# Over the air updates



## Van Shrider (Apr 3, 2016)

I'd like to know more about the Over the air updates. Can current Tesla owners fill the rest of us in on how they work?

Do they just upload randomly, and install randomly? Or is there more to it than that?

I know that OTA updates do not require wifi connection to your home, but does it work any better if you do?

Do you input your home Wifi password, and it updates at night when you are sleeping?

Do you set any type of preferences for this?

I'm hopeful that it doesn't randomly update while your driving and at least waits for you to park???

If the install of update is somehow interrupted making it corrupted, can you roll it back, reload it??


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## TrevP (Oct 20, 2015)

Updates are sent over the air by Tesla in waves around the world to the entire fleet. 

You get notification of a update and you can install it right then and there or schedule it for a particular time. The updates require the car to be parked and stationary. They take anywhere for half an hour to 2 hours depending on the nature. There have been a number of updates lately that seem navigation related and those don't appear to need a reboot of the system. It's really well done. 

You can certainly have to car connect to a nearby wifi network for faster downloads but all cars sold for some time have LTE connections.


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## AEDennis (Apr 10, 2016)

TrevP said:


> Updates are sent over the air by Tesla in waves around the world to the entire fleet.
> 
> You get notification of a update and you can install it right then and there or schedule it for a particular time. The updates require the car to be parked and stationary. They take anywhere for half an hour to 2 hours depending on the nature. There have been a number of updates lately that seem navigation related and those don't appear to need a reboot of the system. It's really well done.
> 
> You can certainly have to car connect to a nearby wifi network for faster downloads but all cars sold for some time have LTE connections.


Additionally, even though Elon has mentioned that people that connect their vehicles via Wi-Fi will be prioritized over those that are only over a mobile connection, I haven't actually seen any change when I did connect to Wi-Fi versus running mobile.

Furthermore, the cars initially shipped with 3G and now with LTE, however, Tesla doesn't necessarily have LTE agreements in some countries. Legacy vehicle owners can also pay $500 (for Model S) to upgrade their connection from 3G to LTE.

Lastly, if your car is in the service center, they can and often do update cars to the latest FW manually if it is in and your FW is out of date.


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## AEDennis (Apr 10, 2016)

And just like that... (a few hours later) I got notice that a Software update is available for my Model S...

I took a picture for you.

IMG_0653 by Dennis Pascual, on Flickr


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## teslaliving (Apr 2, 2016)

When the notice pops up you can install immediately, but you have to be parked. You can also schedule it for a certain time of the day (wont happen unless car is parked). You can't automatically have it download and install on its own. You have to take an active action to install it once you get the notice.

Once the update starts you can't stop it and the car makes all sorts of sounds etc as it runs through self tests etc.

There are 3 flavors of updates:
1) Major, i.e. Version 7
2) Minor, i.e. Version 7.1
3) Patch/Build

Release notes are generally only updated for the first two. 

The release notes are available inside the car by pressing the Tesla logo on the touchscreen display. The ones in MyTesla on Teslamotors.com are usually way out of date.


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## Mike (Apr 4, 2016)

So, to confirm, I don't need a smart phone plan to have over the air updates. They happen transparent to my personal cel phone and/or wireless internet setup. Is this correct?


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## teslaliving (Apr 2, 2016)

Correct, the car comes with built in internet connectivity which so far has been free for life. All the updates, maps, internet radio etc all goes over that. You don't even need to own a phone to enjoy Tesla.

The phone adds one big thing though, which is the control you can do through the phone like keyless driving, remote unlock, start your A/C early etc.


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## Mike (Apr 4, 2016)

teslaliving said:


> Correct, the car comes with built in internet connectivity which so far has been free for life. All the updates, maps, internet radio etc all goes over that. You don't even need to own a phone to enjoy Tesla.
> 
> The phone adds one big thing though, which is the control you can do through the phone like keyless driving, remote unlock, start your A/C early etc.


Thanks. Sounds pretty slick. I'm a product of the vacuum tube era and don't own a smart phone......yet


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## teslaliving (Apr 2, 2016)

Mike said:


> Thanks. Sounds pretty slick. I'm a product of the vacuum tube era and don't own a smart phone......yet


Controlling the car from your phone (or even your computer: http://teslaliving.net/2016/02/22/open-sourcing-tesla-solarcity-monitoring-code/) is a lot of fun and can be very helpful but you don't need either.


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## Mike (Apr 4, 2016)

teslaliving said:


> Controlling the car from your phone (or even your computer: http://teslaliving.net/2016/02/22/open-sourcing-tesla-solarcity-monitoring-code/) is a lot of fun and can be very helpful but you don't need either.


