According to Elon Tesla may release FSD Beta 10.12 with several key improvements this week.
The last major beta, version 10.11 started
going out in early March, but most testers didn't receive it until v10.11.2, which
was released in April.
We hope this beta will go out a little quicker than the previous one, but it's certainly shaping up to be an
exciting release.
Updated Vehicle Models
FSD Beta 10.12 will contain new, more
detailed vehicle models, at least for its sedan model, but it may include updated models for all the
various vehicle types.
The current sedan visualization is fairly abstract. It doesn't have wheels or many details. The visualization is
modeled after Tesla's key fob for the Model S.
FSD Beta can recognize far more things than it can display on the screen. However, the visualizations are an
important way of how the vehicle communicates with us on what it sees and understands. So with Beta 10.12 Tesla
is including a more detailed sedan model that has wheels and doors.
Although FSD Beta has been able to detect open doors for a while now, the model will now visually show us if any
nearby cars have open doors by highlighting the door in yellow.
Improvements to Unprotected Left Turns
Unprotected left turns have been a key focus over several betas and we're apparently going to see further
improvements in 10.12.
Crossing over multiple lanes when turning left can be intimidating, even for some human drivers. Tesla has
been making continuous improvements to make unprotected left turns more efficient and human-like.
For example, the car will now sometimes start inching slowly, anticipating the last vehicle to pass so that it
can complete the turn promptly and be out of the way of any further traffic.
According to Elon, FSD Beta 10.12 will specifically improve "tricky" unprotected left turns.
Chuck Cook on YouTube does a fantastic job covering some of these left turns. Below you can see how the latest
FSD Beta does taking a left turn onto a primary street with a divider.
Heavy Traffic
In Beta 10.12, we're also expecting to see improvements in heavy traffic. I haven't seen too many issues with the
beta in traffic, except that sometimes the car has a tough time differentiating between a parked vehicle and a
vehicle that's just waiting.
I've encountered situations where the beta tries to go around a car that is stopped due to a traffic light or
traffic and the beta waits for just a few seconds before trying to go around the vehicle.
Hopefully, this is one of the areas that Elon is talking about when he refers to improvements in heavy traffic.
Single Stack
Elon also mentions that Tesla is making good progress on single stack. Single stack refers to a single set of
technologies that will be used for both highway and street driving.
FSD beta is great, but once you get on the highway, you're right back in the old production version.
FSD Beta is far from perfect, but driving on city streets is a completed task and the beta actually does quite
well trying to figure things out.
When we start looking at Autopilot on the highway and some of the issues it still has, like bouncing between lane
markings or a sudden attempt to center itself in a lane that has become wider, those issues are practically
non-existent in city driving.
So while single stack won't be included in beta 10.12, it's good to know that Tesla continues to make progress.
When Tesla is finally able to complete their single stack software we should see huge improvements in highway
Autopilot use.
Release Date
The last FSD beta started going out more than a month ago, so a lot of users are definitely itching for an
update. Elon said earlier this week that beta 10.12 is "probably" going to wide release this week.
The beta could be in QA testing now, but it unlikely that it has been passed on to employees yet as release notes
usually get leaked when that happens.
Hopefully, some of us will be greeted by that sweet notification this weekend, prompting us to install the latest
beta.
Update: Elon tweeted today, Friday, May 6th that there have been "many upgrades to core code, so taking longer to debug issues. Probably Wed/Thurs release." So it looks like we're still a week out from a public release of beta 10.12.
Based On New Build
Lately, FSD betas have been a little behind the times. The latest beta is 2022.4.5.21,
which is roughly two major versions behind. That means that FSD Beta testers still don't have seat heaters in
the launcher, Dog Mode in the Tesla app, browser improvements, vehicle preconditioning improvements and more.
Most non-FSD Teslas are now on a 2022.12 release and 2022.16 is expected shortly.
While it's unlikely that the beta 10.12 will be based on a brand new upcoming build like 2022.16, it's almost
certainly going to be based on 2022.12, which
will please a lot of testers.
