Tesla Adds YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Weather and AQI as New Premium Connectivity Features in Update 2024.26

Tesla has just released its newest software update, version 2024.26 to its employees. The update is now available for any employee that has access to “wave 1” releases.

We have our first look at the update and some of its most popular features. This is a large update that brings some of the most requested features to Tesla’s OS, rivaling Tesla’s recent Spring Update in terms of popularity.

YouTube Music and Amazon Music

In this update, Tesla has added two new music streaming services, including the popular YouTube Music and Amazon Music services. We first wrote about Tesla adding Amazon Music back in May, but it’s now official with update 2024.26.

Both of these music streaming services will require Tesla’s $10 / month Premium Connectivity add-on or an active WiFi connection. You can also use your mobile phone’s hotspot to get around the required Premium Connectivity, but this won’t work for all premium features.

Tesla says that YouTube Music will let you access all of your liked and added songs, along with your playlists and artists and podcasts you’ve subscribed to. You’ll need a subscription to YouTube Premium which costs $13.99 / month.

As for Amazon Music, any Amazon Prime members will be able to use Amazon Music in their Tesla without paying an additional subscription cost. Amazon also offers Amazon Music Unlimited, which will also be available but requires an Amazon subscription to use. Like YouTube Music, you’ll need Tesla’s Premium Connectivity feature or use a WiFi or hotspot connection to use Amazon Music.

Weather and Air Quality Index

In addition to the music services, Tesla has added two additional features if you subscribe to Premium Connectivity. Unfortunately, it looks like Tesla is paying a fee for this data, so it won’t be available if you’re on WiFi or a hotspot. You’ll need to have a Premium Connectivity subscription to use these features.

Like Tesla has shown in China for a while, Tesla will now display the Air Quality Index in the vehicle’s status bar. Unlike in China, this will only be displayed if the AQI is considered poor.

If the AQI is poor, then you’ll see an AQI label at the top of the screen with the AQI reading.

You’ll now also be able to tap the temperature reading in your vehicle and receive a weather report. When you tap the temperature, you’ll see a popup that displays the day’s high and low temperatures, as well as the chance of rain.

Lately, Tesla has really been pushing Premium Connectivity and it continues to add value to the service by adding additional features. Some of the features are available on WiFi, so you can try them out when connected at home or a nearby business, while others are only available when you subscribe to Premium Connectivity.

These updates in 2024.26 have been some of the most requested features, so it’s nice to see Tesla finally add them. A lot of users are still hoping Tesla will add SiriusXM music streaming, and with all the music services added lately, you gotta imagine that’s coming soon. Especially when it means that Tesla could drop the required SiriusXM receiver in the Model S and Model X. Tesla is known for dropping hardware in favor of software solutions, so this seems like a candidate.

Release Date

Since this update has just gone out to wave 1 employees today, it could be a week or two before we see any customers receive this update in their vehicles. However, the amount of time varies from just a few days to several weeks, depending on the bugs found during employee testing. If you haven’t checked out all the features in Tesla update 2024.26, go on and take a look as there’s quite a bit more in there, including parental controls and a new climate screen.

On June 24th Tesla officially started its FSD Transfer offer, and now it’s extending its deadline. Initially, the offer was available to anyone taking a vehicle delivery before August 31^st. It has now been extended to September 30^th.

During last month’s 2024 Shareholder Meeting, Elon Musk was convinced to bring back FSD Transfers for “one last quarter”.

Transfer Window

The updated transfer window of availability is for orders placed between June 24, 2024, to September 30, 2024. You must take delivery of your vehicle before the 30^th to be eligible for the transfer.

You’ll need to be taking delivery of a new Model S, Model 3, Model X, or Model Y – the Cybertruck is only available in the Foundation series for the foreseeable future, which already comes with FSD, so its excluded from this offer.

What is FSD Transfer?

Tesla has previously brought this sales incentive for previous customers forward as a demand lever, incentivizing prior owners who have purchased FSD to transfer it to a new vehicle.

This incentive allows buyers who have purchased FSD, whether it be at the original $5,000, updated $15,000, or the new $8,000 price (FSD price history) to transfer it directly to a new Tesla purchase. The vehicle does not have to be traded in for this to occur – but you can simply transfer the FSD option from an existing vehicle to your new car. The old vehicle will no longer have access to FSD, but you can still subscribe to FSD on the older vehicle or purchase it later if you change your mind.

The offer is also stackable with any other incentives, whether it be inventory price adjustments, demo models, or EV rebates in North America, including the $7,500 federal rebate that’s available on select vehicles.

You Don’t Need to Trade In Your Tesla

To activate your FSD transfer, you’ll need to reach out to your local Tesla delivery center by text message and let them know you want to transfer FSD, as it’s currently not an option on Tesla’s site.

Final FSD Transfer Offer?

This could be the final FSD transfer period, as Elon Musk was very reticent to bring it back, citing shrinking margins on new vehicle sales. However, Musk did say Tesla will offer additional free FSD trials again in the future.

The FSD transfer offer is an excellent opportunity for owners with HW3 vehicles to upgrade to HW4, in anticipation of the expected divergence of Hardware 4 or Tesla’s upcoming Hardware 5.0, which Tesla is calling AI 5.

Tesla has provided information on its delivery and production numbers for Q2 2024 today.

One of the biggest things of note is the 9.4GWh of energy storage products – Megapacks and Powerwalls – deployed in Q2, which is the highest deployment in a single quarter. Tesla deployed 4.05GWh last quarter, so this more than doubles their deployments compared to Q1.

Vehicle Numbers

Tesla produced approximately 411,000 vehicles and delivered 444,000 in the second quarter of 2024, with the vast majority being the Model 3 and Model Y, as expected. This largely beat analyst expectations and TSLA was up 10.20% on the day.

There was a slowdown in production, seen in China, and during the tooling-up phases for Cybertruck and the Model 3 Performance. With Semi also entering High-Volume Production, and work ongoing for a new supercomputer cluster, Tesla has been making quite a few capital expenditures that have impacted vehicle productivity.

See the chart below for specifics on vehicle production and deliveries.

With the general cooling of the EV Market, Tesla has managed to have one of their best quarters ever. Q2 of 2024 ranks as Tesla’s third-best quarter. Only in Q2 of 2023 (466k vehicles) and Q4 of 2023 (485k vehicles) has Tesla delivered more vehicles. The stock has surged, passing the $230 mark for the first time since early January.

Investors are taking the news well, and Tesla expects to continue its growth as the leading EV manufacturer based on Elon Musk’s words during the 2024 Shareholder Meeting, with a big focus on autonomy.