Tesla releases software update with new winter features and video game to drive your car on Mars

Tesla released a new software update with new, convenient features, especially for the winter, and new Easter eggs, including a new Atari video game to drive your car on Mars.

The biggest new feature is the ability to turn your seat or steering wheel heater from the mobile app – something that owners have been asking about for a while with CEO Elon Musk saying it would be coming soon.

Tesla wrote in the release notes:

Mobile App

When you precondition your car using the mobile app, you can now turn on, off, or adjust any of your seat heaters. If available in your car, you’ll also be able to turn on your steering wheel heater. Note Requires mobile app version 3.8.0 or greater.

We still can’t see the 3.8 version of the Tesla app in the app store – at least in the Canadian app store.

Tesla also updated its Keep Climate On feature for the Model 3:

Keep Climate On

You can now keep your car (and its contents) at the temperature of your choice, even after you’ve left. To help ensure that you have enough battery to drive to your next destination, the climate control will automatically turn off if the battery level reaches 20%.

You can always monitor your car and adjust the temperature using the Tesla mobile app. You will receive a notification that the battery has reached 20% and that the climate control has turned off. This reminds you to check on anything you’ve left in the car.

To see the climate control to stay on, tap the fac icon at the bottom of the touchscreen when your car is parked. Enable keep Climate On and make any adjustments. You can leave knowing that your car will stay comfortably cool or warm.

Note: The next time you drive your car, the climate control will reset to the previous settings from your most recent trip.

As we reported earlier this week, Tesla actually released a ‘fart app’ as an Easter egg in its vehicles.

It’s called ‘Emissions Testing Mode’.

Here are the release notes:

Emissions Testing Mode

Prank your friends with Tesla’s Emissions Testing Mode. To setup, tap the Tesla ‘T’ at the top of the center of the touchscreen, then tap the whoopee cushion icon in your Easter Egg tray. Select your desired sound and choose the seat where you want to sound to originate from. When ready, play the whoopee cushion sound by pressing the left scroll wheel button.

It’s only one of three new Easter Eggs being released with this latest software update.

As previously reported, Tesla is also pushing a new “Romance Mode”:

Romance Mode

Experience the warmth of our virtual fireplace with Romance Mode. To enable Romance Mode when your car is in Park, tap the Tesla ‘T’ at the top center of the touchscreen, then tap the fireplace logo in your Easter Egg tray.

But the last new Tesla Easter Egg we didn’t know about and it’s a pretty fun one.

Tesla is adding Pole Position to TeslAtari and it’s a fairly updated version:

Pole position

Drive a Tesla around Mars in the TeslAtari version of Pole Position. To play when your car is Park, turn your steering wheel to maneuver, press the brake pedal to adjust speed, and use the scroll wheels to shift gears. As with all TeslAtari games, you can play by tapping the Tesla ‘T’ at the top of the center of the touchscreen, then tap the Atari logo in your Easter Egg tray and select your desired game from the drop down menu.

The new version of the software, 2018.48.12.1, is starting to roll out to the wider fleet today.