Tesla has been steadily rolling out new releases of their FSD Beta on a regular basis.
According to Elon, Tesla plans on expanding the FSD Beta to the public by offering owners a chance to opt-in to the beta and download the latest FSD software.
Yesterday Tesla released version 10.0 of their FSD Beta. Elon feels Tesla may be ready to start releasing the FSD Beta to a wider audience in version 10.1. Tesla is aiming to release version 10.1 in three weeks, around October 1st.
With the release of the 10.0 beta, Tesla expanded the amount of testers, giving some additional Tesla supporters access to the beta. Tesla previously had about 2,000 individuals testing out the beta. Although the number of testers increased, this is still very much a closed beta.
Since April, Elon's plan was to eventually allow all Tesla owners access to try out FSD features themselves.
Elon recently clarified how the ‘Download FSD Beta' button will work. In order to ensure safety, on the drivers' part and Tesla's, Tesla will gradually expand the amount of users that can access the FSD Beta. Which means that not everyone who wants to try it out will be able to right away.
The way this is likely to work is that everyone will have access to the button, but this may just add you to a queue of people that would like to help test it. Much like the Advanced button in the Tesla Software section.
Not everyone that opts in to the beta will be able to download it, at least not immediately. Tesla will slowly roll the beta out to additional owners as their confidence grows and more issues are fixed. The way Tesla will pick which users get access to the beta isn't clear, but we expect it to be similar to the way Tesla currently decides who gets Early Access releases or even how they decide which vehicles are the first to receive updates.
Tesla is a software and AI company, so you can bet that whoever they choose to roll out the beta to won't be random. With the expansion of the beta, Tesla may consider how often you are actively engaged when using Autopilot, how confident is the beta in your area, where does Tesla need additional testing?
Tesla often uploads a significant amount of data for every beta tester, letting Tesla know how the beta is doing. It feeds Tesla additional images and video of situations Tesla wants to better test for. As Karpathy talked about in one of his keynotes this year, Tesla has the ability to ask their fleet for additional data. For example, if Tesla needs additional testing for partially occluded traffic lights, they can set that parameter and receive thousands of images from the Tesla fleet.
We don't know how quickly Tesla will release the FSD Beta. Tesla likely doesn't know the answer to this either. As Tesla releases the beta to more individuals they'll be looking closely at disengagements and issues encountered. The better the beta does, the quicker we'll see it rolling out to more individuals.
Expect the roll out of the betas to be slow and safe. Tesla doesn't need a PR nightmare that could likely hamper future FSD development. Elon has said that Tesla's goal is to ensure maximum safety.
Tesla’s Cybertruck has officially earned a 5-Star Safety Rating from the NHTSA—an impressive achievement given the vehicle’s design. The achievement demonstrates Tesla’s engineering prowess. As one engineer points out, it wasn’t an easy feat.
Interestingly, the NHTSA only recently disclosed the results, despite the crash tests being completed a while ago. According to Lars Moravy, Tesla’s VP of Vehicle Engineering, the team had been aware of the 5-star rating for quite some time. While the reason for the delay remains unclear, now that the results are public, Tesla’s engineers can finally share how they achieved the rating.
Crumple Zones
Wes Morril, the Cybertruck’s Lead Engineer, wrote about the crash test video on X recently, addressing the claims that the Cybertruck doesn’t have a crumple zone. He also posted a side-by-side video (below) of the engineering analysis and the crash test itself.
Engineered Crash Safety
There’s a lot of engineering precision at play when a Cybertruck is involved in a crash. Unlike traditional crash structures that rely on crash cans and collapse points, the Cybertruck’s front gigacasting is designed to absorb and redirect impact forces in a highly controlled manner.
It all starts with the bumper beam, which crushes within the first few milliseconds of a high-speed impact. At the same time, the vehicle’s sensors rapidly analyze the crash dynamics and determine the optimal deployment of safety restraints, including airbags and seat belt pre-tensioners. These split-second actions are crucial in keeping occupants safe.
As the crash progresses, the vehicle’s structure deforms in a carefully engineered sequence. The drive unit cradle bends, directing the solid drive unit downward and out of the way, allowing the gigacasting to begin absorbing impact forces.
