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Tesla users can now use Spotify with a free account in update 2024.38

Tesla users can now use Spotify with a free account in update 2024.38

With Tesla software update 2024.38 and later, Tesla and Spotify added the ability to use Spotify in the vehicle with a free Spotify account. While this was a downgrade in Europe and Oceania, it will be a welcome addition in North America.

Spotify Premium

Owners in North America were required to sign up with a premium Spotify account to use Spotify in their Teslas.

However, starting with the 2024.38 update, users in North America can use Spotify for free, although with some restrictions. The free version of Spotify contains ads, has a limited number of skips, and users cannot play songs in a specific order or organize their listening queue.

No more free premium

In Europe and Oceania, Tesla previously bundled a Spotify Premium subscription with Premium Connectivity, while in North America Tesla offered a free premium version of LiveOne Radio (formerly known as in-vehicle streaming). However, both premium plans have been discontinued

However, both premium plans are being discontinued as Tesla stops bundling subscription audio services with its premium connectivity services.

This seems like a cost-saving measure, but it is not unexpected. With Tesla now integrating a variety of in-vehicle music streaming services and music subscriptions becoming more popular, it makes less sense for Tesla to pay a premium subscription for each owner.

However, Tesla’s premium connectivity offers numerous features, including music and video streaming without a hotspot and a variety of other features including:

  • Internet browser

  • Karaoke

  • Maps with satellite view

  • Live traffic visualizations

  • Traffic along the route

  • Traffic lights and speed cameras on the map

  • Traffic in the trip progress bar

  • Critical Sentry Mode videos in the Tesla app

  • Live access in Sentry mode

  • Zoom meetings and more

That’s a lot of features, but only you can judge whether the $99 annual subscription cost is worth it. Depending on the feature, you may also be able to use it by connecting to your phone’s hotspot or a local Wi-Fi network.

While losing a premium LiveOne or Spotify subscription will be a disappointment for some, many users in North America will be able to access Spotify with a free account for the first time.

While a premium version of Spotify costs $12 per month, it includes ad-free music, higher audio quality, unlimited skips, and more.

Overall, the only positive aspect is that everyone can now use their free Spotify account without also needing premium connectivity. That’s a pretty good deal for those who use their phones to connect and provide Wi-Fi to their cars!

According to an article published by The Information in early October, Tesla intends to introduce four new types of 4680 batteries in 2026. We already know that Tesla has been working hard on new batteries. The Cybercell – the improved 4680 – is already a new design, specifically intended to bring the Cybertruck and future vehicles to market.

Tesla has also been working on solid-state batteries, but even with Tesla’s technological and engineering prowess, this technology is still quite far away.

The 4680 cell

For comparison, the 4680 cell is Tesla’s replacement for the older 2710 cells found in most Model 3 and Model Y models. Tesla has been producing these cells for a long time and has optimized them significantly in terms of both manufacturing scale and technology.

But the technology behind the 2170 cell is old and 4680 will be Tesla’s next step forward. They previously tried the much-maligned 4680 Model Y, but it was quickly withdrawn from sale. They tried again with the Cybercell – and it went much better. In fact, it’s even better that Tesla is working to improve the Cybercell even further – using a dry cathode process to make the cell easier and cheaper to manufacture.

The problem with 4680

According to The Information, an inside source at Tesla said that Tesla is losing 70-80% of its anodes – one of the two parts that carry electrons from the cell to the vehicle – in test production. Tesla has been working hard to solve this problem and recently demonstrated a dry cathode process Cybertruck.

The 4680 cell is the next step in large battery packs, but it’s a difficult leap. Tesla is struggling to shift its R&D to engineering, but it’s only a matter of time. Today, the 4680 is primarily manufactured at the Fremont factory in California, but Tesla plans to move some of its future battery chain production to a new area outside Giga, Texas.

With this new zone, they intend to build the 4680 dry cathode process manufacturing facility to produce the 4680D cell. According to Musk, this move will reduce the 4680’s production costs by almost 30%.

The new batteries

The four cells that Tesla plans to introduce in 2026 have some interesting code names. The first is “NC05”. The NC stands for New Cell, but we’re sure Tesla will come up with a fun name once the company completes the research and development.

NC05 battery

This cell is said to be the easy-to-manufacture cell that powers the Cybercab and will likely also power the lower-cost $25,000 model – which we expect to see sometime next year.

NC20 battery

The next larger size, the NC20, is intended to power Tesla’s SUV range and the Cybertruck. This is a larger format cell intended to carry larger and heavier vehicles and may be optimized for towing – a limitation that the Cybertruck may find challenging in harsh winter conditions on its current 4680s.

NC30 and NC50 batteries

NC30 and NC50 are the other two cells that The Information lists, but they will be drastically different. They won’t be using the standard cellular materials we’ve seen so far. This is probably the focus of Tesla’s research and development – they intend to introduce cells with silicon-carbon into the anodes. Silicon carbon, or SiC, can hold and move electrons faster than traditional anode materials.

Tesla is likely to make significant progress with these cells, both in faster charging times and in improved energy yield. The advanced anode design, which enables better energy transfer, is expected to play a crucial role in Tesla’s push for ultra-fast supercharging.

The NC30 will eventually end up in the Cybertruck and Tesla’s future SUV lineup – perhaps a refreshed Model X or Model Y.

The NC50, On the other hand, the focus will be on performance and a smaller cell. It will power the new Tesla Roadster and likely Tesla’s performance models, such as the Plaid, Performance and Beast variants.

The information did not yet contain information about whether Tesla will use this technology in its Powerwalls or Megapacks, but it is likely that further cost optimizations and efficiency improvements will be achieved in both products.

We’re excited to see where Tesla takes its battery technology in the future, as charging times and vehicle range are still a barrier to mass adoption of electric vehicles.

We’ve been working behind the scenes on some updates for our readers. We recently saw the reveal of the Robotaxi and even some Model Y refresh leaks. This time it’s our turn for a refresher.

Let’s take a quick look at the changes coming next week.

New navigation

An important feature of our website update is updated navigation. The new navigation system better organizes our content into one of three sections: News, Software Updates, or How-tos. Once you tap on a category, you will be shown the pages for that section.

This also allows us to publish much more of our news content – so you can find out about Robotaxi news, Project Juniper or specific models. In a future update, we will also introduce a new Popular section where you can easily keep up with what’s new by checking out the best content on the site.

Dark Mode+

In addition to new navigation and some optimized page colors, we’re also excited to introduce an updated dark mode with new, softer colors that are easier on the eyes. It will make our night owls happy and ensure your eyes stay beautiful and comfortable whether you use it during the day or at night.

Automatic update of statistics

We also recently introduced automatic update statistics for every Tesla software update. These statistics allow you to view the number of installs and rollouts of each Tesla update, giving you a better idea of ​​which updates are still rolling out and which are paused.

More features

We are also actively working on some other projects. So stay tuned for more features coming soon.

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We started more than four years ago, in 2020. Here’s a quick look back at what our website looked like back then.

A look back at what the site looked like in 2020

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