Elon shares how to download Tesla's FSD Beta 10.1

FSD is as big of a topic as ever for Tesla right now. Tesla is releasing betas every two to three weeks and making some of the biggest improvements to FSD it has ever made in its history. Navigate on Autopilot for highways was a big deal, but this is absolutely monumental.

Tesla has been testing their FSD Betas to a closed group of testers, but is now nearing the point where they’ll be able to expand it to a wider audience.

10.1 Release

Version 10.1 of the FSD Beta is supposed to be the one that Tesla will expand to a wider audience. It'll also contain some big improvements such as the ability to creep backward and a single stack for highway and city driving. Tesla is aiming to release beta 10.1 on October 1st, just three weeks after the release of 10.0.

As we’re getting closer to the release of 10.1, Elon is releasing additional details on how users will be able to request access to the 10.1 beta.

Previously Elon talked about how Tesla owners will be able to tap a ‘Download FSD Beta’ button to request access to the beta and Tesla would then gradually allow more owners into the beta.

Good feedback from FSD Beta 10 users! 10.0.1 point release rolling out now.

10.1 rolls out a week from Friday with beta request button.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 17, 2021

Release of the Button

Elon is now releasing additional information on how this process will work. Elon said on Twitter that "10.1 rolls out a week from Friday with the beta request button". It sounds like the beta request button will roll out on September 24th and version 10.1 of the FSD Beta will remain on track for October 1st.

Tesla often phases in software updates to their fleet, so it’s unlikely at this point that everyone will get an update that will add a button to opt-in to the FSD Beta. Tesla has either already included the ability to display the button in previous software releases and just needs to enable it over an over the air update, or the button is not something that will be in the car. It could be a request made in the app or on their website.

How Tesla Will Decide

Elon also talked about how Tesla will decide who is let into the beta. He says that pressing the FSD Beta button will request permission to assess your driving behavior using the Tesla insurance calculator. I don’t believe Elon is saying Tesla insurance will need to be available in your state in order to qualify, but instead that Tesla will use the algorithms they use for Tesla insurance to determine a “good” driver to also assess whether you’d be a good fit for Tesla’s FSD Beta.

He goes on to say that your driving behavior will need to be in good standing for seven days before beta access is granted. It sounds like this this won't apply retroactively, but instead from the moment you request access to the FSD Beta. Since the button is going to be available on September 24th, it'll give Tesla a week to monitor your driving before giving you access to the beta on October 1st.

Beta button will request permission to assess driving behavior using Tesla insurance calculator. If driving behavior is good for 7 days, beta access will be granted.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 17, 2021

At this point, we’re just two weeks out from the release of the 10.1 beta. And with Elon releasing additional details on how to get into the beta, I’d say Tesla is feeling very confident in its ability to deliver. Of course, we should all take it easy on Elon if dates slip a little, this is unmarked territory and we’re lucky Elon shares as much information as he does about Tesla’s future plans.

Elon also shared some news on when he expects Tesla to expand the FSD Beta outside of the US. He said that the technology will probably be ready in a few months, but ultimately will depend on regulations. I think a lot of this will depend on how the release of the FSD Beta goes in the US. If it’s smooth then Tesla will have more resources to focus on expansion outside of the US. It’s possible that depending on a country’s similarities to US roads, traffic signs etc, it could also speed up or slow down the FSD Beta’s release in the given country.

Update: We have additional details on how Tesla insurance calculates safe drivers.

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Tesla LFP Batteries Can Now Be Warmed up While Supercharging Using Innovative Feature

Not a Tesla App

Tesla’s been on a roll with Supercharger improvements lately, from the 325kW charging update for the Cybertruck, to 500kW with V4 Superchargers coming next year. While those improvements have been limited to the Cybertruck, Tesla didn’t put all their focus on their new flagship vehicle, but looked at their more affordable vehicles as well.

LFP Battery Heating

Tesla’s Superchargers can now heat LFP Batteries - those that are in the Model 3 and Model Y Rear Wheel Drive variants. This applies to Long Range and Standard Range models, which saw a limited run. This is another update included as part of the 2024 Tesla Holiday Update - which really arrived with a lot of unannounced new features and capabilities.

The change is pretty interesting - Superchargers of the V3 and V4 variety can now pre-heat batteries for Model 3 and Model Y vehicles equipped with LFP battery packs. That means those vehicles are able to get back on the road faster when it's extremely cold. Of course, Tesla still advises you to precondition before you arrive, saving drivers time and money.