This looks like stuff my wife's sons can sink their teeth into when the time comes. Thanks.

I see you also have a solar array at home. As you can see by my avatar, so do I. 6 years old this week. 30 panels with Enphase micro inverters making about 1.2 mega watt hours a year more than we use.

So at 200 watts a km, I figure I could drive my Model 3 about 6000 kms before relying on remote generation.


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## teslaliving (Apr 2, 2016)

Mike said:


> This looks like stuff my wife's sons can sink their teeth into when the time comes. Thanks.
> 
> I see you also have a solar array at home. As you can see by my avatar, so do I. 6 years old this week. 30 panels with Enphase micro inverters making about 1.2 mega watt hours a year more than we use.
> 
> So at 200 watts a km, I figure I could drive my Model 3 about 6000 kms before relying on remote generation.


Nice, I've got a @SolarCity system, 69 panels. About 14 months old. 22,381.5 kWh produced so far.

Lifetime use on the Tesla (@61K miles) is 16,193 kWh but i've had it twice as long as the panels


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## Mike (Apr 4, 2016)

teslaliving said:


> Nice, I've got a @SolarCity system, 69 panels. About 14 months old. 22,381.5 kWh produced so far.


Awesome. We are at 46,500 +/- kWh produced in 60 months. 


teslaliving said:


> Lifetime use on the Tesla (@61K miles) is 16,193 kWh but i've had it twice as long as the panels


Just some back of the napkin math. That's 100,000ish kms. So, 16.193 kWh per 100 km or 161 watts per km (hope my math is right). That sounds like you must drive in an energy efficient manner as I (anecdotally) expect a Model S to run at about 200 watts per km. Any advice, besides avoiding excessive speeds and jackrabbit starts and running the HVAC in winter on "roast"  Cheers.


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## teslaliving (Apr 2, 2016)

I get 307 Wh/mile, so 191 Wh/km. Im on the lower end of the owner range (non performance car, don't push it most of the time). I think the Model 3 will be even lower. 

The starts aren't the problem. Cold weather is the worst, then highways, then elevation.


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## Mike (Apr 4, 2016)

teslaliving said:


> Cold weather is the worst


Thanks for the great info, really appreciate it.
My situation, the car will live in my garage, kept at a minimum of 10C (radiant heat) during winter months. Is it a cold battery pack or HVAC use that is the largest issue, cold weather wise? Cheers


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## teslaliving (Apr 2, 2016)

Mike said:


> Thanks for the great info, really appreciate it.
> My situation, the car will live in my garage, kept at a minimum of 10C (radiant heat) during winter months. Is it a cold battery pack or HVAC use that is the largest issue, cold weather wise? Cheers


Mine is garaged when i'm home all the time. No heat in the garage and it gets cold but it is sheltered from the elements. Heat in the garage would help with the base pack temp.

Definitely a cold pack doesnt help, but also cold weather even with a warm pack really impacts range. You could have a totally warm pack and still take a 20-30% hit on range you'd get in the summer.


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## Mike (Apr 4, 2016)

teslaliving said:


> You could have a totally warm pack and still take a 20-30% hit on range you'd get in the summer.


Ok, excellent data point. I sense my first winter with M3 on highway trips will include how low can I set the HVAC down to, wear a sweater and be smart about using the terrain as a help to range, not a hindrance. Thanks Cheers


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## teslaliving (Apr 2, 2016)

Mike said:


> Ok, excellent data point. I sense my first winter with M3 on highway trips will include how low can I set the HVAC down to, wear a sweater and be smart about using the terrain as a help to range, not a hindrance. Thanks Cheers


Yeah I keep mine in range mode all the time (all but 1 day this winter) and we get down to below 0F here. Seat heaters help a lot. I keep the temp at 66. So it depends on how much you want to freeze. I dont have heated steering wheel (wasnt available when I got my car with cold weather package) so thats the worst exposed part -- I hate to drive with gloves.


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## MelindaV (Apr 2, 2016)

@teslaliving - at about what exterior temp do you start to notice the battery % drop? 50°F? 40°F?

OT - when Hollywood Video was around and building video stores, I was part of their architecture group and traveling around the country visiting construction sites. I remember being in VT and CT one January (sub freezing) with a AA floppy disk camera that you could take about 4 photos before you had to put it in your coat to warm it up before you could take the next four. haha. It was probably the coldest I have EVER been


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

Mike said:


> I sense my first winter with M3 on highway trips will include how low can I set the HVAC down to, wear a sweater and be smart about using the terrain as a help to range, not a hindrance.


