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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 Roadster getting 400-mile battery upgrade

A few months ago, Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk said something a bit cryptic during the company's annual shareholder meeting: Tesla was working on "a fairly exciting upgrade to the Roadster." Mysterious, no? Well, speaking with Auto Express recently, Musk revealed what this upgrade will be: an improved battery pack. "The Roadster had an old generation battery," Musk told Auto Express." We'll upgrade it to a new generation battery pack and it should have a range of about 400 miles, which will allow you to drive from LA to San Francisco non-stop." The Roadster originally came with a 245-mile range, which is good for Los Angeles to Madera, CA. Tesla sold the Roadster, its first car, in the US from 2008 to 2011 and elsewhere until 2012. It's not that the old Roadster batteries were failing regularly – quite the opposite, in fact – but li-ion EV technology advances rapidly, and so now we're extra curious what's in the new pack and how it will work. Will it be compatible with Tesla's Supercharger technology? How much will it cost, both for Roadster owners as well as for Tesla? We've asked Tesla for answers to these questions, but all a spokeswoman would say is, "We have no further details at this time." At the shareholder meeting in early June, Musk said the "exciting upgrade" would happen this year, so if he was talking about the battery upgrade at that time, we should be getting more information on the new packs right soon.

'Pro-Tesla' bill in Pennsylvania gets Auto Alliance to end neutral stance

Unlike dealership groups all over the country, one automaker group isn't taking issue with Tesla Motors being able to sell its electric vehicles through company-owned stores in Pennsylvania. But the idea of no limits on its number of stores? That's a problem. The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers – which has been neutral on the Tesla dealer fight thus far – is now squawking about a recent law in the Keystone State allowing the California-based company to sell cars through its stores there, Automotive News says. The group doesn't have a problem with the idea in general, but the fact that there's no cap on either the number of stores Tesla can operate or how many cars it can sell there is causing the Alliance to speak out on the issue. And while the Pennsylvania Automotive Association is okay with the new law, the Alliance is alleging a non-level playing field in favor of Tesla. Tesla declined to comment to AutoblogGreen. The prospect of Tesla skipping over the third-party dealer franchise phase has garnered plenty of recent attention, especially from regulators and dealership representatives. Last month, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) urged Missouri and New Jersey to change policies that would further prohibit car makers like Tesla from selling their vehicles directly to customers and without a third-party dealership. In April, FTC officials called called the prohibition of direct company-to-customer sales "protectionist" and "bad policy."