Image via @BLKMDL3
Tesla’s latest 2023 holiday software update, version 2023.44.30+, has introduced a suite of new real-time map icons, enhancing the navigation experience for Tesla drivers.
According to insights from the well-known Tesla hacker, ‘Green’ (@greentheonly), these updates mark a significant advancement in Tesla’s navigation capabilities, which are based on Google Maps.
The new map icons provide detailed information about various road conditions and hazards directly on the route. These include average speed cameras, caution lights, construction zones, danger areas, fixed and mobile speed cameras, traffic police presence, red light speed cameras, stop signs, and traffic lights. This array of icons aims to offer Tesla drivers a more comprehensive understanding of their driving environment, potentially increasing safety and convenience.
However, unlike popular navigation apps like Waze, Tesla’s system does not currently include a “report” button or interface for drivers to contribute real-time updates. Green clarified this in a response to an inquiry about such a feature, stating, “Tesla does not work like this.” He explained that Tesla cars rely on their advanced vision capabilities to discern real-world conditions, in a somewhat sarcastic response.
Despite the absence of a user-reporting feature, Green hinted at the possibility of a Waze-like system being in the works for Tesla. He mentioned that Waze uses a free public API to gather information, which apps like Highway Radar utilize. This suggests that Tesla might be exploring similar avenues to enrich its navigation system with more dynamic and user-generated content in the future.
Here are the traffic icons you can expect according to @greentheonly:
You can see an example of traffic lights from this holiday update shared by @BLKMDL3 below:
Quick look at the traffic light visualization in the Tesla holiday update pic.twitter.com/9I17J1OCwf
— Zack (@BLKMDL3) December 16, 2023
Some other first looks at the new 2023 holiday update features so far: