Tesla Software updates - Australia

[doggy1]

Voice commands work well for me on the Tesla. About 90+% accuracy. Much easier than being distracted by the screen and menus. I speak English (first tongue) and French. My Zoe works less well than the Tesla and indeed there are some words (e.g. family) where the Zoe will only recognise if I use the French word ("famille"). I'm not sure how my accent would be described. I lived 3yrs in England as a kid. The French often thought I had a German accent. So definitely not "broad Australian". I wonder if the Tesla "learns"? You would expect an AI based system to do this but I am not sure Tesla does. I did print out all the voice commands that I could find and half memorised them, so maybe that helps?

I do not dictate text messages but do make phone calls as well as a lot of other voice commands while driving (HVAC, display, zooming, navigate to, energy screen.........). I did try a couple of texts to myself which worked fine but not sure I want to trust the system for a text to another person. I used to dictate all my correspondence and reports for over 30yrs years when I was working and would sometimes have very comical results so even humans are not perfect at voice recognition.

Does anyone know how well (or badly) voice commands are viewed in the UK?

 

[Wol747]

The thing I find genuinely puzzling is that the car (well, mine...) will often repeat as text exactly - correctly - what I have said but the say and do something completely irrelevant.
I could understand if it repeated back correctly and then said it didn't understand, or that command wasn't presently activated, but to apparently get the command correct and then to do something else is bizarre. Happens probably 30% of the time.

 

[rx80]

Yes Google voice recognition is excellent.
While on the voice topic, "Event Record" works very well for saving the dashcam.

If I'm not mistaken, just "Record" will do it too

 

[Vostok]

Has anyone had this happen - the proximity sensors get “stuck” along with the visualisation on screen?



This is the second time it’s happened to me - and oddly it was in the same location. The red and amber arcs stay on, without wobbling, and all road visualisation ceases (road markings, other cars, speed limit signs etc) leaving the car in white space limbo.

Everything else in the UI remained working (current speed, map, music).

I had to do a soft reboot to fix it.

 

[Candleflame]

Has anyone had this happen - the proximity sensors get “stuck” along with the visualisation on screen?

View attachment 752946

This is the second time it’s happened to me - and oddly it was in the same location. The red and amber arcs stay on, without wobbling, and all road visualisation ceases (road markings, other cars, speed limit signs etc) leaving the car in white space limbo.

Everything else in the UI remained working (current speed, map, music).

I had to do a soft reboot to fix it.

happened to me once around 8 months ago or so.

 

[Priit]

Now after driving a day with 2021.44.30, I can report back that the wifi connection in the garage appears to be connecting automatically again
However the issue where the set speed changes on motorway has not. I was on M1 yesterday in the 3rd/center most lane and doing 100 on TACC and Autosteer, when I felt the car let go of acceleration. It did not start breaking as hard as before, but the "set speed" changed to 60. Felt like just when you lift your foot off the accelerator and the regen breaking kicks in. I managed to hit the accelerator by the time it had dropped to 96 speed and then tap the speed limit sign on screen to update set speed back to 100.
So this issue is still there, just less often and does not start breaking as aggressively.

 

[EcoCloudIT]

I don’t think tesla do testing short of a manager trying the new bits on the way home of the night of the release. There is no way the voice system has been tested on australians. It was unusable at first release.

It’s odd, I have a fairly moderate Australian accent (influenced by a Scottish father with a thick Scottish accent and a well spoken mother with an Australian accent I guess) and I’ve never actually had an issue with Voice Recognition in my various Tesla’s with the exception of “Call Mum”….the only way around it is to change Mum to Mom and pronounce like a Brit….that or Mummy which I’m not gonna do.

Oh, actually one other thing is Chinese names, if for example I say “Call David Zhou” (pronounced Zirour, if pronouncing like a more Northern Chinese accent) Tesla can’t get it right….I have to pronounce like an English speaking person so more like “Zoooe”.

 

[Wol747]

happened to me once around 8 months ago or so.

Me too - same time.

 

[JasonP]

Well, this might seem a little extreme, but here’s my reaction to the Holiday Update, where they’ve “improved” the UI.
A little context: I absolutely hate when software is changed for the sake of change, with no real benefit.

If it is a genuine attempt to improve it, I can cop that. But when they make it more convoluted & time consuming to use simple, yet essential functions, then I get agro.

IMO the holiday update is a half arsed attempt to rush something out by a particular date, coz they did last year, & it’s kind of expected now.