It appears that Tesla is as cautious as ever with beta releases. Lately, it has taken several revisions of a beta
before Tesla releases it to everyone.
Tesla says they're now at 100k beta testers in the US and Canada, so they're right to be cautious, but it's not
easy waiting.
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Following the recent spate of misguided violence against Tesla - which has targetted both private owners, as well as Tesla’s showrooms, service centers, and Supercharger sites, owners have been requesting Tesla to improve Sentry Mode and enable the B-pillar cameras. Tesla is now also looking to Sentry Mode to help protect their showrooms and service centers.
Service Mode Sentry Mode
In response to violence being directed at customer vehicles awaiting repairs at collision centers or awaiting delivery at showrooms, Tesla will now enable Sentry Mode on any vehicles that are parked at a Tesla service or Tesla collision location. They will also enable Sentry Mode on vehicles that are being prepared for delivery or are in delivery holding lots.
This change was announced by Elon Musk, following requests from many owners and followers on X for improvements to Sentry Mode following increased Tesla-focused vandalism.
This could put some additional stress on Tesla employees since Sentry Mode uses additional energy when active, meaning that employees will be required to plug in each vehicle about once per week, based on the amount of energy Sentry Mode uses. Tesla is still planning on improving the power efficiency of Sentry Mode in a future update.
While enabling Sentry Mode won’t directly prevent vandalism, such as vehicles honking or playing music when a threat is detected by Sentry Mode, this could help reduce the continued violence by making it easier for Tesla and Tesla owners to get video footage of the vandals.
By doing so, Tesla can ensure that they’re able to press charges against vandals, which will help to dissuade this misguided behavior. Hopefully, just the news that these cars are always recording - even when parked and awaiting repair or delivery - will give these would-be vandals a second thought before committing a crime.
While Elon didn’t mention whether this change would be limited to the United States, we expect that, at the very minimum, it will also include Canada, where 80 cars were recently damaged by vandals overnight at a service center while awaiting repairs. Ideally, this change will be rolled out globally and will help improve security at Tesla’s locations throughout the world.
Elon Musk has always been a bit of a celebrity and not always one that has been well received. With his many different companies - including Tesla, SpaceX, Boring, Neuralink, X, and xAI, he’s spread throughout many high-tech fields and has a massive say in the way technology impacts the lives of many.
Most recently, Elon has taken to the fore of the US government under the Trump Administration and is running the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Here, he’s been tasked with reducing government spending.
These moves, in addition to what looked like an inappropriate hand gesture at a Republican rally last year, have led to him being labeled a Nazi - and those who own his cars or support his companies - as Nazi sympathizers. This is particularly true for Cybertruck owners.
We’re not calling for Elon to step down or stop - that’s beyond the scope of this opinion piece. Instead, we’re hoping that we make a point - harming real people and their property is a step too far, especially when they haven’t done anything other than spend their money or choose their place of employment.
Boycotts and Protests
Few CEOs are as active in politics as Elon is - and that’s made him and his companies the targets of protestors who don't agree with the changes and policies. This has led to boycotts of Tesla, protests outside factories, Supercharger sites, and showrooms.
Interestingly, some protestors at several locations throughout the United States have admitted they are being paid to protest. This isn’t surprising or new - political activist organizations sometimes bring in paid protestors to pad crowd numbers or guide the protestors toward their goals. While we can’t say whether this is true or not at this time, Elon appears to believe so, as per a post on X on the 8th of March.
Some of the protests have descended into violence, which has likely been escalated by people in a crowd mentality. An example of this is the incident at Tesla’s NYC Meatpacking showroom - where the crowd attempted to break down the doors and enter the showroom, putting the lives of innocent employees and customers at risk.
While protesting is a right, harming others and harming private property is not, regardless of personal beliefs or political opinions. This is what we’d like to emphasize here - harming or threatening Tesla’s employees and their customers isn’t making for a better world - it is hurting real people - members of your community. Some of them may have stood in solidarity with you just mere months ago at the voting booths, but now the simple ownership of a Tesla vehicle is considered extreme.
