Last night Tesla rolled out update 2024.26.15 which included FSD v12.5.1.4. Although the release notes remain the same with this update, the big news is that Tesla has finally added support for hardware 3 vehicles to this FSD 12.5 version.
Once the release went out, we heard rumblings early on that update 2024.26.15 may add support for hardware 3, however, today we’ve been able to confirm that Tesla has HW3 vehicles running this latest FSD update.
Elon Musk initially said that FSD 12.5 was expected to be available for HW3 in about 10 days after it rolled out to AI4. Although that date has come and passed, it finally arrived for employees last night. Although It’s only been about three weeks, it felt like an eternity for HW3 owners who have been anxiously awaiting this update. Many owners weren’t sure whether their vehicles would be able to run the latest version of FSD once the original goal of 10 days was missed. This is one area where Tesla can stand to improve — consumer communication.
Rollout Plan
Although Tesla has internal HW3 vehicles running update FSD 12.5.1.4, their public rollout plan may not go to HW3 vehicles initially. Tesla may choose to roll out the update to vehicles with HW4 first to confirm there are no regressions before proceeding with the launch on HW3 vehicles.
Keep in mind that not every release that goes to employees ends up going out to the public. However, most releases usually start rolling out to early-access customers within a few days if there are no major issues.
HW3 vehicles are currently running FSD v12.3.6, while most HW4 (AI4) vehicles are running FSD v12.5.1.3. FSD v12.5 in general includes a huge array of optimizations and is supposed to be as big an improvement as the capability jump between v11 and v12.
We don’t expect any new features in FSD v12.5.1.4 besides HW3 support as that would complicate solving any potential regressions. However, we’re still awaiting several new features that come in a later version of FSD v12.5 such as nag-less FSD using sunglasses, FSD support on the Cybertruck, improved lane changes, end-to-end neural networks on the highway, and even Actually Smart Summon.
What’s Included & Who’s Eligible
This update is based on Tesla’s 2024.26 code branch, meaning that everyone who subscribes or owns FSD will be eligible to receive it. Tesla is already testing update 2024.32, but it hasn’t gone out to customers yet.
FSD V12.5 rolled out to AI4 vehicles much earlier than hardware 3 vehicles – as code optimization was required to have the FSD model run on the older hardware. It seems that the extra compute offered by AI4 vehicles has allowed Tesla to release V12.5 faster, which also helps them gather more data.
Now that HW3 support has been released, this could set the new tempo for new updates. Major FSD updates – V12.6 or V12.7 will likely also have AI4 support before hardware 3 support, as it seems easier to develop with more hardware power and then later optimize code once you have a working product. However, Tesla has committed to maintaining hardware 3 support, even if the code requires optimization to function on older hardware.
Divergence
AI4 only really started rolling out in the middle of last year, with most customer vehicles arriving with AI4 near May 2023. The optimization gap has been a surprise, especially since AI4 is still running hardware 3 in emulation mode. There will be a divergence between AI4 and Hardware 3, and Elon has mentioned that the new supercomputer cluster will be dedicated to preparing for AI4, and in the future, AI5.
This is going to be a big one for most people – after all, we’re estimating that nearly 85% of Tesla’s current fleet, if not more, is still on hardware 3. Did Tesla manage to fit the complete AI model, with all its parameters – a 6x increase over V12.3.6 – onto Hardware 3?
If there were compromises, we’ll need to watch and see. Hopefully, some enterprising Tesla X or YouTube owners will record a test drive on v12.5.1.4 on both, a HW3 and AI4 vehicle for us to compare the differences. We’re hoping that since the official divergence of hardware hasn’t happened yet, at this point, we won’t see any differences.
Upcoming Features
Once FSD v12.5 rolls out to hardware 3 vehicles, we can look forward to the upcoming list of features, including more natural and better-planned turns, the E2N highway stack, and vision-only monitoring with sunglasses. Of course, there are a few other hotly anticipated features we’re waiting for, but which aren’t on the Upcoming Improvements list provided in the patch notes – including Park Seek and Banish Autopark, as well as vehicle-to-fleet communications and FSD understanding hand gestures.
We’re hoping to see these features come in point releases of FSD V12.5, which means they should arrive at similar times for HW3 and AI4 vehicles.
Tesla recently launched software update 2025.8.3, which included a bunch of “minor updates.” Nestled away in the release notes are a couple of interesting features - including some major changes to the Energy App.
We’re not quite sure we’d call these minor updates, so let’s take a bit of an exploration of the revitalized Energy App.
