The Tesla updated their navigation system this past week and I was very impressed with the upgraded details. I immediately wrote this email to the feedback address they provided in the details. First, I am grateful that they devoted considerable thought into this upgrade. Second, I am grateful they called it a Beta release with an open feedback channel. Here is my (slightly modified) email to them.
Email to the Navigation Improvement Team at Tesla
You have done an excellent and remarkable job updating the navigation system. This is based on three days and several navigation points. This updated system appears to be very accurate for route selection and arrival time accuracy.
I use my X for business traveling from city to the most rural farms as a horse veterinarian. I cover states from FL to VT, LA, KY and all points in between. I schedule up to 8 different stops in a day. I am currently at 38,000 miles in just over 7 months of driving. Additionally, I rent cars about 8 times a year keeping them for about 7 days. I use my iPhone X exclusively for navigation but constantly compare it with the car I am driving seeking accuracy. I also on occasion use my Garmin app on the iPhone when I am driving outside of cell range because it uses installed maps and satellite data. My point is this - I can effectively judge your new beta navigation system.
My setup inside my Tesla X to compare different navigation systems. Note how busy my week is on the calendar of the Mac.
Points to consider:
The red arrow is exactly where I am - in the woods of CT at a barn with a single dirt lane.
1) Thank the stars you changed her irritating voice! If murdering the lady inside the box was a crime I’d be on death row many times over. I see you occasionally kept her saying “Now” before giving some of the directions but I’m not noticing it anymore. This is a HUGE improvement.
2) Dashboard display has all the improvements I was looking for with one exception. Adding the exit number would be helpful. This could include exit numbers in black for passing exits but definitely in blue for the upcoming exit to take. I do see that the upcoming exit number is on the pop up with the upcoming turning details. But when I'm in a strange city with very close exits or exits with a number plus A and B or N and S, having the exit number displayed well before the exit can be very helpful (3 more exits, 2 more exits...).
3) Adding all the stops for the day at one time would be a huge advancement for navigation use in businesses with multiple stops in a day. For example start at hotel, go to stop 1 (20 miles), stop 2 (92 miles), stop 3 (48 miles) etc, arrive at new hotel (36 miles). Calculating superchargers in between based on miles, elevation and temperature would be included to make this work. Add a selection “Add a supercharger to fill to x% before last stop.” This is so important in cold weather because charging in the morning with cold batteries adds an hour just to warm them to start charging (learned that the hard way). You should contact the developer of the iPhone app “EV Trip Optimizer for Tesla” which is what we use now for trip planning. It has flaws but Chris (the developer) is passionate about his product. Collaboration is awesome so here is his email: support@digitalautoguides.com
4) (NOTE: this problem resolved after parking the car and restarting it. Not a reboot, just an off and on. It has remained resolved so this might just be a glitch.) What happened to “Home” and “Work” addresses? I see that I can “favorite” an address but there is no “Favorites” list either in navigation or in phone. And the recent addresses are also gone. This is helpful when returning to a hotel I’m staying at for multiple days and approaching it from different directions on every day.
5) An advantage of my iPhone is that my iWatch vibrates as I approach a turn. This is really helpful when the volume is off (on a phone call). Can you add a vibration to the steering wheel (different from lane drift) or a short audible buzz (optional for the user or automatic when the phone is active)?
6) Possibly the addition of satellite back up when driving in a no cell area. They still exist, trust me.
7) Offer alternative routes to select from (least time, least mileage, most scenic).
In front of the Orange County Choppers building in Newburg, NY
Summary:
An incredible update overall. The listed suggestions would make it the best of all navigation systems (assuming accuracy continues to be spot on). I am very grateful for the efforts you all have made in the improvements in this recent release. This seemingly small improvement in this magnificent machine is not small at all when looking at the overall driving experience from a business-driving perspective. After all, it is the business-driving market where Tesla can really grow.
One last thing. I used voice control to find a specific restaurant and a very unique store yesterday. This worked flawlessly and effortlessly with the new navigation system and coupled with tapping on an event in my calendar, I now see myself using the Tesla Navigation System exclusively.
Please feel free to contact me for any clarifications. Looking forward to the next update.
Snowing north of Boston in April.