Tesla announces spring software update features

Today Tesla has announced all the new features that are coming soon to its cars via the Spring Release over-the-air update.

Model 3 and Model Y cars with the AMD chip get immersive full-screen vehicle controls when parked, large playback controls and quick access to Recents, Favorites, and Up Next in the media player, and expandable Autopilot driving visualizations, with a small map shown in the top right for trip guidance.

The Model S and Model X cars purchased in 2021 and later get a new feature for Auto Shift (Beta), letting the car automatically shift between Drive (D) and Reverse (R) depending on your surroundings - if there's nowhere to go in front, for example. This comes in addition to automatically shifting out of Park (P), which was already available. To access this feature, go to Vehicle settings > Pedals & Steering > Auto Shift (Beta).

At high speeds, post-2021 Model S and Model X Teslas will allow for more regenerative braking, which will result in more energy return to the battery.

There's also a new feature for these models alongside the latest, upgraded Model 3: Hands-Free Trunk. The name is pretty self-explanatory, the idea is that the trunk will open on its own if you stand still behind it and you have your phone that contains your Phone Key. To turn this on and off, go to Vehicle settings > Locks > Hands-Free Trunk.

In "select countries", you can preview a brief clip of a Sentry Mode recording on your phone when the alarm is triggered by pressing and holding the notification you receive.

Now let's talk apps. There's a new native Audible app, and you can sync your Spotify queue across vehicles and devices and adjust playback speed for Spotify in your Tesla - very handy if you listen to a lot of podcasts and/or audiobooks.

Finally, the rear passengers will be able to see the current trip's details, time, and the temperature at the top of the rear touchscreen, if there is one of course.