# HOV Lane-Aware Navigation in v9 (2018.39.7)



## evannole (Jun 18, 2018)

Does anyone else have experience with the HOV Lane-aware navigation in v9 yet? If so, have you noticed it coming up with routes that would indicate that it's aware of the traffic speed differential between the HOV lanes and the general-purpose ones? Unfortunately, in my area, at least, this does not yet appear to be the case.

I have navigated with the HOV option turned on twice now. The first time was yesterday. Traffic was fluid everywhere so there was no speed differential between the HOV lane and the general-purpose ones. The system did not specifically direct me to the HOV lane, but did seem to realize that I was using it, and when it came time for me to exit the highway, it directed me to an HOV-only exit on the left, rather than a general-access one on the right.

The second time I used it was this morning, and this was a bit more disappointing. The Tesla navigation system either doesn't have traffic data for the HOV lanes (whether globally or just in our area, I don't know) or isn't using that data in its route calculations. This morning, Waze knew that the HOV lane through Atlanta on I-75 southbound would save about 15 minutes versus the main lanes, and about 10 minutes versus going around Atlanta on I-285. The Tesla system knew that the main I-75 lanes were a mess, but didn't seem to know that the HOV lane was the best option, as it directed me to I-285. When I continued past 285 on the I-75 HOV lane, it even wanted me to get off the highway and head back north on I-75 to get to I-285. Eventually it figured out that I was going to stick with I-75, but it never adjusted my anticipated arrival time to account for the more fluid traffic in the diamond lane. Waze's estimated arrival time was accurate within one minute.

The system does seem to be aware of HOV lanes; as previously noted, it told me to take a left-hand exit yesterday, and today, where the HOV lane diverges slightly from the main highway as I-75 merges with I-85 at the Brookwood split in Atlanta, Autopilot maintained a constant speed. Previously it would suddenly slow down to about 45, thinking that I was on an off ramp. The system just doesn't seem to be aware of traffic conditions in the HOV lane being different from those in the main ones.


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## SoFlaModel3 (Apr 15, 2017)

I can say that pre-v9 recognized the speed variance of HOV (70 MPH) vs standard lanes (65 MPH).


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## evannole (Jun 18, 2018)

SoFlaModel3 said:


> I can say that pre-v9 recognized the speed variance of HOV (70 MPH) vs standard lanes (65 MPH).


Hmm. What do you mean, exactly? V9 is definitely the first time that using HOV lanes in navigation has been an actual selectable option, and is ostensibly the first time that Tesla's navigation system will actually take them into account.

My experience since moving to V9 is that the system appears unaware of the differential in actual, current traffic speed (not theoretical speed or speed limits) between HOV lanes and regular lanes immediately adjacent to each other. The HOV lane on I-75 was moving at around 65 mph this morning, while the main lanes were doing 50 mph at best, and we're entirely stopped at worst, but this appeared to have no effect on the navigation instructions I was given.


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## SoFlaModel3 (Apr 15, 2017)

evannole said:


> Hmm. What do you mean, exactly? V9 is definitely the first time that using HOV lanes in navigation has been an actual selectable option, and is ostensibly the first time that Tesla's navigation system will actually take them into account.
> 
> My experience since moving to V9 is that the system appears unaware of the differential in actual, current traffic speed (not theoretical speed or speed limits) between HOV lanes and regular lanes immediately adjacent to each other. The HOV lane on I-75 was moving at around 65 mph this morning, while the main lanes were doing 50 mph at best, and we're entirely stopped at worst, but this appeared to have no effect on the navigation instructions I was given.


Before v9 the car was definitely aware of HOV lanes and the speed limit if different than the adjacent lanes. I can tell the navigation knew I was in an HOV lane as well as the estimated time of arrival.

If you read the release notes all this update does is allows you to turn off HOV lanes. Whereas before the car may have suggested them and provided bad guidance if you couldn't take it.


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## evannole (Jun 18, 2018)

SoFlaModel3 said:


> Before v9 the car was definitely aware of HOV lanes and the speed limit if different than the adjacent lanes. I can tell the navigation knew I was in an HOV lane as well as the estimated time of arrival.
> 
> If you read the release notes all this update does is allows you to turn off HOV lanes. Whereas before the car may have suggested them and provided bad guidance if you couldn't take it.