The Energy App has received some new categorization features in the Consumption tab. You can once again limit the graph by distance. As part of the 2024 Holiday Update, Tesla redesigned the consumption tab and brought it to the new Model S and Model X for the first time. However, with the redesign, Tesla removed the ability to choose the distance shown in the graph, instead providing a static display of the last 200 miles (300km).
The first part of the improved Energy App is bringing back this distance filter. You can now choose between showing the last 10, 100, or 200 miles (15, 150, or 300 km). This differs from the previous available distances of 5, 15 and 30 miles, but brings back the ability for the driver to choose a distance that may be more applicable to how they’re driving.
We’d love for Tesla to introduce custom distances by pinching and zooming the graph or simply add the ability to choose “This Drive Only” to the list of available distances.
Reset Energy App History
@EV3_Model3 on X
Sadly, the “Instant Range” button that was available in the Energy App before is still not available, but Tesla introduced a new feature that may be even better. You can now clear your driving history so that the graph only reflects your current driving style.
This is a little hidden, but if you tap the little info icon at the top near your average Wh/mi, you’ll now be presented with a dialog that lets you clear your history.
This could be useful if you’ve just come from some hard driving on a track or off-road, where energy consumption could be exaggerated. It could also be useful if you just started towing or a different type of driving that is drastically different from your current driving.
Other Changes
In addition, it looks like future predictions of the Energy app now take into account your driving history and apply that in addition to expected vehicle consumption, weather, altitude, and the multitude of other factors that your Tesla constantly takes into account while calculating your expected range.
While these are smaller improvements to the Energy app, they added some important functionality, as it helps users better understand their vehicle consumption and display data that is more applicable to the current driving style.
This is a great example of Tesla listening to its customers and bringing back features they had previously been removed. Check out the video below by akide on the updated Energy app in update 2025.8.3.
Sandy Munro once again had the opportunity to chat (video below) with Lars Moravy, Tesla’s Vice President of Vehicle Engineering, as well as Franz Von Holzhausen, Tesla’s Chief of Vehicle Design. This time, rather than focusing on the improvements to the refreshed Model Y and all the new engineering behind it, the focus was on Tesla’s autonomous ambitions.
In this case, the Cybercab and Robovan were the key highlights, with a distinct focus on the Cybercab. With that all said, let’s dig into all the fun new stuff. You can check out the entire video at the end of the article.
Cybercab Unboxed Process
The Cybercab will be the first of Tesla’s vehicles to use their new unboxed assembly process, which builds vehicles in parallel sections, and then brings them together all at once for final assembly. Traditionally, vehicles are assembled from the ground up, and sometimes even disassembled for parts of production to take place.
This innovative method involves using a big rear and front casting, brought together by a structural battery pack on the floor. The door rings are hot-stamped and laser-welded to form the side shell of the Cybercab, resulting in a very rigid structure that can also absorb crash impacts due to its unique manufacturing.
Paint-Free Panels
We’ve already talked about the Cybercab’s unique paint-free panels, but we’ve never heard until now exactly how Tesla intends to manufacture them. Tesla will inject colored PU plastic onto the backside of another plastic part (formed from various processes) and then ultrasonically weld that entire piece to an inner part.
That essentially combines multiple parts into one smooth piece that is easy to repair - because all you have to do is remove the entire panel - it just comes off as the interior fasteners are removed. There is no subframe holding it together - instead, the subframe is part of the panel.
The only area of the vehicle that will have any paint will be the hot-stamped door rings - which will be painted to improve corrosion resistance to protect the steel.
Aerodynamics
Aerodynamically, the Cybercab boasts the largest aero-cover-to-wheel ratio of any Tesla vehicle. This updated aero cover improves efficiency, even with the Cybercab’s relatively large tires—chosen to reduce rolling resistance. Interestingly, the impact of unsprung weight on efficiency is minimal compared to the benefits of improved rolling resistance and aerodynamics.
Another key to the aerodynamics is the teardrop shape of the Cybercab itself. With its low profile and smooth shape, it is extremely aerodynamically efficient. While neither Sandy nor Lars delved into drag coefficients, we expect it will likely be more efficient than the Model 3’s already fantastic Cd of 0.219.
Range and Battery Pack
Tesla currently has prototypes undergoing real-world testing at Giga Texas to evaluate range and efficiency. The goal is to ensure the vehicle can operate throughout an entire day in the city before returning to charge.
Tesla is targeting a battery pack under 50kWh, delivering close to 300 miles of real-world range—an impressive efficiency of around 166Wh/mi, even outperforming the Model 3’s lowest at 181Wh/mi.
When Does It Arrive?
So, with all that new knowledge - when does the Cybercab arrive? Well - the prototypes for the June Robotaxi network deployment in Austin are getting prepared now - but Tesla expects to begin production and sales sometime in the first half of 2026.
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