Finally: Tesla Update Brings Adaptive High-Beam Headlights To North America

The Spring 2025 software update also “borrows” the Blind Spot Camera feature from the Hyundai Ioniq 5.

Photo by: Tesla

By: Iulian Dnistran

Apr 14, 2025 at 9:07am ET

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Certain Tesla EVs in the U.S. and Canada will finally get adaptive high-beam headlights.
A software update will enable the feature for compatible vehicles.
The cars need to have factory-installed matrix headlights.

Tesla is rolling out a big software update to its cars this spring, which finally enables adaptive high-beam headlights on compatible models in the United States and Canada. The feature was introduced last year in Europe, and now it will be activated stateside when software version 2024.2 is beamed over the air to the automaker’s models.

That said, not all Tesla owners will benefit from the feature. To activate Adaptive Headlights, the car has to be fitted with matrix headlights from the factory. These made their way onto the assembly lines starting in 2022, so if your car was made after that and has a single projector in the corner of the headlight, you should be good to go.

It’s also worth noting that the updated Model Y is already shipping with the feature, while older cars will get it via a software update.

Adaptive Headlights work by dimming individual pixels in the headlight so that other road users are not blinded when the high beams are on. The driver can see better when it’s dark because areas without cars or cyclists are well-lit by the brighter light.

Another feature included in the 2025 Spring Update is called Blind Spot Camera on Driver Screen, and it’s only available on the refreshed Model S and Model X. When the driver puts on the indicator, a live video feed will pop up on the digital gauge cluster, showing the blind spot. It’s something Hyundai, Kia and Genesis owners are already accustomed to and swear by because it offers yet another safety layer.

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Blind Spot Camera on Driver Screen available on the Tesla Model S and Model X

Photo by: Tesla

The Cybertruck gets a Lane Departure Avoidance feature that assists the driver when the truck drifts out of its lane. When a lane marking is crossed, a blue indicator line will appear on the touchscreen. Owners of the electric truck can also save a frunk height based on individual locations, so the car knows how high to open the front trunk depending on where it’s parked.

The same goes for the rear trunk of the Model 3, Model Y, Model X and Model S. With the feature enabled and the appropriate position saved, the trunk lid will not hit the ceiling.

After blocking the use of the 12-volt outlets when the car is locked—causing outrage among owners in the process—Tesla backtracked and will re-enable accessory power for its EVs with the latest big software update. Keep Accessory Power On will do what it says on the box: keep USB ports, inductive phone chargers and low-voltage outlets powered on after the car is locked, as long as the high-voltage battery has a state of charge higher than 20%. Before this update, accessory power could only be activated in Camp Mode, which also runs the climate control system.

The OTA update also comes with several other improvements, including the ability to switch between different language inputs on the digital keyboard, the option to avoid highways when planning a trip, and the ability to record and view videos from the side cameras on the B pillars.