- Update allows owners to make sat-nav visualization a Light Cycle
- Red ambient lighting adds to the futuristic effect
- Some customers feel the update is an advert too far
A recent Tesla software update allows Model 3, Model Y and Cybertruck owners to transform their in-car visualizations into Light Cycles and other scenes from the latest Tron: Ares movie.
When owners head to the App Launcher and select Toybox, they will see a new Tron option that adapts the 3D navigation so its standard vehicle icon appears as a Light Cycle, complete with trailing illumination effects as you navigate the city.
The move has been made in conjunction with the launch of the third movie in the Tron universe, allowing those with optional ambient lighting in the cabin to also set the cockpit to a deep red hue in order to increase the feeling of sci-fi futurism when driving.
However, the update has been met with resistance from owners, some of whom have taken to Reddit to complain that the futuristic turn signal sounds that come part of the update are irritating, while others feel that a corporate collaboration like this is a worrying sign of things to come.
The grid has expanded to your Tesla — Tron: Ares update rolling out now pic.twitter.com/oQvYSAFuLMOctober 10, 2025
The comments on Electrek’s article are also particularly damning, with one user claiming that automakers pushing ads into cars would be “an egregious violation of a personal space”.
It is not known whether Disney has paid Tesla for the recent movie promotions, but Elon Musk previously hit out at Disney bosses when they decided to pull advertising on his social media platform X.
The Tesla founder called for CEO Bob Iger to be “fired immediately”, angrily adding “Walt Disney is turning in his grave over what Bob has done to his company.”
But the companies seem to have put their differences aside, as themes from the Disney-produced movie not only now appear inside vehicles, but the film’s promotional team also used a Tesla Optimus robot to grab attention during a red carpet event for the movie.
The humanoid robot tried to ‘fight’ Tron: Ares star Jared Leto, which made for a little social media content.
Billboards on wheels
While enabling the Tron: Ares theme is optional in a Tesla, it undisputedly blurs the lines between advertising and genuinely adding value to a product.
But the fact of the matter is, more and more automotive manufacturers are moving towards a Software Defined Vehicle model, where cars can be quickly, easily and remotely updated with over-the-air data packages.
This not only has the potential to add new features or iron out bugs, it also opens the door to an increased number of subscription packages or ‘on-demand’ payments offered to the owner – something many of the major brands admit will be an increasingly important revenue stream in the coming years.
Perhaps where the owner isn’t willing to hand over monthly sums of money, they may be faced with in-vehicle adverts to make up the ‘shortfall’, as is the way with many modern streaming services, such as Spotify and YouTube.
Last year, a story surfaced that claimed Ford had filed a patent for a system that would customize infotainment ad content based on numerous sources, including audio from voice commands and even location data.
Some Jeep owners also reported seeing pop-up ads appear on their infotainment systems earlier this year, although the company said this was a glitch.
Whatever happens, these commercial tie-ins are becoming more frequent and, as in-vehicle infotainment systems become an extension of our digital lives, drivers may be forced to put up with an increasing number of marketing campaigns on the road.
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