Tesla has released FSD Beta for hardware 4.0 vehicles
Not a Tesla App
We all know about Tesla's CEO and his less-than-accurate time prediction. Say it with me - two weeks. But in a surprising turn of events, Tesla has started rolling out its Full Self-Driving (FSD) Beta for new vehicles equipped with Hardware 4 (HW4), including the Model S, Model X, and Model Y from Fremont and Texas. This development seems to contradict Elon Musk's recent statement, but some think there may have been a misunderstanding. Late last night Tesla started rolling out update 2023.26.11 to vehicles with HW4. The update includes FSD Beta 11.4.4 and HW4 owners have now confirmed that the update enables FSD Beta in their vehicles.
Six Months to Two Days
Two days before FSD appeared on HW4-equipped vehicles, Musk stated that the HW4 software would lag HW3 by "at least another six months," emphasizing that the company would focus on perfecting FSD on HW3 and providing it internationally. However, Tesla investor and enthusiast Sawyer Merritt offered an explanation of the change of timing, believing Musk meant that HW4 might not perform as well as HW3 initially, not that it wouldn't be available at all.
This rollout relieves Tesla owners who recently purchased or are awaiting delivery of new vehicles with HW4. After the recent comments that HW4 would lag behind on FSD, X.com and several other social media sites were filled with angry FSD subscribers and confused owners of new Teslas with FSD. While performance differences may still exist between the FSD Beta on HW4 and HW3, this rollout is undoubtedly welcome news for Tesla owners in North America. All that angst over the weekend quickly turned to countless people jumping in their Teslas and going for a ride Monday night to post their experience with FSD and HW4 joyfully.
Miscommunication or Heard Loud and Clear?
So, was it a miscommunication or did Tesla feel some heat from disappointed Tesla new and future buyers? Tesla always puts up strong numbers for customer satisfaction and brand loyalty. A Spring report indicated that approximately 67% of Tesla owners return to purchase another vehicle from the brand, surpassing the industry's average luxury brand loyalty rate of 46%. Tesla's ability to maintain high brand loyalty amidst changing conditions underscores its brand's and its vehicles' strength and appeal. This “episode” may also show how many people buy Teslas for the FSD experience.
While there may be questions regarding the performance of FSD Beta on HW4 compared to HW3, this development is a pleasant surprise. As Tesla continues to refine and improve its self-driving technology, it will be interesting to see how the performance of HW4 vehicles evolves over time and compares to that of HW3-equipped vehicles.
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.
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