Tesla's Tron: Ares ad update in cars draws owner backlash
Tesla has rolled out a software update promoting Disney's Tron: Ares movie by turning in-car visualizations into Tron bikes, surprising and upsetting many owners. The move, amid Elon Musk's past criticisms of Disney, is seen by critics as the start of in-car advertising. Owners express frustration over diverted resources from essential updates like full self-driving features.
On October 10, 2025, Tesla announced and began deploying a software update to its vehicles, partnering with Disney to promote the upcoming movie Tron: Ares. The update allows owners to transform their in-car visualization displays into a Tron bike, essentially serving as an advertisement for the film.
This development is notable given Tesla CEO Elon Musk's history of disliking Disney; he previously removed Disney+ from the Tesla Theater. Despite this, the partnership has sparked widespread discontent among Tesla owners, who view the update as an intrusion of advertisements into their vehicles.
In comments on the announcement, Tesla owner Matt Chinander remarked, “Oh good, advertisements are making it in my car.” Another owner, Austin Harrison, added, “I’m sorry but this is an absolutely worthless update. Also, when did Tesla start partnering with woke companies like Disney? Didn’t Elon just go a rampage LAST WEEK against woke?”
Owners are particularly irked that Tesla allocated time and resources to this promotional feature instead of advancing promised updates, such as full self-driving capabilities for older Hardware 3 (HW3) vehicles, which have seen no significant changes in over a year.
Electrek's analysis questions whether Tesla is being compensated for the promotion and sees it as a concerning step toward automakers introducing ads in connected vehicles. Top commenter Ryan Ballantyne called such ads “an egregious violation of a personal space” and “theft of resources,” suggesting it could lead to lawsuits or boycotts.
The movie Tron: Ares currently holds a 55% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on early reviews. Critics predict Tesla might expand such promotions, potentially offering an ad-free option via its premium connectivity subscription.