The casting crushes cell by cell, methodically dissipating energy in a controlled manner. This gradual deceleration reduces the g-forces transferred to occupants, making the crash much less severe. As the gigacast begins crushing, the safety restraints are deployed.
As Wes points out in his post - you can see how accurate the virtual analysis and modeling were. The video shows the simulated crash side by side with the real-life crash test and they’re almost identical. All that virtual testing helps provide feedback into the loop to design a better and safer system - one that is uniquely different than any other vehicle on the road.
All the armchair experts claimed the Cybertruck has no crumple zone and I get it, the proportions seem impossible. It was a tough one and there is a lot of engineering that went into it. Let me break it down for you:
Tesla has pioneered the use of single-piece castings for the front and rear sections of their vehicles, thanks to its innovative Gigapress process. Many automakers are now following suit, as this approach allows the crash structure to be integrated directly into the casting.
This makes the castings not only safer but also easier to manufacture in a single step, reducing costs and improving repairability. For example, replacing the entire rear frame of a Cybertruck is estimated to cost under $10,000 USD, with most of the expense coming from labor, according to estimates shared on X after high-speed rear collisions.
These insights come from Sandy Munro’s interview (posted below) with Lars Moravy, Tesla’s VP of Vehicle Engineering, highlighting how these advancements contribute to the improvements in Tesla’s latest vehicles, including the New Model Y.
However, with the new Model Y, Tesla has decided to go a different route and eliminated the front gigacast.
No Front Casting
Tesla’s factories aren’t equipped to produce both front and rear castings for the Model Y. Only Giga Texas and Giga Berlin used structural battery packs, but these were quickly phased out due to the underwhelming performance of the first-generation 4680 battery.
Tesla has gone back to building a common body across the globe, increasing part interchangeability and reducing supply chain complexity across the four factories that produce the Model Y. They’ve instead improved and reduced the number of unique parts up front to help simplify assembly and repair.
There is still potential for Tesla to switch back to using a front and rear casting - especially with their innovative unboxed assembly method. However, that will also require Tesla to begin using a structural battery pack again, which could potentially happen in the future with new battery technology.
Rear Casting Improvements
The rear casting has been completely redesigned, shedding 7 kg (15.4 lbs) and cutting machining time in half. Originally weighing around 67 kg (147 lbs), the new casting is now approximately 60 kg (132 lbs).
This 15% weight reduction improves both vehicle dynamics and range while also increasing the rear structure’s stiffness, reducing body flex during maneuvers.
Tesla leveraged its in-house fluid dynamics software to optimize the design, resulting in castings that resemble organic structures in some areas and flowing river patterns in others. Additionally, manufacturing efficiency has dramatically improved—the casting process, which originally took 180 seconds per part, has been reduced to just 75 seconds, a nearly 60% time reduction per unit.
Advancements in die-casting machines and cooling systems have allowed @Tesla to dramatically reduce cycle times and improve dimensional stability. pic.twitter.com/WB5ji67rvV
Tesla’s new casting method incorporates conformal cooling, which cools the die directly within the gigapress. Tesla has been refining the die-casting machines and collaborating with manufacturers to improve the gigapress process.
In 2023, Tesla patented a thermal control unit for the casting process. This system uses real-time temperature analysis and precise mixing of metal streams to optimize casting quality. SETI Park, which covers Tesla’s manufacturing patents on X, offers a great series for those interested in learning more.
The new system allows Tesla to control the flow of cooling liquid, precisely directing water to different parts of the die, cooling them at varying rates. This enables faster material flow and quicker cooling, improving both dimensional stability and the speed of removing the part from the press for the next stage.
With these new process improvements, Tesla now rolls out a new Model Y at Giga Berlin, Giga Texas, and Fremont every 43 seconds—an astounding achievement in auto manufacturing. Meanwhile, Giga Shanghai operates two Model Y lines, delivering a completed vehicle every 35 seconds.
![A Look at the Tesla Cybertruck’s Crumple Zones [VIDEO]](https://www.notateslaapp.com/img/containers/article_images/cybertruck/cybertruck-crash-test.webp/e43ef2433bd6e44ae8db63421604a4fb/cybertruck-crash-test.jpg)
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