The first half of 2022 was Tesla's most prolific update period, with seven major software versions rolling out between January and July. The updates focused on driving assistance, interface customization, and safety improvements.
Key Versions
| Version | Date | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| 2022.2 | Jan 2022 | Car Colorizer, dashcam clip saving |
| 2022.4 | Jan 2022 | Tire Pressure API, regenerative braking |
| 2022.8 | Mar 2022 | Charging time estimation, preconditioning |
| 2022.12 | Apr 2022 | Bottom bar customization, Disney+, child lock |
| 2022.16 | May 2022 | Autopilot max speed, driver profiles |
| 2022.20 | Jul 2022 | Green Light Chime, Adaptive Suspension, Speed Assist |
| 2022.24 | Jul 2022 | Blind spot camera, GPS directions |
Green Traffic Light Chime
Version 2022.20 introduced the Green Traffic Light Chime, a simple audio alert that notifies the driver when the traffic light ahead turns green. The feature quickly became one of Tesla's most popular additions, preventing the embarrassment of sitting at a green light while distracted. It works using the vehicle's forward-facing cameras and requires no additional hardware.
Tesla Adaptive Suspension
The same 2022.20 update brought Tesla Adaptive Suspension, which automatically adjusts ride height based on road conditions. The system downloads map data about rough road sections and proactively raises the vehicle before reaching them. This was a significant comfort improvement for owners with air suspension, particularly on European roads where surface quality can vary dramatically between regions.
Camera-Based Speed Assist
Speed Assist gained camera-based speed limit sign detection in 2022.20, improving accuracy on local roads where map data might be outdated. The vehicle's cameras read physical speed limit signs and display the detected limit in the driving visualization. This was especially useful in European countries where speed limits change frequently through villages and construction zones.
Interface Customization
Version 2022.12 introduced bottom bar customization, allowing owners to pin their most-used controls to the persistent toolbar at the bottom of the touchscreen. This addressed a longstanding complaint about buried controls since the Model 3 and Y moved most functions to the touchscreen. The Car Colorizer, introduced in 2022.2, let owners preview different exterior colours on their vehicle's touchscreen rendering.
Safety and Charging
Vision-based seat belt pre-tensioning arrived in 2022.20, using the cabin camera to improve frontal crash protection timing. Charging improvements came in 2022.8 with better time estimation and vehicle preconditioning. The Tire Pressure API in 2022.4 laid groundwork for third-party monitoring tools, though it initially only exposed data to the developer API rather than the Tesla app.
European Availability
The Green Traffic Light Chime, Adaptive Suspension, and camera-based Speed Assist all launched globally. Speed Assist was particularly valuable in European markets with dense road sign networks. Bottom bar customization and charging improvements were available across all models and regions.