My particular gripes are with the Tripmeters, Tyre Pressure, & Fan Speed changes, along with Driver Profile changes, & Speedo becoming smaller, & harder to read.
The first 2 just worked, with the cards on the lower right of the screen. The fan speed had + & - buttons previously, but now that has been deemed to need to be more “simple” to use.

Well, they just are not, by any measure. You didn’t have to have the trip meter & tyre pressure cards showing previously, so why to they now have to be buried under a sub menu now?
Same with the fan speed adjustment. Worked well before. Less so now, for no benefit.
Making the speed readout smaller, & a less visible font, achieves what? Only a little harder to see by those oldies who can best afford the car….

I bought my Model 3 Long Range in October 2021, & there’s been 3 or 4 small software downloads, which all seemed to make it a little better.
Then the Holiday Update.
Based on previous experience, I just downloaded & installed it without researching it first.

Big Mistake.
Even Bjorn Nyland has a less than flattering opinion of this update.

So here’s what I plan to do in future:

1. Never accept even the smallest software update at face value (check it out via YouTube etc first. Tesla Tom does dine reviews)
2. I won’t be giving Tesla another AUD 3000 for the Acceleration Update (probably….)
3. And as sure as God Made Little Green Apples, I won’t be giving Tesla AUD 10100 for FSD (definitely)

A little context: 31/12 I test drove a Polestar 2 with Google Auto software.
Had another drive on 07/01.
What a revelation! Voice Commands all worked. Wiper stalk on the wheel. Indicator stalk that works the same as every other car, ever. A gauge cluster in front of the driver. Blind spot indicators in the relevant mirror, instead of looking in the other direction (& down), to see if there’s a car on your right….
I truly do love my Model 3 Long Range, but if adding to the fleet, it will be a Polestar 2, rather than another Tesla.
Yep, the ultimate in first world problems, but backward software steps take the shine off it for me.
And childish light shows & games instead of fixing genuine UI matters? You’re losing me…..

 

[DAL333]

..

 

[1001]

Well, this might seem a little extreme, but here’s my reaction to the Holiday Update, where they’ve “improved” the UI.
A little context: I absolutely hate when software is changed for the sake of change, with no real benefit.

If it is a genuine attempt to improve it, I can cop that. But when they make it more convoluted & time consuming to use simple, yet essential functions, then I get agro.

IMO the holiday update is a half arsed attempt to rush something out by a particular date, coz they did last year, & it’s kind of expected now.

My particular gripes are with the Tripmeters, Tyre Pressure, & Fan Speed changes, along with Driver Profile changes, & Speedo becoming smaller, & harder to read.
The first 2 just worked, with the cards on the lower right of the screen. The fan speed had + & - buttons previously, but now that has been deemed to need to be more “simple” to use.

Well, they just are not, by any measure. You didn’t have to have the trip meter & tyre pressure cards showing previously, so why to they now have to be buried under a sub menu now?
Same with the fan speed adjustment. Worked well before. Less so now, for no benefit.
Making the speed readout smaller, & a less visible font, achieves what? Only a little harder to see by those oldies who can best afford the car….

I bought my Model 3 Long Range in October 2021, & there’s been 3 or 4 small software downloads, which all seemed to make it a little better.
Then the Holiday Update.
Based on previous experience, I just downloaded & installed it without researching it first.

Big Mistake.
Even Bjorn Nyland has a less than flattering opinion of this update.

So here’s what I plan to do in future:

1. Never accept even the smallest software update at face value (check it out via YouTube etc first. Tesla Tom does dine reviews)
2. I won’t be giving Tesla another AUD 3000 for the Acceleration Update (probably….)
3. And as sure as God Made Little Green Apples, I won’t be giving Tesla AUD 10100 for FSD (definitely)

A little context: 31/12 I test drove a Polestar 2 with Google Auto software.
Had another drive on 07/01.
What a revelation! Voice Commands all worked. Wiper stalk on the wheel. Indicator stalk that works the same as every other car, ever. A gauge cluster in front of the driver. Blind spot indicators in the relevant mirror, instead of looking in the other direction (& down), to see if there’s a car on your right….
I truly do love my Model 3 Long Range, but if adding to the fleet, it will be a Polestar 2, rather than another Tesla.
Yep, the ultimate in first world problems, but backward software steps take the shine off it for me.
And childish light shows & games instead of fixing genuine UI matters? You’re losing me…..

What’s the waiting period on Polestars?