Hmm. Then maybe their map data in South Florida was HOV-lane aware, while their data for metro Atlanta was not. Before V9, every single day the system would tell me to stay to the right (for the main lanes) rather than veer left (for the HOV bypass at the Brookwood split in either direction). Now it just tells me to stay on I-75 (no veering in either direction, basically telling me just to stay on I-75, whether I choose the HOV lanes or not), and did, for the first time since I have owned the car, tell me to take an actual left-hand HOV exit yesterday.


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## SoFlaModel3 (Apr 15, 2017)

evannole said:


> Hmm. Then maybe their map data in South Florida was HOV-lane aware, while their data for metro Atlanta was not. Before V9, every single day the system would tell me to stay to the right (for the main lanes) rather than veer left (for the HOV bypass at the Brookwood split in either direction). Now it just tells me to stay on I-75 (no veering in either direction, basically telling me just to stay on I-75, whether I choose the HOV lanes or not), and did, for the first time since I have owned the car, tell me to take an actual left-hand HOV exit yesterday.


I was just coming back to say the same thing - I bet it's more maps update than v9 update specific for what you're seeing.


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## Paul Magid (Sep 9, 2018)

I am on 2018.39.7 and I live in LA and commute on the 110 and 405..... I have been wondering if the "Use HOV" button is a placebo. Never seen it suggest the HOV lane and I know it should have. Waze would do this all the time. In fact, as you add or remove the CAV decal in Waze, it would visibly recalculate the route. The nav in Model 3 does not appear to do this and I have never seen it suggest HOV. I have left it toggled on across multiple trips for anyone wondering.


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## ig0p0g0 (Apr 27, 2018)

I want to guess that this feature (switch) was intended to arrive with nav on autopilot and the big difference will be whether it suggests a move to the HOV lane. Probably once Tesla as getting enough live traffic info from its own fleet, we will see a real strategic difference in routing. I’ll bet this feature is better in tesla-heavy regions.


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## radlaw (Oct 20, 2018)

What is the HOV setting supposed to do? I am in California and there are HOV lanes everywhere. I know I can drive in them even when I'm alone. I do not have autopilot, and car has HOV enabled. However, it doesn't seem to do anything. It doesn't indicate HOV even when i'm in a HOV lane; it doesn't tell me HOV is available while navigating to a destination; I don't think it has an effect on speed. What does it do?


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## evannole (Jun 18, 2018)

radlaw said:


> What is the HOV setting supposed to do? I am in California and there are HOV lanes everywhere. I know I can drive in them even when I'm alone. I do not have autopilot, and car has HOV enabled. However, it doesn't seem to do anything. It doesn't indicate HOV even when i'm in a HOV lane; it doesn't tell me HOV is available while navigating to a destination; I don't think it has an effect on speed. What does it do?


I am in Georgia, where we, too, have HOV lanes that EVs can drive in without passengers, provided that we have the proper license plate.

So far as I can tell, the navigation system does not take HOV lanes into account when calculating the time that a particular route will take you. It will sometimes tell me to take I-285 AROUND Atlanta rather than I-75 THROUGH Atlanta; this can be quicker if the HOV lanes on I-75 are not an option, but when they are, I-75 is almost always faster. I would say that it does send messages through town about 85% of the time, which is good, but on days when it tells me to go around 285, I usually ignore it. That's backfired on me only once in the last six months.

However, if you've turned on HOV lanes in the options, the Tesla navigation system will direct you to HOV exits on the left, when they make sense for your routing, rather than regular ones on the right, and when Navigate on Autopilot is enabled, if there's an HOV-lane interchange, as there is when heading north when leaving Midtown Atlanta on I-75, the car will exit onto that left-hand interchange automatically.


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

radlaw said:


> What is the HOV setting supposed to do?


In my area, the HOV lanes are a completely separate road , with just a few entry/exit points, on/off ramps, and concrete dividers separating them from the main highway. The HOV setting will control whether or not navigation will tell me to take the HOV entrance.


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