2021 Tesla Model S on 2040-cars

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Tesla Model S has secret menu that shows possible upcoming features

The Telsa Model S may have won just about every automotive award it could last year, but that doesn't mean it's a perfect vehicle. Far from it. Drivers have been asking when the already high-tech vehicle will get somewhat normal features, like adaptive cruise control or blind spot detection. Well, a new video of menus hidden within the giant touch screen in the Model S shows that those two features might be coming soon, along with a lane departure warning. When these options might arrive is anyone's guess, but the video (see it below) shows that the software is at least in the prototype stage. In any case, unless Tesla has installed a bunch of sensors and not told anyone about them, turning these features on will require more than just a software update.
The hidden menu also shows some as-of-yet-unannounced apps in the car's software: an image viewer, a sketch pad, a scheduler/calendar and various test apps.
The way you access these menus, apparently, is by holding down the Tesla logo on the main menu for a few seconds and then entering an access code. We don't know this password and we also don't recommend fooling around in there, since it looks like you might be able to muck things up, but good. We have enough trouble rooting our phones and we're not sure we'd like to take the risk with an $70,000+ electric vehicle. But if someone else wants to do so and post a video online, then we're happy to watch.

Tesla spies something that begins with the letter D

Lest there be any doubt to the contrary, Tesla is a company on the move. Following the sensational Tesla Roadster, the Model S is now humming down roads across the country and around the world. And there's more to come: the entry-level Model 3, the upcoming Model X crossover... and something else. Two somethings, to be precise, going by this latest, cryptic tweet from Tesla chief Elon Musk.
The image enclosed appears to show the front of a Model S peering out from under a partially open garage door emblazoned with the letter D. Just what that letter stands for, we don't know. Usually we'd guess it stood for "diesel," but given that Teslas are powered purely by electricity, that'd probably be viewed as a backwards step. Drive? Possibly, if Tesla has an all-wheel-drive sedan in the works (which is does).
Whatever it is, we'll have to wait until October 9 before Tesla reveals the full thing. At that point it will also reveal "something else," though it's given even less indication as to what that might be. The Model 3? Production-ready Model X? A new Roadster? We'll find out in a week's time.

Recharge Wrap-up: Model X pinch sensor update, Karma plans first store

Tesla has improved Model X pinch sensor function in its latest over-the-air update. As we've seen, the pinch sensors already stop the falcon wing doors from completely shutting when they sense an obstruction. Now, though, the doors retract slightly after the sensors are triggered. While the pre-update doors didn't appear to do as much damage to human fingers as they do to various foodstuffs, it definitely looked uncomfortable, especially when one's hand is stuck in the partially closed door. Now, any pinch that does occur should be brief. See the updated sensors at work in the video above, and read more from Teslarati. Karma Automotive will move to Kawasaki's former headquarters in Irvine, California where it will also open its first store. The revival of the now defunct Fisker will sell its Revero plug-in hybrid through both dealerships and company-owned stores like the one planned for its new two-building campus. The property owner, Bixby, had planned to renovate the site, but now says Karma will make its own improvements. Bixby said it was seeking, "a progressive-minded tenant that would value the unique configuration," and appears to have found just that in Karma. Read more at Electrek, or from the OC Register. San Francisco is asking residents for help in expanding its subways. Using an online tool called Subway Vision, users can draw their own subway lines and stations that they'd like to see built and submit them to planners. Listening to the public is a useful tool for the city because, as Grahm Satterwhite, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency's principal planner, admits, "Transportation planners may be too close to a problem to see the solution." This approach allows the subway expansions to "reflect the vision of not just a few transportation planners, but of all San Franciscans," he says. Read more from FastCo.Exist. Toyota is continuing its commitment to Yellowstone National Park with a sustainable Youth Campus for environmental education. The automaker donated $1 million to Yellowstone for the facility, which is seeking Living Building Challenge certification. It will have onsite wastewater treatment for its locally sourced water usage, and will generate all of its electricity needs from photovoltaic panels, with excess to put back into the grid. The campus will have classrooms and residences for students and staff for its youth programs.