Tesla releases FSD Beta 10.3 with many improvements

By Nuno Cristovao

The latest iteration of Tesla's FSD Beta, version 10.3 has now been released. The update which was originally scheduled for Friday night went out early this morning.

Tesla releases FSD Beta 10.3
Tesla releases FSD Beta 10.3
All Electric/YouTube

Existing beta testers received the update as well as users of Tesla's Safety Score who had a rating of 99 or higher.

We were wondering whether Tesla would release the beta to all drivers who have achieved a Safety Score of 99 in one swope, as that group is quite a bit larger than those who previously achieved a perfect score.

This release looks to be fairly widespread, much more so than previous betas. It's not clear yet whether everyone with a score 99 has received this beta, this is definitely the largest expansion of beta testers thus far.

Tesla has shared technical release notes for Beta 10.3, which comes in with update 2021.36.5.2. The release notes include detailed improvements in this beta, such as the ability to detect turn signals and hazards in addition to brake lights.

These are Tesla's technical release notes for this beta release:

  • Added FSD Profiles that allow drivers to control behaviors like rolling stops, exiting passing lanes, speed-based lane changes, following distance and yellow light headway.
  • Added planning capability to drive along oncoming lanes to maneuver around path blockage.
  • Improved creeping speed by linking speed to visibility network estimation and distance to encroachment point of crossing lanes.
  • Improved crossing object velocity estimation by 20% and yaw estimation by 25% by upreving surround video vehicle network with more data. Also increased system frame rate by +1.7 frames per second.
  • Improved vehicle semantic detections (e.g. brake lights, turn indicators, hazards) by adding +25k video clips to the training data set.
  • Improved static obstacle control by upreving the generalized static object network with 6k more video clips (+5.6% precision, +2.5% recall)
  • Allowed more acceleration when merging from on-ramps onto major roads and when lane changing from slow to fast lanes.
  • Reduced false slowdowns and improved offsetting for pedestrians by improving the model of interaction between pedestrians and the static world.
  • Improved turning profile for unprotected turns by allowing ego to cross over lane lines more naturally, when safe to do so.
  • Improved speed profile for boosting onto high speed roads by enforcing stricter longitudinal and lateral acceleration limits required to beat the crossing object.

There have also been improvements in many areas, such as creeping, going around road blockages, detection of static objects on the road such as construction barriers, "phantom" braking and improved acceleration in key areas such as merging onto major roads.

One of the biggest additions in this release is a new option called FSD Profiles, that lets you choose the driving style when in Autopilot.

The three styles to pick from are Chill, Average and Assertive. Each profile will determine how your vehicle drives and interacts in certain road scenarios.

You can read more about FSD Profiles and its various options.

Some users who received the FSD Beta hits morning were initially able to use FSD, but are now facing an issue where Autopilot will no longer engage. It's unlikely that Tesla is limiting the use of the FSD Beta, but hopefuly Tesla can fix the issue without needing to roll out another update.

New FSD Beta users should be aware that Tesla is now enforcing stricter rules for FSD Beta testers to make sure they're actively monitoring the road.

The next FSD Beta release may be v11, where we may finally see combined highway and city driving Autopilot stacks. If Tesla decides to release this in v11, it will be our first look at Tesla applying everything they've learned in city FSD to the highway. It may offer some short-term setbacks but overall should be a drastic improvement in how the car handles sharp highway curves and off and on ramps.

No timeline has yet been given for v11, but Tesla has been consistently releasing updated FSD Betas in 2-3 week increments.

The next iteration of FSD may also see an even wider release than we're seeing with 10.3, as it may open up to Safety Score users who have a score of 98 or higher.

If you're curious what your Safety Score is, or how many more miles you'll need to drive to reach 98, check out our Safety Score Calculator or our Safety Score driving tips.

Update: Several issues were found in FSD Beta 10.3. Tesla has released an updated FSD Beta, version 10.3.1 that they're testing on select cars.

Beta Released Version
Beta 9.0 July 10th, 2021 2021.4.18.12
Beta 9.1 July 31st, 2021 2021.4.18.13
Beta 9.2 August 15th, 2021 2021.12.25.15
Beta 10.0 September 11th, 2021 2021.24.15
Beta 10.0.1 September 18th, 2021 2021.24.16
Beta 10.1 September 25th, 2021 2021.24.17
Beta 10.2 October 11th, 2021 2021.32.25
Beta 10.3 October 24th, 2021 2021.36.5.2
Beta 11? TBD TBD

Tesla Holiday Update Wishlist - Maps & Autopilot Edition

By Karan Singh
Not a Tesla App

We’re eagerly anticipating Tesla’s biggest update of the year — the Holiday update. The update usually arrives in December, typically towards the end of the month. Last year, the rollout was actually earlier, happening in the second week of December.

