Tesla's FSD Beta will graduate out of Beta with v12
Not a Tesla App
Tesla's FSD Beta software has consistently been at the forefront of innovation. Now, the ground-breaking software is about to take a massive leap forward. CEO Elon Musk recently tweeted: Version 12 won't be beta. The much-anticipated v12 FSD could mark the transition of FSD Beta from a developmental stage to a full-blown release.
Rapid Evolution: The Chronological Journey of FSD Beta Iterations
Tesla's journey with FSD Beta began in the latter part of 2020 with the rollout of its first version. The software quickly escalated through iterations, reaching Version 8 by the start of 2021. It was during this period that Tesla revamped its approach to versioning FSD Beta updates. Whole numbers were reserved for significant jumps, while decimal points denoted smaller changes.
With this methodology in place, FSD Beta Version 9 was released in July 2021, followed swiftly by v10 in September of the same year. The timeline brings us to the present day with the latest release, FSD Beta Version 11, which landed in February 2023. The v11 iteration marked a notable milestone, bridging the gap between city driving and highway driving into a unified "Single Stack."
FSD Beta v11.420: A Teaser of What's Next
Musk has previously hinted at the significance of FSD Beta v11.420. His comments suggest this could be a significant release, housing exciting new features akin to those rolled out in FSD Beta v10.69. Could we see the introduction of anticipated advancements like Actual Smart Summon (ASS) or Park Seek? As we eagerly await the release of v11.420, speculation and anticipation continue to grow within the Tesla community.
Stepping Into the Future: FSD Beta v12
So, what can we expect with FSD Beta v12? If Musk's recent comments are anything to go by, the transition from beta to a stable version could signify a monumental step in the evolution of Tesla's autonomous driving technology. This isn't merely a matter of dropping the "Beta" tag; it symbolizes Tesla's confidence in the maturity and reliability of its Full Self-Driving system.
The journey to FSD v12 may still be underway, with a handful of v11 iterations likely to be released before we reach the ultimate version. These updates are integral in Tesla's mission to refine and perfect the FSD technology, ensuring every iteration is safer, smarter, and more efficient than the last.
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Last night, Tesla released software update 2024.45.25.15, which includes FSD V12.6.1. This update adds support for all HW3 vehicles, including the Model 3 and Model Y. We’re excited to see the continued support for HW3 owners.
FSD V12.6.1
V12.6.1 is now going wide, according to Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla’s VP of AI. This update is going to the Model 3 and Model Y for the first time - as only the Model S and Model X were included in FSD V12.6.
V12.6 is a big step forward for HW3 - it includes End-to-End on Highway, Improved City Streets Behavior, and Smoother and More Accurate Tracking - all contributing towards a better, smoother, and more comfortable build of FSD. You can read our comparison between FSD V12.6 and V13.2.2 here.
In short, FSD V12.6 performs considerably closer to V13 than V12.5.4.2 - which is a massive improvement. It performs as well as the Cybertruck version of FSD V13, which is still missing a few features when compared to other HW4 vehicles, but it’s a great sign for HW3. A lot of the improvements can be pointed to in the improvements to lane selection and decision-making - the vehicle tends to hesitate far less on V12.6, meaning the ride is a lot smoother. Many early V12.6 testers mentioned that it felt more like V13-mini than anything else.
Legacy Model S & X
We haven’t seen this update hit any legacy Model S and Model X vehicles just yet. We’re not sure whether Ashok’s statement of “generally” applies here - but it should. If you do get the update, please let us know.
Legacy Model S and Model X vehicles are still on an older FSD build and potentially won’t see another FSD update for a little while longer. While they do have the same FSD hardware as other vehicles, there are enough hardware differences that require a build specifically for these vehicles.
FSD V12.6.1 is going out now to the redesigned Model S and X with HW3 and all Model 3 and Model Y vehicles with HW3. The initial wave went out last night, and we expect to see more later today or tomorrow. If this release ends up going “wide,” we should see much larger waves go out next week.
Tesla has issued a recall for some vehicles due to issues linked to a revision of the Hardware 4 (HW4) computer that was introduced this past November. This recall affects all vehicles with the revised hardware except for the Cybertruck, as it uses a slightly modified version of the HW4 system.
Many vehicle owners have reported a complete failure of their Autopilot computer, which not only leaves the vehicle without FSD and Autopilot but also disables many of the active safety features that make a Tesla what it is.
Let’s take a look at this recall - because the recall is partially physical and partially a software recall.
HW4 Failure
Tesla has identified the failure and flagged it to the U.S. NHTSA (but not Transport Canada or Euro NCAP at the time of publishing) as a recall.
Tesla mentions that the vehicle’s FSD computer circuit board may short circuit, resulting in the loss of the rearview camera image. The recall itself is focused on the rearview camera - as not having a functional rearview camera breaks a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard. However, it does impact more than just the rearview camera.
As previously mentioned, users have experienced the full loss of Autopilot and FSD on these vehicles, as well as reduced traction control and removal of safety features such as automatic emergency braking, collision avoidance assist, and forward collision warnings.
While the vehicle remains driveable, it is not necessarily a good idea to drive the vehicle with many of these features, especially with the reduced traction control noted by many people. We’ve already noted that while Tesla has been sending tow trucks to pick up some vehicles, it is also prompting owners to drive the vehicle to their service center in some cases.
Remedy
Unlike most of Tesla’s recalls, this one isn’t entirely an OTA recall, owing to the fact that people have already experienced circuit board shorts and are already waiting for replacements.
The software portion of the recall has already been mostly completed for any vehicles with Tesla software update 2024.45.25.3 or greater. However, a significant portion of the tracked fleet remains on update 2024.44.25.2 (approximately 20%), so we recommend updating your HW4 vehicle whenever you receive the notification.
On the hardware side, Tesla is immediately identifying and replacing hardware that has had circuit board failure. Tesla is also reaching out to customers who have expressed intermittent issues with Autopilot features, active safety features, or vehicle cameras that don't display correctly. If you have experienced any of these issues in a late 2024 vehicle, we recommend submitting a service ticket with Tesla to ensure that your vehicle isn’t affected by this recall.
