This past weekend, Elon Musk said on Twitter that he wants to enable "same-hour service" for cars by "applying Formula 1 pit crew techniques to Teslas". Not only does it sound like a poor way to ensure a high standard of quality control, but Musk originally said that these F1 servicing techniques would be coming seven years ago. Nevertheless, Tesla as a whole is clearly aware that improving servicing for its cars is a priority. Other automakers in the EV space are working hard to do the same, such as Ford which is training a new generation of technicians who can service EVs. Tesla's latest step forward is a new self-diagnostic feature accessible via the Tesla app. Like Tesla, Porsche has also worked on a self-diagnosis feature for the Taycan.

Following a new Tesla app update, owners have started reporting the first results after having used the new self-diagnosis feature. According to one user, finding the feature within the app isn't the easiest but it's triggered when scheduling a service for certain categories. It's not clear how many faults the self-diagnosis system can pick up prior to visiting a physical service station, but some of the ones picked up so far have included checking an O-ring for the trunk lid, replacing window regulators, and identifying an issue with a Bluetooth endpoint. Back in 2019, Teslas were already able to self-diagnose some issues, but it appears that this is an updated version of that functionality.

Identifying issues proactively could give owners of Model 3 and other Tesla models some peace of mind when taking a car in for a repair. Whether this resolves other issues at service centers like long wait times remains to be seen, and who knows when Musk's promise of a "same-hour service" will see the light of day. While we applaud the use of technology to make customers' lives easier, we'd prefer it if Tesla focused on improving the basics. That would entail getting to a point where new Teslas aren't delivered with numerous flaws and where Autopilot's many kinks are ironed out.