Tesla has started to release a new software update (2022.16.0.2) with a better range calculation incorporating more environmental factors and the ability for media accounts to be linked to driver profiles.
The latter is pretty simple. You can now have multiple Spotify accounts linked to your vehicle, and they will automatically shift between them based on the driver profile selected.
Tesla wrote in the release notes:
Media Player accounts (e.g. Spotify Login) are now linked to your driver profile. Simply log into your media account while your driver profile is selected.
The second feature in the update is arguably way more important and it’s something that Tesla has actually been testing for a while.
We reported on it back in March when it showed up in the code, but now Tesla appears to be confident enough to put it in the release notes:
“Energy prediction for your route has been improved by incorporating forecasted crosswind, headwind, humidity and ambient temperature when using online navigation.”
Range calculations are difficult regardless of the type of powertrain, electric or internal combustion engine.
There are just so many factors that can affect the efficiency of a vehicle on a road that it is hard to determine how far it can go on a full battery pack or tank of gas.
But it is important. I’d argue that accurate range prediction is better at curbing range anxiety than longer range.
Tesla has been a leader in efficiency and long-range electric vehicles for a long time, but despite that, it still has issues predicting the energy consumption of a trip.
In 2018, Tesla added more environmental factors (elevation changes, weather, etc.) in the calculation. It helped, but it is still far from accurate. You put a destination in the system and Tesla’s trip advisor tells you how much energy you will have left by the time you get there, but it’s not rare to see the amount of energy go down fast as you drive.
Now some of that can be due to how fast you drive, but environmental conditions along the planned route can also affect the efficiency and that’s what Tesla is trying to account for in a better way with this update.
While these factors could only account for a few percentage points of difference, it can be a big deal for some trips. Every percentage point counts when doing efficiency and range calculations.
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