According to DriveTeslaCanada, Tesla is known for adding new features through free over-the-air (OTA) software updates. Most of the time, these new features are included in the release notes, but sometimes the automaker quietly adds something without including it in the release notes. This is the case with one of the latest features discovered last weekend. Some Tesla owners have found that the feature can show if the tires are worn, and whether the tread depth is too low.
According to photos shared by some car owners, a new error message appears on the car's central control screen warning of possible problems with the vehicle. It also advises owners to schedule a service appointment for tire inspections and adjustments.
The question that comes with this new feature is naturally – how can a car measure the tread depth of a vehicle? People may not be able to notice the difference visually, but it gets smaller when the tread depth of a tire is too low. When this happens, the tires start to spin faster than they did when they were new. What Tesla may be doing is measuring the number of wheel spins, and once it reaches a certain point, it knows that the tread depth of the tire is too low. Similarly, if one tire spins faster than the other, it will also know if the tread wears unevenly.
According to the owner who shared this new information with DriveTeslaCanada, the new feature is part of the 2021.44.5 software update.