As part of our ongoing series, we’re sharing our wishlist for features we hope to see in this year’s holiday update. This edition focuses on improvements to Tesla Maps and Autopilot.

User-contributed Map Data

Many users have asked for the integration of more Waze-like features into Tesla’s navigation. Earlier this year, Tesla added Speed Camera locations, traffic lights and stop signs to maps, but users really want it to be a Waze-like experience that lets you contribute data. This includes marking police car locations, accidents, construction, and more. We’re not sure how likely this is to happen. So far, Tesla has relied on the Google API and other vendors to highlight information on the map.

Avoid Highways Option

Users have been asking for an ‘Avoid Highways’ option forever, as it’s a standard option in navigation systems nowadays. While the Alternate Routes feature is helpful, it may not always provide a route that avoids the highway.

In June, Elon Musk confirmed that a “Avoid Highways” option would be added to Tesla navigation. We still haven’t seen it arrive, but we’re fairly confident that it will eventually be available in Tesla vehicles, maybe even for the Holiday update. What better way to enjoy a winter wonderland than to drive through some country roads instead of on the highway?

3D Buildings in Maps

Not a Tesla App

3D maps arrived in China earlier this year, and Google began rolling out 3D maps for various apps just last month. Apple already provides a 3D map with beautiful renderings of nearby buildings, and Rivian already features 3D buildings with an Apple-like look, so Tesla is playing catch-up a little bit here.

While 3D map support could be viewed as mostly eye candy, it can sometimes be useful when navigating an unknown area. Since the Intel infotainment processor is already near its limit and has excluded features in the past, such as improved visualizations and High Fidelity Park Assist, this feature could be limited to newer AMD-powered vehicles.

At Tesla’s recent Robotaxi event, we saw custom 3D maps in the vehicle with a specialized interface, so Tesla knows this is an appealing addition.

Full Screen Visualizations on Intel

BLKMDL3

This year Tesla added support for full screen Autopilot visualizations on AMD-based vehicles. Unfortunately the option to go full screen isn’t available on Intel vehicles, unless you’re in North America and have FSD.

There isn’t a clear reason why this is the case, since Intel vehicles can obviously handle them. It’d be nice if this holiday season Tesla expanded  full-screen visualizations to all Intel vehicles, regardless of location.

Detect and Visualize Emergency Vehicles

Greentheonly/X

Tesla already detects emergency vehicles while on Autopilot, however, it doesn’t display them in the visualization any differently than a normal car. Tesla was planning on adding emergency vehicle visualizations as far back as 2021, but they didn’t happen for some reason.

Tesla recently announced that they’re going to step up emergency vehicle detection by not only detecting the vehicles visually but also using audio input as a cue. With FSD v13, which is expected to be released to Tesla employees this month, FSD will detect emergency vehicles using the vehicle’s internal microphone. This should let the vehicle know about emergency vehicles sooner. We’re hoping that on-screen visualization comes along with this update.

If it’s anything like Tesla’s 2021 implementation, Tesla will design emergency lights that could be added to various existing 3D models, such as cars, SUVs, and motorcycles.

FSD Visualizations in Other Regions

This one is long overdue, and we hope it finally arrives. Owners outside of North America have been paying for FSD for years and have almost nothing to show for it. Sure, it includes some features like Summon (with USS vehicles) and, more recently, Autopark, but it doesn’t even include Actually Smart Summon yet.

While Tesla says the FSD is coming to Europe and China in Q1/Q2 next year, it’d be a great addition to add FSD visualizations for the time being.

There’s no doubt that Tesla is already detecting objects and vehicles behind the scenes and comparing what the vehicle would do to what the driver does to help improve Autopilot in these markets. For some reason, Tesla has decided to show different visualizations depending on whether you have Autopilot or FSD and whether you live in North America or elsewhere.

Adding FSD visualizations for everyone, regardless of whether they have Basic Autopilot, EAP, or FSD, would be an exciting addition — and it may even increase the subscription rate to FSD.

Expand Basic Autopilot

Tesla’s Basic Autopilot includes Adaptive Cruise Control and Autosteer, but we’d love for Tesla to expand this further to match what other manufacturers are offering.

Right now, Tesla considers Navigate on Autopilot and automatic lane changes part of Enhanced Autopilot. This means that if you’re on Autopilot and want to change lanes, you need to disable AP, change lanes, and re-enable it. Since many regions no longer offer Enhanced Autopilot for purchase, users are forced to put up with this annoyance or pay for FSD, which isn’t offered as a subscription outside of North America.