Vandalism and Who It Impacts
The protests are really just the tip of the iceberg. There have been ongoing and escalating incidents of vandalism - both at Tesla’s showrooms and Superchargers, as well as of private vehicles.
Vandalism is a crime - full stop. Attacking others and their private property with the intent to harm them isn’t an effective means to portray a message - it is political violence. Harming others is never the correct option - and is the worst way to push your message.
Vandalism of a private vehicle doesn't hurt Tesla. That vehicle will be repaired with parts sold by Tesla, paid for by the owner’s insurance. Those insurance costs will be passed down to customers everywhere - whether they’re Tesla-specific or not. Tesla will have made money replacing parts or replacing a vehicle because nearly 70% of Tesla’s customers continue to buy Tesla.
The vandalism isn’t focused on just private vehicles either - much of it has hit Tesla’s showrooms - which have been shot at in the US - and one was even burned down overnight in France. These vandals have also been targeting Tesla’s lots - and damaging cars on their way to customers. Once again, Tesla is insured against all of this - and will only be making replacement vehicles and fixing the damage - just like they did with the arson incident at a Supercharger site - where they replaced the Supercharger in under 48 hours.
Superchargers are public charging infrastructure. Damaging them doesn’t just affect Tesla owners - it impacts all EV drivers. Many Supercharger sites are open to other electric vehicles and serve as a vital charging option, especially in remote areas where charging options may be limited.
Additionally, some Supercharger stations are sometimes partially or fully funded by government grants aimed at expanding EV infrastructure. Acts of vandalism only harm local communities by undermining efforts to build essential public resources.
Sales and Stock
Tesla’s stock and sales have also been hit hard by the recent boycotts and response to Elon’s political activity.
Several analysts are predicting that Tesla’s deliveries in Q1 2025 are expected to be the lowest in the last three years - which will likely be a big hit. On the flipside, Elon is still optimistic about the stock - and has mentioned that the long-term benefits of holding Tesla far outweigh the short-term tensions.
However, Tesla’s stock also swings heavily with the market and is one of the most actively traded stocks by retail investors - both regular stocks and options included. The US markets have been on a relatively downward trend, with the Trump administration telling people to tighten their belts and prepare for a potential recession in the coming months.
These indicators aren’t very clear - and the ramp of the refreshed Model Y will have an impact on sales as Tesla won’t be able to deliver as many vehicles as they normally do.
Musk Owns Only 12% of Tesla
At the end of the day, these protests and all this vandalism only serve one purpose. It hurts hardworking citizens of the countries these events are happening in - whether the United States, Canada, Germany, France, or others.
They don’t impact Elon as much because he owns a small percentage of Tesla. Elon owns 12.8% of Tesla as of February 28, 2025. There are several other large stakeholders who own nearly as much as he does - and hundreds of thousands of retail shareholders. His fortune is so large that even if he lost his entire stake in Tesla today, he’d still be worth over $200 billion.
This amount of money is almost unimaginable. If you were to be given $400,000 every single day since 0 BC - until today - you still wouldn’t be worth as much as Elon Musk. That amount of money is absolutely insane and ridiculous—when you consider how little it affects him and how much real harm it causes to everyday people, it’s clear it’s not the correct approach.
Tesla employs about 130,000 people worldwide. That’s 129,999 people who aren’t Elon Musk that are directly harmed by these actions, all for choosing to work at one of the most innovative tech companies - whose mission is to electrify the world.
Putting all that together - the protests, boycotts, and vandalism aren’t hurting Elon as much as they’re hurting everyone else. They’re hurting regular people. And these people who have been threatened or hurt are never going to look in the same direction as these misguided activists.
Instead, these would-be vandals would be better off redirecting their efforts to reach out to the political leaders in their regions and working on getting better representation - and ensuring that people come to the stands to vote next time there is an election. There is a proper, legal, and moral way to change someone’s mind - with discussion. Threats to damage their property and hurt them are not the way.
Wrapping it all up - harming people and their property is a crime - and it isn’t the way to change people’s minds in a democratic society. It does nothing to harm Elon Musk, and all it hurts are your neighbors and friends.