Tesla adds rear cross-traffic alert and fart mode

Tesla’s holiday update will also include a new app compatible with Apple Watch and SiriusXM

The holidays are just around the corner, and Tesla has announced a slew of new features that will be included in its annual holiday update. These new features will be rolled out as part of an over-the-air update starting next week.

Perhaps the most important addition in the update is the rear cross-traffic alert feature. Rear cross-traffic alert has become a standard safety feature across the industry in recent years, but so far no Tesla has it, possibly in part because they rely on cameras rather than radar. Although there is still no radar, Tesla has enabled the system to alert the driver of pedestrians or vehicles crossing behind when reversing.

READ: Viral Cybertruck coated in 24K gold for $60,000 to go to auction

Other convenient features are being added. For example, there’s a new Tesla app on the Apple Watch, which means owners can use the watch to lock/unlock the electric car, check battery level, open the trunk, and turn on climate control. Dashcam and Sentry Mode clips can now also be saved directly from the Tesla app. Tesla Model 3 without a joystick can now also automatically switch between drive and reverse in parking lots and during multi-point turns.

Tesla Model 3, Model Y, and Cybertruck owners will be happy to hear that SiriusXM is also included in the holiday update. It’s also now possible to set a preferred battery charge level when arriving at your destination, and a rain radar has been added to the navigation system.

Most other updates are minor, including new packaging and license plates for avatars used in the Cybertruck infotainment system, improved pickup truck rear camera feedback, and the ability for Cybertruck rear-seat passengers to travel in the Cybertruck The ability to play games on the truck’s small screen. Fart On Contact is another small update where the speakers play fart sounds once the passenger is seated.