The feature was made available with recent software update, but only for company’s 2 flagship models

Tesla has started rolling out its Active Road Noise Reduction feature for the new Model S and Model X. The function allows the cabin to be quieter when the vehicle is driving over rough surfaces. The feature was introduced as part of software update 2021.44.5.

One of the new pieces of hardware that Tesla installed in the refreshed Model S and Model X is a pair of active noise cancelling microphones embedded in the two front seats. They werent used until now, but with a recent software update, 2021.44.5, Tesla added a feature with a self-explanatory name, called Active Road Noise Reduction, and so they are finally used.

The following are the features Release Notes: “Your vehicle now has the ability to actively reduce low-frequency road noise while driving on rough surfaces. To accomplish this, the system uses the seat microphones to measure the noise in the cabin, then generates anti-noise through the speakers to create quiet zones around the occupants. To access, tap Audio Settings > Options > Active Road Noise Reduction.”

The new microphones can pick up all the road noise that makes its way into the cabin and then anti-noise, as Tesla calls it in the release notes for the latest update. Tesla also says that through using the audio systems speakers, the vehicle is able to create quiet zones around the passengers.

The recent improvements of Active noise cancelling in cars is actually nothing new and it‘s been available on many models for quite a few years. Cars like the Lexus LS, Cadillac XTS, Infiniti Q60, Lincoln Continental and even the Honda Accord have this feature, but it’s actually far more common than you might think. But does it really make a difference, and if it does, how perceivable is it？ Well, being a brand new feature on a Tesla, owners of models that have the feature were bound to test it, record their test and then post it on YouTube. Surprisingly, when we searched, we only found one video that shows Active Road Noise Reduction in action was uploaded by Michael Hopwood.

Tesla emphasizes in his video‘s description that it is ’definitely not noise cancellation at this point and also proceeds to describe his vehicle, which is a 2021 Model S Long Range riding on 19-inch wheels wrapped in Continental Pro Contact all season tires.

The Tesla Update 2021.44.5 also adds additional features, such as driver profiles, driver door unlock mode, separate control for rear climate functions in the refreshed Model S and X and Tesla also says it has improved Supercharging for some vehicles, but it did not say which ones this applies to. It should be noted that Active Road Noise Reduction would only be made available for Tesla‘s flagship vehicles — the Model S sedan and the Model X SUV. This is because the feature is hardware-related, with Tesla installing Active Noise Canceling Microphones in the vehicles’ front seats as part of the Model S and Model Xs interior refresh. Such components are currently not installed in the Model 3 sedan and Model Y crossover. The two smaller models will need to be fitted with microphones for that and since they are less refined on the move than the larger models, perhaps they may actually need it more.

Considering that this is only the initial release of Tesla‘s Active Road Noise Reduction feature, it is all but certain that the function will get significantly better in the near future. Tesla is known to refine its vehicles’ features over time through over-the-air software updates, after all.