Going a step further than its ‘valet mode’, Tesla is now letting owners limit the speed of their cars with a new mobile app update alongside a vehicle software update.
Tesla owners with vehicle software version “2018.24 or above” and the latest mobile app update (Version 3.4.1) can now access a new speed limiter feature.
The automaker describes the feature in the update:
“Limit vehicle speed and acceleration with speed limit mode. Maximum vehicle speed can be set between 50-90 mph (80-145 km/h).”
It follows Tesla’s release of the ‘Valet Mode’, which temporarily puts a series of limitations on Tesla’s vehicles:
- Top speed is limited to 70 MPH
- Power and acceleration are limited to 25% (80KW)
- The glove box and frunk are locked
- Access to certain vehicle settings is disabled
- Access to personal information is restricted
Now the new feature gives more flexibility to the owners in terms of setting the actual speed limit.
As usual, Tesla vehicle software updates are gradually rolled out to the customer fleet and it can take some time before it is accessible to every owner.
Update: with the vehicle software update, Tesla confirmed that the feature most be enabled from the car when parked.
Electrek’s Take
I am sure that some owners are going to be able to use this relatively simple feature for a bunch of different applications.
For example, parents letting their kids using a powerful vehicle like a Model S is not always a good idea.
They might be more willing to if they can limit the speed to somewhere between 50-90 mph (80-145 km/h).
Depending on if it can be activated remotely with the app while the car is being driven, you could also theoretically limit the driving speed of your car if it’s being stolen.
We have often reported on instances of Tesla owners actively reporting to the police the location of their stolen cars through the mobile app – leading to arrests.
Again, whether or not this would be possible is unconfirmed at this point, but it could potentially facilitate getting the car back. I haven’t received the update yet, but I kind of want to try this.
Update: As mentioned in the update above, it needs to be enabled from the car – meaning that it wouldn’t work.
What kind of application can you think of for this new feature? Let us know in the comment section below.
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