As Tesla has been working to ramp up assembly of its more affordable Model 3 sedan, the company has also been adding features to existing examples with its over the air software updates.
We spoke with Tesla to learn the extent of updates and found five updates that have been rolled out to existing Model 3 owners. These features will be built in to new Model 3s the company is building now.
In February, Tesla beamed out a feature to allow drivers to contact roadside assistance directly from the “T” screen on the center of the dash
March saw three updates: Touch screen icons were rearranged to make them easier to use based on customer feedback, the company said. The car’s automatic emergency braking system was revised to allow it to work at speeds up to about 90 mph (150 km, according to Tesla’s actual specs), rather than 50 mph before. And a phone that’s been paired with the car over Bluetooth can now automatically unlock the doors. This is also a feature that customers had requested, according to a company representative.
Just last month, the company revised the control for following distance in the Autopilot system to the right-hand steering wheel scroll controller.
Tesla is also starting to roll out automatic high-beams as standard equipment on Model 3s. Since existing cars have the hardware installed for Autopilot, this feature will also be enabled for existing models, according to the company spokeswoman.
Tesla is constantly updating its cars, so look for more software updates coming to the Model 3 in upcoming months as well.