OWN A TESLA? YOU CAN NOW NAME YOUR CAR

on September 24, 2014 at 2:40 pm

On Friday, Tesla Motors announced a series of software updates for its Model S electric sedan, and one immediately caught our eye. You can now name your car.

Of course, lots of us have given our cars names over the years, but unless we paint them on the door, they’re known only to us or our friends and family. But Tesla says you can make whatever nickname you’ve given your car official. “The car’s name will appear in the Tesla mobile app and in the About Your Tesla section on the touchscreen,” Tesla says on its blog.

That’s not all. There are a variety of updates from Elon Musk’s electric car company.

Remote start. The Model S can now be started by the owner’s smartphone. That function, which Tesla helpfully notes is useful if you forget your keyfob, will be operated via the Tesla mobile app. In order to use it, the owner must enter a password each time.

Your calendar. The Model S software update now will allow you to sync your calendar with the touchscreen. Says Tesla: “If you’ve already set locations for particular events, you don’t have to worry about re-entering the details into your car’s navigation system. Instead, you can just tap on the event in your calendar to bring up route directions.” (It notes this feature is in beta, which probably means it also will get an update, especially if somehow you’re misdirected.)

Traffic diversions. You know how frustrating it can be when there’s suddenly a backup on the route you take home from work. Well, in a feature that some people might find a little spooky, the Model S will start monitoring traffic “before you even start your weekday commute.” It will alert you with a pop-up message on the 17-inch touchscreen when a faster route is available.

Night watch. There’s a new power management mode that will put the car into energy save mode at night. But there’s an option that allows the Tesla mobile app to connect immediately to the car, even while this mode is engaged.

Tesla says the software update reflects its desire to keep updating its cars even after they leave the factory. “With each update, Model S becomes more attuned and responsive to its owner’s needs without requiring excessive user input. We will continuously fine-tune the software and work on new features in response to customer feedback,” the company says.

All you have to do is read the comments on Tesla’s blog to know that it gets constant customer feedback. It will be interesting to see how people like these.