 

[JasonP]

They tell me anywhere between 2 week & 3 mths, depending on spec.

I think I’ll go with Dual Motor in Void (Black), with Pilot & Plus packs, & the Nappa interior.

I don’t want the Performance Pack. $8k for Brembos, Gold seatbelts, & manually adjustable Ohlins dampers.

 

[atj777]

The thing I find genuinely puzzling is that the car (well, mine...) will often repeat as text exactly - correctly - what I have said but the say and do something completely irrelevant.

I've had that happen.

One time I said "Set fan speed to 4". The text showed that it had understood exactly that. It then changed just about everything on climate control except the fan speed. I had to pull over to manually sort out the mess.

 

[doggy1]

One time I said "Set fan speed to 4". The text showed that it had understood exactly that. It then changed just about everything on climate control except the fan speed. I had to pull over to manually sort out the mess.

Is this a defined voice command? I know some things not on the list do work but have not tried this one (have tried increase and decrease fan speed which work, likewise too hot and too cold....)

Voice Commands | Tesla Support Australia

Enjoy more seamless control of your car with Tesla voice commands.

www.tesla.com

 

[Vostok]

I absolutely hate when software is changed for the sake of change, with no real benefit.

If it is a genuine attempt to improve it, I can cop that. But when they make it more convoluted & time consuming to use simple, yet essential functions, then I get agro.

Amen, brother.

It seems software engineers in partnership with UI hipsters just can’t help fiddling with stuff. The more unimportant, the more attention it gets.

 

[Wol747]

Is this a defined voice command? I know some things not on the list do work but have not tried this one (have tried increase and decrease fan speed which work, likewise too hot and too cold....)

Voice Commands | Tesla Support Australia

Enjoy more seamless control of your car with Tesla voice commands.

www.tesla.com

With respect, you miss the real point: in so many instances the car actually repeats (text) verbatim - exactly - what you’ve said: and then does something completely different!
Sometimes it’s a rand issue, other times it happens consistently with the same incorrect action.
Yet some people don’t seem to have the same problems - it’s weird.

 

[paulp]

With respect, you miss the real point: in so many instances the car actually repeats (text) verbatim - exactly - what you’ve said: and then does something completely different!
Sometimes it’s a rand issue, other times it happens consistently with the same incorrect action.
Yet some people don’t seem to have the same problems - it’s weird.

Or identifies your spoken word correctly, but when you press text reply it sends something else.
I wonder if tesla’s FSD version that allows cars to navigate city streets will be this hit and miss?

 

[ZeeDoktor]

Same issue here, car transcribes what I say correctly, then pauses for a moment and comes up with something else that is completely nonsensical. Like "navigate to bunnings alexandria" on occasion after correct transcription translates to "navigate to chick-fil-a" and offers a selection across the pacific to choose from. Bizarre. And recently on a drive to Melbourne it had a bee in its bum that wanted to navigate me to a ford garage. It wasn't even phonetically close.

I say we take it with grace, and enjoy the non-deterministic nature of present day AI.

 

[doggy1]

I understand the "Navigate to Bunnings..." type of request uses Google to find the destination- which might explain that behavior. I must say I also had problems with those sort of voice requests and do not bother with it. Some are successful but there is something to do with Google Page Ranking which is likely having an impact. Plus I was disappointed that you cannot voice navigate to Favourites that you have set. I had thought that would be a very useful voice command but alas you can only navigate to "google-able" places. In trying it, sometimes the locations set in Nav were overseas! Fortunately, "cancel Navigation" works well for me.

 

[paulp]

I understand the "Navigate to Bunnings..." type of request uses Google to find the destination- which might explain that behavior. I must say I also had problems with those sort of voice requests and do not bother with it. Some are successful but there is something to do with Google Page Ranking which is likely having an impact. Plus I was disappointed that you cannot voice navigate to Favourites that you have set. I had thought that would be a very useful voice command but alas you can only navigate to "google-able" places. In trying it, sometimes the locations set in Nav were overseas! Fortunately, "cancel Navigation" works well for me.

Two years ago, at a time when tesla bought voice recognician from a 3rd party rather than make its own, the system was flawless. Absolutely bulletproof. Never made a mistake. Tesla decided they could do better than perfect so took it in house and inflicted it on the planet without testing. Was unusable at launch and like all things tesla we were promised that the change had to happen so voice could do more. Still waiting. Doubt this very poor solution has anything to do with google.