I’ve been driving a Tesla Model S for three years now and I simply love it. It’s the first vehicle I’ve owned that gets better with age. With every software update, a new set of tricks and features appear at my disposal. It’s hard to imagine commuting and driving along winding roads now without features like AutoPilot and Forward Collision Warnings (features that were automatically added to my car after I had already bought it).
Naturally, as a product person, spending several hours commuting in my Tesla everyday, I dream up some feature ideas of my own from time to time. And I’ve decided to share some of them here. According to the six degrees of separation theory, someone at Tesla is bound to have a look.
Who knows?
Maybe something will stick.
Eight Feature Ideas and Improvements For Tesla
1. Curated radio and podcasts
I utilize my commute to stay up on my favorite audio content (news, tech, leadership, …), but the media playback experience can be cumbersome while driving, as you have to know exactly what you want to play and select it specifically. I know from my time spent in the TV industry that people love to be entertained with as a little decision making as possible.
It would make things easier if the car analyzed my listening behavior and curated an ongoing, custom feed just for me. Aggregating both on-demand media (like podcasts), and also recorded segments of live broadcasts that match with my topics of interest — combining the playback ability of DVR and the machine learning of personalized media streams.
Resulting in a linear, Pandora-like talk radio station, with a mixture of sure bets and new suggestions.
2. Instapaper integration
I also utilize Instapaper to catch up on articles I want to read, by listening to them on my commute – but I do this manually through the iPhone app and it’s a bit clunky.
It’d be great if Instapaper could be integrated directly into the Tesla’s media interface, playing the audio transcripts like they were any other digital radio station.
Actually, Instapaper’s competitor, Pocket, announced last week that they are focusing on this read aloud ‘podcast’ use case – so fingers crossed for more attention here.
3. Autopilot and motorcycles
When Autopilot is engaged, the Tesla maintains a perfectly center position in the lane – even when a motorcycle passes by in the gaps between cars, which is not ideal (Note I have APv1).
If the car could sense the motorcycle approaching from behind and move to the side of the lane (yet remaining within the lines), the motorcycle would have more clearance as it passed.
Occasionally, as the motorcycle passes by my car’s front bumper, AutoPilot thinks the motorcycle is another car, suddenly appearing in dangerous proximity, and proceeds to apply the breaks. This can be dangerous if the car behind is not paying attention.
Making this change I think would place Tesla as a loved brand among motorcyclists and as an added bonus, this would increase the percent of miles driven using AutoPilot (driving up that KPI).
4. Fort Knox Mode
When I leave my car somewhere, at the airport for example, I’d like to be sure it’s safe and sound.
The iPhone app could notify me if the car is unlocked, or moved, by someone other than myself. This would come in handy when parking at a valet, too – knowing if the car gets taken out for an unauthorized joyride.
And if there were no notifications, I could be more confident in the safety of “our beloved Tessa” (as it’s known to my children who consider the car part of the family).
5. Cool on arrival
Remote cooling the cabin of the vehicle so that it’s comfortable when you return to it on a hot day. You can do this manually today through the Tesla app but you have to remember to do it. Imagine if instead you could schedule a time you expect to return to the car, or better yet, the GPS on your phone could automatically begin the process once you return to a certain proximity.
6. Commute analytics and recommendations
Departure time recommendations based on traffic conditions. I’d love to plot average commute times I’ve had over the last year or so, and see how they historically vary by time of day and how they are changing. It might advise me to leave 15 minutes earlier than normal on Thursdays, where I could save 10 minutes on my commute time.
7. Weather
A brief weather report for where I’m going (as entered into the Navigation system). Automatic, unless switched off. For longer drives, this might cause me to grab an umbrella or jacket for the destination.
8. Phone app
Contact Favorites.
We need contact favorites.
When I want to call my wife, I have three options: I can either use voice command (and then select which “Jeanine” out of 3 potentials, and then select between her home and mobile number), or scroll through the 1600 contacts in my phone, or I can dial her number manually. None of these are great options when cruising along at 70 MPH.
With 5 to 10 pre-set “favorites”, you could just tap phone icon and tap the pre-set people.
Also, the “mute” button should NOT be adjacent to . It’s easy to tap the wrong one while driving. For this reason, I tend to use the steering wheel buttons when doing conference calls in the car. Alan Cooper calls this notion hiding the “ejector seat lever”.
With all that being said, it’s been a great three years driving my Tesla, and I expect nothing but more good things to come.
It really is a kick to have the question, “What will my car do next?” always floating through your head, and I look forward to finding out.
– Preston, driver of a Model S
Preston Smalley produced in collaboration with Mark Mizera.