I have a Nissan Leaf. In the winter, I keep the heat off (because it uses too much juice). I've installed a switch to keep it off while directing air at the windshield to keep the windows from fogging or frosting. I wear a heavy coat, hat, and gloves. I use the seat and steering wheel heaters. It's been fine even on the coldest days. The seat & steering wheel heaters help a lot, and they don't use too much electricity.


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## Mike (Apr 4, 2016)

All good info, much thanks. I'll definitely get the heated steering wheel. 

I drive my Prius (in winter) with the HVAC at its lowest setting of 18C and lowest fan speed directed at the windscreen. I installed heated seats within a month of purchase and drive with them on the high setting.


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## Skione65 (Apr 4, 2016)

MelindaV said:


> @teslaliving - at about what exterior temp do you start to notice the battery % drop? 50°F? 40°F?
> 
> OT - when Hollywood Video was around and building video stores, I was part of their architecture group and traveling around the country visiting construction sites. I remember being in VT and CT one January (sub freezing) with a AA floppy disk camera that you could take about 4 photos before you had to put it in your coat to warm it up before you could take the next four. haha. It was probably the coldest I have EVER been


@MelindaV,
Wow! Hollywood Video....that's a throwback!  Wasn't that "Pre" Blockbuster?

Sorry for the drift but I'll follow your leads with this question.

I know it's recommended in the winter to 'pre-heat' the car AND battery (i.e. Plugged in overnight) in your garage before driving. My question is when my car 'cold soaks' for 4 days in an airport parking lot and then I hop in to drive 90 miles home, AFTER 90 miles there  Can you say 'range'??? Since I can't plug in to preheat would it do ANY good to let the car and battery warm up (just running) before driving for any amount of time or would that be moot and not make any difference?

Would that help at all in winter with range?

Thanks in Advance!

Ski


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## teslaliving (Apr 2, 2016)

Skione65 said:


> @MelindaV,
> Wow! Hollywood Video....that's a throwback!  Wasn't that "Pre" Blockbuster?
> 
> Sorry for the drift but I'll follow your leads with this question.
> ...


In that case (and i've been there) I just pre-heat 15 mins before I get to the car so i'm warm. There isn't a separate pre-heat for people vs battery, just a climate control ability. There is "smart preconditioning" which is supposed to be for the battery and does it automatically based on your daily cycle, but its far from smart and definitely wouldn't help this case.

Trying to pre-heat the pack when not plugged in would be counter-productive, just drive and watch the range.

In the winter you lose about 4 rated miles per day just parked, but you can lose up to 40% range due to weather conditions.

If its very cold and you have a long way to go and you're at the edge then just slow down, speed makes a huge difference.


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## Mike (Apr 4, 2016)

teslaliving said:


> In that case (and i've been there) I just pre-heat 15 mins before I get to the car so i'm warm. There isn't a separate pre-heat for people vs battery, just a climate control ability. There is "smart preconditioning" which is supposed to be for the battery and does it automatically based on your daily cycle, but its far from smart and definitely wouldn't help this case.
> 
> Trying to pre-heat the pack when not plugged in would be counter-productive, just drive and watch the range.
> 
> ...


Great info. I've picked up snippets of Model S cold weather ops over the last 18 months or so.

Perhaps a "best practices in cold weather for range" might be a good thread and/or video.


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## Drew (Apr 4, 2016)

The whole idea of dressing up in winter clothes just so you can conserve range doesn't sit well with me. If you have to wear gloves and a big coat just so you don't have to turn on the heat then maybe you should stick to a ICE. I would hate to spend the $$ on a new vehicle with all the latest tech only to have it inconvenience my day to day life.


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## Mike (Apr 4, 2016)

Drew said:


> The whole idea of dressing up in winter clothes just so you can conserve range doesn't sit well with me. If you have to wear gloves and a big coat just so you don't have to turn on the heat then maybe you should stick to a ICE. I would hate to spend the $$ on a new vehicle with all the latest tech only to have it inconvenience my day to day life.


Fair enough. However, some folks may want an EV for reasons other than having the latest tech.

Everyone's situation is different.

In my case, 59 out of 60 days, the range with HVAC on is a non issue. But on day 60, if I have a choice of using a menu of options to get that last 10 km out of the vehicle to avoid a long recharge, why not?


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## Skione65 (Apr 4, 2016)

Mike said:


> Great info. I've picked up snippets of Model S cold weather ops over the last 18 months or so.
> 
> Perhaps a "best practices in cold weather for range" might be a good thread and/or video.


Mike,

Agreed....I would look forward to that thread with great interest. I'll have to hit the Model S cold weather Ops threads.

What were the most valuable 'cold weather Ops' tidbits you picked up?

Ski


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## Mike (Apr 4, 2016)

Skione65 said:


> Mike,
> 
> Agreed....I would look forward to that thread with great interest. I'll have to hit the Model S cold weather Ops threads.
> 
> ...