Max de Zegher, Tesla’s Director of Charging, also commented on the new feature. Essentially, Tesla is inducing an AC (alternating) ripple current through the battery to warm it up. Keep in mind that Superchargers are DC charging. That means it is possible to get a cold-soaked LFP vehicle on the road 4x faster than before, assuming that it didn’t precondition at all and that it is in the worst-case scenario (below 0ºF).

In essence, Tesla is using some engineering magic to turn the circuits inside the LFP battery into an electric heater - and powering that heater through the Supercharger. An AC ripple current is a small oscillation in the DC charging current that generates heat through electrical resistance, warming up the battery. Those ripples are a byproduct of converting AC to DC and back - so Tesla is using the onboard charger to induce those ripples to warm up the battery. Definitely an innovative technique that’s really only possible with the versatility of the NACS connector.

We’re hoping Tesla can implement this across their full lineup of vehicles, but we’ll have to wait and see how it is trialed across LFP vehicles first and if it is even possible on vehicles with 2170 or 4680 battery packs.

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Tesla Included FSD V12.6.1 and V13.2.4 in the Same Update: What Caused This and What It Means

Not a Tesla App

Tesla launched two FSD updates simultaneously on Saturday night, and what’s most interesting is that they arrived on the same software version. We’ll dig into that a little later, but for now, there’s good news for everyone. For Hardware 3 owners, FSD V12.6.1 is launching to all vehicles, including the Model 3 and Model Y. For AI4 owners, FSD V13.2.4 is launching, starting with the Cybertruck.

FSD V13.2.4

A new V13 build is now rolling out to the Cybertruck and is expected to arrive for the rest of the AI4 fleet soon. However, this build seems to be focused on bug fixes. There are no changes to the release notes for the Cybertruck with this release, and it’s unlikely to feature any changes when it arrives on other vehicles.

While this update focuses on bug fixes, Tesla’s already working on bigger features for FSD V13.3, which we have already confirmed to include improvements to highway following and speed control.

FSD V12.6.1

FSD V12.6.1 builds upon V12.6, which is the latest FSD version for HW3 vehicles. While FSD V12.6 was only released for the redesigned Model S and Model X with HW3, FSD V12.6.1 is adding support for the Model 3 and Model Y.

While this is only a bug-fix release for users coming from FSD V12.6, it includes massive improvements for anyone coming from an older FSD version. Two of the biggest changes are the new end-to-end highway stack that now utilizes FSD V12 for highway driving and a redesigned controller that allows FSD to drive “V13” smooth.

It also adds speed profiles, earlier lane changes, and more. You can read our in-depth look at all the changes in FSD V12.6.

Same Update, Multiple FSD Builds

What’s interesting about this software version is that it “includes" two FSD updates, V12.6.1 for HW3 and V13.2.4 for HW4 vehicles. While this is interesting, it’s less special when you understand what’s happening under the hood.

The vehicle’s firmware and Autopilot firmware are actually completely separate. While a vehicle downloading a firmware update may look like a singular process, it’s actually performing several functions during this period. First, it downloads the vehicle’s firmware. Upon unpacking the update, it’s instructed which Autopilot/FSD firmware should be downloaded.

While the FSD firmware is separate, the vehicle can’t download any FSD update. The FSD version is hard-coded in the vehicle’s firmware that was just downloaded. This helps Tesla keep the infotainment and Autopilot firmware tightly coupled, leading to fewer issues.

What we’re seeing here is that HW3 vehicles are being told to download one FSD version, while HW4 vehicles are being told to download a different version.

While this is the first time Tesla has had two FSD versions tied to the same vehicle software version, the process hasn’t actually changed, and what we’re seeing won’t lead to faster FSD updates or the ability to download FSD separately. What we’re seeing is the direct result of the divergence of HW3 and HW4.

While HW3/4 remained basically on the same FSD version until recently, it is now necessary to deploy different versions for the two platforms. We expect this to be the norm going forward, where HW3 will be on a much different version of FSD than HW4. While each update may not include two different FSD versions going forward, we may see it occasionally, depending on which features Autopilot is dependent on.

Thanks to Greentheonly for helping us understand what happened with this release and for the insight into Tesla’s processes.

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