by Brad Anderson
- Tesla’s latest update replaces its vehicle display with a Tron Ares animation.
- The update has frustrated some owners who view it as in-car advertising.
- Elon Musk once criticized Disney but now seems open to collaboration.
Tesla helped pioneer over-the-air software updates, introducing new features without owners ever having to visit a dealership or service center. It was a move that set the brand apart, positioning its cars as tech products that could evolve long after leaving the factory floor.
Of course, there’s always a “but” with progress, and Tesla’s latest update is no exception.
Read: Elon Musk Tells Companies That Pulled Ads From X To “Go (Explicit) Yourself”
And this time, Tesla’s latest software update has landed with a thud among owners, as it’s essentially an advertisement for the upcoming film Tron: Ares. Welcome to 2025, where your car can double as a mobile billboard.
The update transforms the on-board visualizations found on the central display of the Model 3, Model Y, and Cybertruck. Normally, one of Tesla’s vehicles is displayed here, but after installing the update, that image is replaced with an Tron bike, just like the ones featured in the film.
Owners can access the new animations by heading into the App Launcher, opening Toybox, and enabling it. Admittedly, the Tron bike does look quite cool, particularly since it leaves a trail of red light behind it.
However, it somewhat reeks of desperation for the company to add a feature like this, and has raised questions whether Disney is compensating Tesla for featuring its latest blockbuster so prominently inside customer vehicles.
The grid has expanded to your Tesla — Tron: Ares update rolling out now pic.twitter.com/oQvYSAFuLM
Tesla vs Disney
Tesla boss Elon Musk has had a strained relationship with Disney over the past few years. In late 2023, he decried Disney’s decision to stop advertising on X after he supported an antisemitic post. He also called for Disney chief executive Bob Iger to be fired, and soon after, had Tesla remove the Disney+ app from its infotainment system.
Evidently, Tesla’s relationship with Disney has improved over the past couple of years, or else this wouldn’t be happening.
Had someone asked Musk in late 2023 whether Tesla cars would one day promote a Disney movie, he likely would have laughed off the idea. Yet here we are, two years later, watching the worlds of Silicon Valley and Hollywood collide once again, this time on your dashboard.