Ski,
I've checked this thread out on this forum:

http://teslaownersonline.com/threads/heat-in-the-cold-weather.94/

From what I've picked up, precondition the car on shore power, don't use range mode so the battery pac preheats as well, limit the use of the heater (I must assume one takes manual control of the HVAC system and sets the temp to the lowest heat possible and fan speed on low), use the heated seats and steering wheel and most importantly drive the speed limit.

That's what I've been able to find. Cheers.


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## Skione65 (Apr 4, 2016)

Mike said:


> Ski,
> I've checked this thread out on this forum:
> 
> http://teslaownersonline.com/threads/heat-in-the-cold-weather.94/
> ...


Mike,

I so appreciate all your information. Especially the links. So based on your comment by using the range mode that prevents the battery lack from preheating?

Ski


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## MelindaV (Apr 2, 2016)

If you've not watched Bjorn's video on preheating and the Range mode, check it out, specifically the conversation on Range Mode at 10 Minutes. According to him, it's not the best solution except just around town.


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## Skione65 (Apr 4, 2016)

MelindaV said:


> If you've not watched Bjorn's video on preheating and the Range mode, check it out, specifically the conversation on Range Mode at 16 Minutes. According to him, it's not the best solution except just around town.


MelindaV,

Just finished watching it As you were typing your response!....incredibly informative and explains a lot!

Thank You! 

Ski


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## Englander (Apr 17, 2016)

With my Leaf (2015 model, 11000 miles) by far the biggest dictator of range is how I drive. The furthest I've been on a charge is about 90 miles, but that was driving _very_ carefully - nothing over about 50mph, and in "B" mode to maximise regenerative braking. I got home after the 90 miles with 9% battery left.

However, if I drive the Leaf in a sporty fashion, with Eco mode turned off, I'm sure I could flatten the battery in less than 50 miles!

As for cold weather, it _does_ make a difference, but not hugely. I would estimate that I lose 10-15% of range in winter, but here in the UK our winter temperatures aren't that extreme, the normal lows are just a few degrees below freezing. My car is kept in a garage overnight, which I suspect helps.

As for using the heater or air con, I find this makes very little difference, reducing total range by up to 5 miles. My Leaf does have the heat pump air con though, which I understand is way more efficient than earlier models.

As for battery life, because of the low range on the Leaf I always charge to 100%, and the battery has actually improved in capacity from new. It has just had its first service, and the battery report gave it 100% bill of health.

My Leaf has an EPA range of 84 miles, so the predicted Model 3 range of 215 miles is about 2.55 as much. I would rate my typical range in the Leaf to be around 70 miles (say 60 in winter), so if I go for the base battery (55kWh perhaps?) I'm hoping to get a real-life maximum range of about 180 miles in the Model 3, or around 150 in winter. This would be on 100% charge.

Given that I plan to keep the Model 3 for a few years, I'll only regularly charge to 80% to be kinder to the battery, so that should equate to about 140 miles in summer, and 120 in winter.

Until I know the option pricing I can't decide if it'll be worthwhile to pay more for a bigger battery. On the UK Model S the price difference between the 70D and the 90D is about £12,000, (about $16500!), but my budget is such that I won't be spending anything like that on my total option package!


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## Mike (Apr 4, 2016)

Skione65 said:


> Mike,
> 
> I so appreciate all your information. Especially the links. So based on your comment by using the range mode that prevents the battery lack from preheating?
> 
> Ski


Cheers. I figure we'll all benefit from the Model S and Model X pioneers for range/battery software idiosyncrasies specific to Tesla , as well as the other EV drivers for the idiosyncrasies inherent in EV's.


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

Englander said:


> As for cold weather, it _does_ make a difference, but not hugely.


Only because you don't get cold weather in the UK. 
As the temperature drops below freezing, even my garage-kept Leaf loses significant range. More like 20-30% loss. For people without a garage, a cold-soaked battery would reduce range even further.

Tesla's thermal battery management should help reduce the effects, but you need to understand how to best use it.


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## Englander (Apr 17, 2016)

garsh said:


> Only because you don't get cold weather in the UK.


Minus 5 to -10 is quite cold enough for me, thank you ❄

But you're right of course, our UK weather is quite moderate, not too cold, not too hot, just too wet! ☔


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## MelindaV (Apr 2, 2016)

Englander said:


> Minus 5 to -10 is quite cold enough for me, thank you ❄
> 
> But you're right of course, our UK weather is quite moderate, not too cold, not too hot, just too wet! ☔


Being in the NW, we have very English weather here too, and would much rather be rained on than frozen solid


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