A Post-Holiday Surprise For Intel-Based Tesla Owners, Offering Real-Time Precipitation Forecasts And Improved Driving Insights
Tesla has delivered an unexpected post-holiday gift to owners of its older electric vehicles (EVs), extending its new weather radar functionality to cars equipped with Intel Atom processors.
In detail, this expansion comes as part of the company’s recent software update 2024.44.25.3, addressing what had been a notable limitation in the initial 2024 Holiday Update rollout.
The weather radar feature, which allows drivers to view precipitation patterns and forecasts directly on their EV’s navigation screen, was originally launched exclusively for vehicles featuring the newer AMD Ryzen processor.
Moreover, the weather radar system provides drivers with a detailed three-hour precipitation forecast, enhancing their ability to prepare for changing weather conditions during their journeys. This functionality has been particularly valuable in regions prone to rapidly changing weather patterns, where Intel-based Model 3 owners were among the first to receive the update.
Notably, Tesla managed to optimize the weather radar system for the older Intel processors without compromising functionality. Despite the Intel chip’s slower processing capabilities compared to the AMD Ryzen, Tesla engineers successfully adapted the feature to maintain full performance, including identical speeds, animations, and features available in newer models.
As Tesla still maintains and improves its entire fleet through over-the-air (OTA) software updates regardless of hardware generation, the company’s ability to extend new features to older vehicles helps maintain their value and functionality, which is a significant consideration for existing owners and potential buyers of used Tesla EVs.
For Tesla owners, accessing the new feature is straightforward – it is included in the latest software update, though the rollout is gradual across the fleet. The feature’s presence might be easy to overlook, as it is listed among all Holiday Update features in the release notes under “Precipitation Map and Weather at Destination.”
As weather conditions increasingly impact travel planning and safety, the addition of detailed precipitation forecasting to older vehicles represents a meaningful enhancement to the Tesla driving experience.
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