According to Elon Musk, Tesla is planning to release FSD Beta 10.69.2 by the end of the week. Elon explained that the next and possibly final 10.69 version still needs minor improvements before releasing to all beta testers.
He said that v10.69.2 features a relatively small number of code changes that will significantly affect the self-driving software.
Once these minor code changes are made, Tesla will release FSD Beta version 10.69.2 to all 100,000 beta testers. This upcoming version of Tesla’s 10.69 updates will improve upon the previous v10.69.1.1.
Tesla released FSD Beta v10.69.1.1 to about 10,000 beta testers last week. The update introduced a few new bug fixes to the 10.69 release which is making good progress.
The FSD Beta 10.69 release notes highlight better turns and smoother driving. The release is making big improvements to unprotected left turns, or “Chuck Cook Style” unprotected left turns. Additionally, Tesla improved the smoothness of protected right turns.
Tesla made other improvements to make the driving experience smoother, which are listed below.
Improved overall driving smoothness, without sacrificing latency, through better modeling of system and actuation latency in trajectory planning.
Trajectory planner now independently accounts for latency from steering commands to actual steering actuation, as well as acceleration and brake commands to actuation.
This results in a trajectory that is a more accurate model of how the vehicle would drive.
This allows better downstream controller tracking and smoothness while also allowing a more accurate response during harsh maneuvers.
Reduced false slowdowns near crosswalks. This was done with improved understanding of pedestrian and bicyclist intent based on their motion.
Enabled creeping for visibility at any intersection where objects might cross ego’s path, regardless of presence of traffic controls.
Improved accuracy of stopping position in critical scenarios with crossing objects, by allowing dynamic resolution in trajectory optimization to focus more on areas where finer control is essential.
Reduced latency when starting from a stop by accounting for lead vehicle jerk.
10.69.2 has a relatively small number of code changes, but their practical effect will be significant
So, with Halloween all squared away, the next big holiday coming up is Christmas. Each year, Tesla releases a big Holiday update packed with features. Last year’s update included some awesome features, including alternate routes, the Vision upgrade for Park Assist, Speed Cameras and Traffic Light icons, and the Automatic Blind Spot indicator, among others.
We already know that update 2024.44 - the Holiday Update Branch - is coming with Blind Spot Monitoring while Parked, Supercharger Improvements, and more. But, we’ve got a ton of good ideas that we hope will make the list, so put down your pumpkin spice, and grab your egg nog. It’s the holidays, and it’ll be Cybertruck’s first Christmas, so let’s celebrate!
Apple Watch App
First up—the Apple Watch app. This has been a highly requested feature over the past couple of years, and it looks like Tesla is listening. Tesla has apparently already begun development to support the Apple Watch in app update 4.38, so we’re expecting this to arrive as part of the big Holiday update. We’d love to see an equivalent app for Android-based watches, too.
Phone Left on Charger Alert
It’s easy to forget your phone inside of the vehicle, especially if it’s on the phone dock. A simple app alert that a phone has been left in the vehicle would be really useful. Tesla could potentially even tell the difference between a driver’s phone and a passenger’s phone, depending on the vehicle’s profile being used or which doors were open and closed.
Either way, just receiving an app notification if a phone is left in the car would be really useful, especially since your phone is your car key.
Light Show Support
Tesla Lightshows are great, but they could be made even better with Tesla app support. At the very least, it’d be great to be able to start/schedule or stop a light show from the app.
To really make light shows shine, Tesla could add the ability to create a light show directly from the app. Right now creating a light show involves using the open-source app xLights on a computer, so a simplified version of it running in the app would make it accessible to a lot more users.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Perform a synchronized light show with multiple Tesla vehicles…and a new song 🎶<br><br>Rolling out now in this year’s holiday update <a href="https://t.co/XqBUy5GxhN">pic.twitter.com/XqBUy5GxhN</a></p>&mdash; Tesla (@Tesla) <a href="https://twitter.com/Tesla/status/1737904802820919387?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Precondition Battery Button
Similar to an in-vehicle preconditioning button for 3rd party chargers, the Tesla App should also have a button to precondition the battery. This will make it easy for users, especially those who don’t have home charging – to get their vehicles ready for DC Fast Charging before departing.
Garage Door Controls
Tesla owners with HomeLink can control their garage doors directly from the vehicle. However, the Tesla app currently only allows users to open the first programmed garage door and doesn’t give the user access to any of the other programmed doors. Adding the option to choose which garage door to open via the HomeLink button would be a valuable addition—especially useful when paired with Actually Smart Summon.
Drive Stats
While Tesla already records and displays charging sessions in the app’s Charge Stats section, it’d be really helpful if Tesla also added the ability to record drives. That way, you could easily track how much your vehicle was driven on a particular day, week, or over the course of the year.
If you have any other suggestions, let us know in our forums. Who knows, some Tesla product managers may even be listening.
Tesla has added payment plan options to its shop items for the first time. They’ve partnered with Klarna, a deferred payment provider, to spread the cost of items across multiple payments. For now, this appears to be limited to the Tesla Shop in the United States—no support for other regions quite yet.
Payment Options
Klarna’s primary payment option allows buyers to get 0% APR for 6 weeks, with 4 payments. The payment schedule is essentially one payment every two weeks for whichever product you buy - enabling you to buy now, and pay later with 0% financing.
For example, the payment schedule for the $420 Wall Connector is evenly divided into four portions. Of course, you’d also have to pay for shipping and taxes, both of which will be included in your first payment.
Payment 1
Payment 2
Payment 3
Payment 4
Amount
$105
$105
$105
$105
Payment Due
Day of Purchase
Week 2
Week 4
Week 6
For some of Tesla’s more expensive Shop options - like the Cybertent, this could be a fantastic means for some owners to pick up something more expensive without having to worry about interest charges on their credit card.
Klarna also offers some other payment schedules, which do have interest. While these are far more expensive and are more like credit cards, they still provide buyers a means to buy now and pay over time. These are all open loans as well, so you can pay them down at a faster rate, thereby reducing the overall interest.
Payment Schedule
Payment Rate
Interest Rate
6 Weeks
Biweekly
0%
6 Months
Monthly
7.99% to 33.99%
12 Months
Monthly
7.99% to 33.99%
FSD Payment Options?
We’d love to see an equivalent payment option available for Tesla’s FSD purchase, which is currently $8,000, even if it's bought after the vehicle purchase. The high upfront cost is likely one reason why Tesla’s FSD subscription is so popular.
It’s likely that purchasing FSD is much more popular at the time of vehicle purchase, as owners can roll the cost of FSD into their financing rather than paying the full $8,000 later on.
IPO Filing
Interestingly enough, along with today’s news that Klarna is working with Tesla, Klarna has also filed for an IPO in the United States. It is one of the first financial tech (FinTech) companies to file for an IPO in 2025 and, interestingly, one of the first European companies to conduct an IPO in the United States.
For those who trade in the financial sector, this will be one to watch—Klarna was valued at around $46 billion in 2021 and is now valued at approximately $15 billion. Partnering with a large and well-known brand like Tesla could uplift Klarna, but that’s all financial speculation.