Photo: Tesla | Edited
Tesla pioneered over-the-air updates and is also widely recognized as having the best software in the auto industry. But that doesn't mean things can't go wrong, even in Tesla's yard. The 2023.20.4.1 software update introduced an annoying bug with the reported range and charging stop recommendations.
When cars were all metal, you knew what you'd got when buying one. However, modern vehicles are nothing like that, and electronics control almost every function. On top of that, we have software controlling those electronics. The software has gained even more prominence in so-called software-defined vehicles (SDV), whose characteristics are largely dictated by software. With very few exceptions, EVs are examples of software-defined vehicles, with Tesla as the dominant representative.
Many consider Tesla mostly a software company instead of a carmaker, and they are not far from the truth. Their cars are essentially computers on wheels; just like computers, they are what the software allows them to be. That's why Tesla constantly pushes new features, using over-the-air (OTA) software updates, and even old cars are now better than they were when they were bought. The software keeps them relevant even after more than ten years. But software can also affect them when the developers screw things up.
Tesla software has been praised for being clean, with very few issues to report. Still, it's been far from bug-free. We all know that Tesla Vision is still in its infancy or that Autowipers cannot be trusted. With the 2023.20.4.1 update, some owners discovered that Tesla software is also prone to bugs. The most annoying seems to affect how the navigation estimates range and recommends charging stops along the route. Many say they can no longer trust their Tesla to recommend charging stops on a road trip. They use third-party apps such as A Better Route Planner, which offer reliable recommendations.
Reddit user u/cnstarz reported that their Model Y re-routes to the same Supercharger seconds after leaving it, even though it said done charging before. This repeated twice during the same road trip. Usually, the navigation system wants more charging, sometimes up to 100% SoC, seconds after leaving the station with what was supposed to be enough battery to reach the next charger.
Another owner replied with similar experiences for the past week. It keeps showing an estimated arrival SoC when charging, but the estimate jumps significantly to an unrealistic value when they continue the trip. In the example they gave, they charged for 30 minutes, and the navigation informed them they'd arrive at the next stop with a 5% battery. After unplugging and continuing the trip, the arrival percentage shows something like 20-25%. If they cancel and redo the trip, the estimate appears to be back to the initial 5%, which is correct.
Other owners report that navigation is sometimes slow to update the current position, as well as other smaller bugs, although these might be unrelated to the latest update. Tesla maintains several software branches, which might stretch the developers thin in certain areas. The 2023.20.4.1 is also the version that rebased the FSD Beta on the production software branch, thus complicating things for regular owners.
Many consider Tesla mostly a software company instead of a carmaker, and they are not far from the truth. Their cars are essentially computers on wheels; just like computers, they are what the software allows them to be. That's why Tesla constantly pushes new features, using over-the-air (OTA) software updates, and even old cars are now better than they were when they were bought. The software keeps them relevant even after more than ten years. But software can also affect them when the developers screw things up.
Tesla software has been praised for being clean, with very few issues to report. Still, it's been far from bug-free. We all know that Tesla Vision is still in its infancy or that Autowipers cannot be trusted. With the 2023.20.4.1 update, some owners discovered that Tesla software is also prone to bugs. The most annoying seems to affect how the navigation estimates range and recommends charging stops along the route. Many say they can no longer trust their Tesla to recommend charging stops on a road trip. They use third-party apps such as A Better Route Planner, which offer reliable recommendations.
Reddit user u/cnstarz reported that their Model Y re-routes to the same Supercharger seconds after leaving it, even though it said done charging before. This repeated twice during the same road trip. Usually, the navigation system wants more charging, sometimes up to 100% SoC, seconds after leaving the station with what was supposed to be enough battery to reach the next charger.
Another owner replied with similar experiences for the past week. It keeps showing an estimated arrival SoC when charging, but the estimate jumps significantly to an unrealistic value when they continue the trip. In the example they gave, they charged for 30 minutes, and the navigation informed them they'd arrive at the next stop with a 5% battery. After unplugging and continuing the trip, the arrival percentage shows something like 20-25%. If they cancel and redo the trip, the estimate appears to be back to the initial 5%, which is correct.
Other owners report that navigation is sometimes slow to update the current position, as well as other smaller bugs, although these might be unrelated to the latest update. Tesla maintains several software branches, which might stretch the developers thin in certain areas. The 2023.20.4.1 is also the version that rebased the FSD Beta on the production software branch, thus complicating things for regular owners.
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