Tesla is adding a nifty new climate control feature to complement a driver’s ability to hear who is on the other side of a phone call.
It is not groundbreaking as many other automakers have already made use of it, but Tesla drivers will now get what they are calling “Lower HVAC Fan Speed While on a Call.”
The feature is pretty self-explanatory: the HVAC system will automatically lower the speed of climate fans to reduce ambient noise while a phone call is in progress.
Loud air conditioning or heat fans can drown out noise on both ends of a call. While it only takes a second to do it manually, the car will now do it automatically to make for a higher-quality call between people.
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Many other automakers have a similar feature in their vehicles, including Ford and General Motors.
Tesla writes in its updated Owner’s Manual (via Not a Tesla App):
“When in Auto, the fan speed may automatically lower to reduce the sound of ambient noise while on a call.”
The feature was added to vehicles in the 2023.26 update, which also includes Backup Camera Repositioning and Pedestrian Warning System pause.
Backup Camera Repositioning allows drivers to draft the camera feed to different positions using the touchscreen. And while Tesla added it to the Owner’s Manual, it is not available in the 2023.26 update.
Finally, the Pedestrian Warning System Pause allows drives to halt the activation of the warning noise that plays when the vehicle is traveling at less than 19 MPH or in reverse, which is useful for dense traffic situations.
The noisemaker was required on all EVs as a part of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141, which was passed in 2018.
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