Tesla rolls out new update

Tesla New Zealand has announced the rollout of a new software update that includes several new features focused on safety and security. 

However, Tesla has noted that as with previous over-the-air updates, these features will be available for US customers first and will be deployed globally over time. 

The first feature of the upgrade is the ability to monitor your car’s surroundings while it’s locked and parked. 

“Sentry mode adds a unique layer of protection to Tesla vehicles by continuously monitoring the environment around a car when it’s left unattended,” says Tesla.

“When enabled, sentry mode enters a ‘standby’ state, like many home alarm systems, which uses the car’s external cameras to detect potential threats.

“If a minimal threat is detected, such as someone leaning on a car, sentry mode switches to an “alert” state and displays a message on the touchscreen warning that its cameras are recording.

“If a more severe threat is detected, such as someone breaking a window, sentry mode switches to an ‘alarm’ state, which activates the car alarm, increases the brightness of the centre display, and plays music at maximum volume from the car’s audio system.”

Another feature in the latest upgrade is ‘dog mode’, which keeps your dog at a comfortable temperature in your car while letting people passing by know that the owner will be back soon.

There have also been dashcam improvements. Dashcam can now record and store video footage captured by your car’s side cameras in addition to the narrow forward camera.