Tesla Model S improves with another over-the-air update

Much like Apple iPhones and iPads get new operating systems beamed over the air (or downloaded via WiFi), Tesla updates also appear from the ether adding features and improvements to a car bought years ago.

The latest version, Firmware 6.1, brought several improvements to our 2013 Tesla Model S:

Trip energy prediction

If you program a destination in the navigation system, the car will tell you whether the current charge is sufficient to complete the trip or not. If not, the system displays a red exclamation mark.

Route overview

Entering a destination in the navigation system now shows you a complete route overview—a very nice addition for those of us who like to see the big picture before the turn-by-turn.

Rearview camera guidelines

Shift into reverse and the rear-camera image now overlays guidelines that outline your projected path into or out of a parking spot. A handy feature already used in many of the better rear camera systems, it lets you know if you're cutting things too close.

Better Internet radio buffering

One of the Tesla's nicest features has been the ability to play Slacker Internet radio straight from the car's audio system without needing a smart phone to stream the music. With better buffering, it could almost eliminate having to use one of the more popular Spotify or Pandora apps.

One-touch phone on the steering wheel

If you choose the phone function through the center screen, you can end and hold calls via the steering wheel control and view your action through a small screen by the speedometer. You still can't initiate calls. That's for firmware 6.2, presumably.

We're looking forward to trying out these updates. Even though our Model S is about the oldest car in our fleet, we still enjoy driving it, and the continuous updates keep it fresh. We hope other automakers are taking note. All cars should be capable of learning new tricks without leaving home.

—Gabe Shenhar