Tesla's Full Self-Driving Beta version 12 has a new feature that makes the computer on wheels drive much more naturally. As we’ve reported, v12.1.2, which is now going out to some customers, is not just another FSD update; it’s said it removes more than 300,000 lines of code and replaces it with an end-to-end neural network.
The neural network has been trained on millions of video clips, improving the system's capability to handle complex driving situations. Now AI is regulating another aspect of FSD, automatic speeds. Instead of following the speed limit and the offset you provide in settings, FSD will now determine appropriate speeds based on a variety of factors.
Automatic Set Speed Offset
FSD Beta v12 automatically adjusts the vehicle's speed to match the surrounding environment better. This optional feature, found under the "Controls > Autopilot" menu, gives the vehicle more freedom regarding its speed, allowing it to keep up with traffic even if it’s higher than the speed limit (which is already in the current FSD Beta), and the vehicle ends up acting more like a human.
In FSD Beta v11.4.7, Tesla added the ability for the vehicle to override the maximum speed set by the user. When this happened, the vehicle’s max speed on the display would turn blue and the message “Maintaining speed for traffic flow” would appear. This allowed the vehicle to temporarily increase its maximum speed to keep up with traffic. The new ‘Automatic Set Speed Offset’ seems to be a natural progression of this feature.
FSD Beta will sometimes override the user's max speed to keep up with traffic
DirtyTesla
With this update, Tesla owners no longer need to manually set a speed offset as a percentage of the speed limit. Instead, the "Automatic Set Speed Offset" option allows Autopilot to determine the most natural driving speed based on road type, traffic and other conditions. When the option is enabled, Tesla will display “Auto” on the vehicle’s display where the vehicle’s max speed is normally shown.
How Automatic Speed is Determined
Tesla explains the feature in the vehicle’s menu, stating, “Automatic Set Speed Offset allows Autopilot to drive at the speed that it determines is most natural. This considers factors like road type, traffic flow, environmental conditions, speed limit, and the selected Full Self-Driving (Beta) Profile setting (Chill, Average, or Assertive).”
This feature was also observed in action during Elon Musk's livestream, where his maximum speed was set quite high yet the car consistently maintained a reasonable speed limit. This demonstrates the feature's ability to adapt to various driving conditions while ensuring safety and compliance with traffic laws.
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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.
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