By creating a clearer distinction between Autopilot (focused on highway driving) and FSD (designed for city driving), Tesla could improve the Autopilot experience for users while encouraging them to upgrade to FSD.

Actually Smart Summon

Actually Smart Summon is still mostly limited to North America, with some small regions such as Taiwan, also receiving it. However, it still requires you to hold the ‘come’ button currently. The next big leap would be to remove this requirement and enable users to summon their vehicles with a single tap. Tesla previously said this was coming in a future improvement to A.S.S.

Ideally, we’d see the reach of Actually Smart Summon expanded to Europe and other regions and improvements of the feature, although we’re much more likely to see the former for the Christmas update.

Cybertruck is also still waiting for Summon, so this could be an additional surprise.

Autoshift for All Cars

While Autoshift isn’t directly tied to Autopilot, it does leverage AI to decide whether to shift into reverse or drive. This feature has now been released on the new Model S, Model X, the new Model 3, and the Cybertruck. However, Musk once said that it would be added to all Tesla vehicles, so we’re hoping that’s still in the works.

There’s certainly no reason why Tesla can’t add it to older vehicles with stalks. For those not familiar with Autoshift, it allows the vehicle to automatically shift into reverse or drive when the driver is ready to start moving. This makes it even easier to get going: You simply get in the car, press the brake pedal, giving the vehicle a chance to shift, and then press the accelerator.

This is our second wishlist of features we’d love to see in Tesla vehicles this holiday season. If you haven’t seen our first wishlist, the Tesla App Edition, be sure to check it out.

While this is a list of the most popular user requests related to Tesla’s navigation and Autopilot features, we’re sure that there are some we missed. Let us know your thoughts and ideas in our forums.

Tesla Cybertruck November Update: No More Wraps, New Crossbars Accessory, Available in Inventory, and Faster Charging

By Karan Singh
Not a Tesla App

There’s been a spade of Cybertruck announcements that just came up all at once, so let’s see what the polygonal truck is up to in the month of November. We’ve got a variety of topics to cover, starting with some disappointing news about Tesla’s in-house wrapping services, which are being discontinued for the Cybertruck. But don’t worry — there’s plenty of good news to follow.

No More Tesla Wraps

Tesla no longer offers wraps for the Cybertruck as an option for US customers. Tesla began wrapping vehicles earlier this year but stopped offering wraps for the Cybertruck as of November 13th.

This comes after Tesla previously reduced the color options for Cybertruck wraps from seven to five. However, this isn’t too big of an issue—there are plenty of companies that specialize in vehicle wraps.

The reason Tesla stopped offering wrap services for the Cybertruck isn’t clear. Was there not enough demand? Did it take up too much time from technicians who are already stretched thin?

Given the long repair backlogs in the United States, it makes more sense to have service technicians focus on vehicle repairs rather than spending time wrapping cars.

Inventory Foundation Series

The Cybertruck Foundation Series is now available as an inventory vehicle in certain locations in the United States. That means you can pick up a Foundation-series truck with little to no delay.

Only a few trucks are currently in stock, but this will likely expand as Tesla continues to ramp production and begins to offer the non-Foundation Series trucks as inventory vehicles.

These inventory vehicles are only available in the United States. Canadian owners will still need to put down a deposit for a Foundation Series Cybertruck to get it soon.

Crossbars

Tesla has just announced it is offering a new set of crossbars for the Cybertruck. With a load rating of 200 lbs, it’s on par with roof racks for other trucks. These crossbars also come with mounting pads and quick releases. There are also slots for attaching ski racks, bike racks, or even cargo boxes, letting owners expand the truck's storage capacity.

Interestingly, the Foundation Series trucks can install the crossbars over the cabin or the truck bed, while the non-Foundation Series can only mount the crossbars over the truck bed. That isn’t the greatest news - because one of the best uses for these crossbars is protecting the cabin glass when you’ve got items like long wooden planks hanging over the roof of the truck. Maybe we’ll see more on this soon.

The mounting points for the Cybertruck's crossbars.
The mounting points for the Cybertruck's crossbars.
Not a Tesla App

Update: It turns out that you can, in fact, install the crossbars anywhere on a non-Foundation series vehicle. You’ll just have to pay for an additional roof applique, according to Wes Morril, Lead Engineer of the Cybertruck Program.

Faster Charging

Tesla announced updated versions of the V4 Supercharger, with a more powerful electrical cabinet that can charge the Cybertruck at up to 500kW. That’s an insanely fast speed—nearly 1,300 mi/hr of charging. This will come as part of a future update for the Cybertruck and as V4 Supercharger stations begin to be deployed.

That’ll make the Cybertruck the fastest-charging Tesla - even with its enormous battery.

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