Tesla glossary: Paint Shop, Toybox, Creations, Boombox and 20-plus more terms explained

Tesla has its own vocabulary, and a lot of it lives in menus with playful names. This glossary explains the terms owners run into most, in one or two sentences each, with a link wherever there is a full guide. Terms are grouped by where you meet them.

Customization and fun

Paint Shop. The feature in Toybox > Paint Shop that changes how your car looks on its own screens: body color, window tint, license plate and, on the Wraps tab, a custom PNG wrap. It never changes the real paint. Full guide: Tesla Paint Shop.

Toybox. The touchscreen app that holds Tesla's fun features: Paint Shop, Boombox, Light Show, Rainbow Road and more. Open it from the app launcher on the screen.

Creations. The section of the Tesla mobile app where you manage custom content for the car. Creations > Wrap > Upload sends a wrap image from your phone to the car, no USB needed. Step by step: send a wrap to your Tesla from your phone.

Custom wrap. A PNG image laid over your car's 3D model in Paint Shop. Tesla's rules: a PNG from 512x512 to 1024x1024 pixels (1024x768 for Cybertruck) and under 1 MB. You can design one free in the FrunkLab studio.

Wrap template. The flat, top-down unwrapped drawing of a car's body that a custom wrap is painted onto. Each Tesla model has its own. See the Model Y wrap template guide.

Boombox. Plays sounds out loud through the car's external Pedestrian Warning System speaker, in Park only. You can add up to five custom sounds from a USB drive. Full guide: Tesla Boombox.

Lock chime. A custom sound the car plays when it locks: one WAV file named LockChime.wav at the top of a USB drive, chosen in Controls > Locks. How-to: change your Tesla lock chime.

Light Show. A choreographed show of the car's lights, windows and sounds, started from Toybox. Tesla publishes an open toolkit for building custom shows.

Rainbow Road. A Toybox easter egg that turns the driving visualization into a rainbow lane.

Driving and autonomy

Autopilot. Tesla's standard driver-assist features: traffic-aware cruise control and lane keeping (Autosteer). The driver stays fully in charge.

FSD (Supervised). Full Self-Driving (Supervised): steering, acceleration and braking on city streets and highways while the driver watches the road and stays responsible. Approved in eight European countries as of September 2026; see Croatia's approval.

Robotaxi. Tesla's ride-hailing service, running in several US cities in 2026.

Cybercab. Tesla's two-seat vehicle built for Robotaxi, with no steering wheel or pedals.

Pedestrian Warning System (PWS). The external speaker that makes a low hum at low speeds so pedestrians hear the car coming. Boombox uses the same speaker.

Security and convenience

Sentry Mode. Uses the car's cameras to watch its surroundings while parked and records events to a USB drive.

Dashcam. Records the car's cameras while driving, also to USB.

Camp Mode and Dog Mode. Keep climate control running while parked: Camp Mode for sleeping in the car, Dog Mode for pets, with a message on the screen telling passersby the pet is comfortable.

Phone key. The Tesla app on your phone works as a key, locking and unlocking the car as you walk up or away.

Charging

Supercharger. Tesla's DC fast-charging network, with more than 40,000 stalls in the US alone as of September 2026. More: the US network passes 40,000 stalls.

NACS. The North American Charging Standard: Tesla's connector, now adopted by most automakers selling EVs in North America.

Megapack and Powerwall. Tesla's batteries for the grid and for homes. Megapack is utility scale; Powerwall goes on a garage wall.

Models and nicknames

Frunk. The front trunk, the storage space where an engine would be. Also half our name.

Highland. The nickname for the refreshed Model 3 that arrived in 2024, with slimmer headlights. Wrap ideas: Model 3 Highland wraps.

Juniper. The nickname for the refreshed Model Y that arrived in 2025, with a full-width light bar. Wrap ideas: Model Y Juniper wraps.

Model Y L. A longer, six-seat version of the Model Y.

Cybertruck. Tesla's angular stainless-steel pickup. Its wrap template is wider than tall (1024x768). See Cybertruck wrap ideas.

Frequently asked questions

What is Tesla Paint Shop? A Toybox feature that changes how your Tesla looks on its own screens, including custom PNG wraps. It does not change the real paint.

What is Toybox on a Tesla? The touchscreen app that holds Tesla's fun features, such as Paint Shop, Boombox and Light Show.

What is Creations in the Tesla app? The part of the Tesla mobile app where you upload custom content, such as a wrap, to your car.

What is the difference between Autopilot and FSD (Supervised)? Autopilot covers cruise control and lane keeping. FSD (Supervised) adds steering, acceleration and braking on city streets, with the driver still watching the road.

Know the words, now make something with them: design a custom wrap in the studio, free.