available for sale in the US in the future.
However, your Tesla will need to specifically support the CCS adapter. If your Tesla was built after May 2019, then it likely supports the CCS adapter. If it was before then, then it will need to be retrofitted if you plan to charge using the CCS 1 adapter.
You can check whether your car supports the CCS adapter by going to Controls > Software and tapping Additional Vehicle Information.
You can also find more information about how to check whether your car is supported, the cost of a retrofit, and the cost of the adapter in our CCS adapter article.
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The first signs of Tesla's FSD Beta 10.12 finally surfaced yesterday as Tesla employees start…
Tesla's Model Y has won U.S. News 'Best Luxury Electric SUV' award. U.S. News writes "Despite the onslaught of …
Earlier this week Elon Musk spoke to the Financial Times at the Future of the Car conference. The Chie…
View the release notes for the upcoming version 2022.16.
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Estimated days until version 2022.20 is released.
Subscribe to be notified when new software is released.
10% off Tesla accessories at Tesmanian with promo code: TeslaSoftwareUpdates
View all known voice commands for your Tesla.
Subscribe to be notified when new software is released.