Tesla appears ready to have FSD Beta make an international release
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Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) is reportedly on the verge of a major international expansion, with China being a significant focus, but other countries may also be nearing release. This speculation is fueled by various indicators pointing towards Tesla's preparation for a global release of FSD Beta beyond its current availability in North America.
Last week, we broke the news that Tesla's FSD v12 was released to employees. This could be the version that Tesla aims to release into additional markets.
Key Indicators of International Expansion
Tesla has begun translating FSD Beta release notes into multiple languages. This includes the release notes such an explanation of FSD Beta, FSD Beta Suspension, and Driving Visualization Improvements, however, the technical release notes that change from version to version remain mostly untranslated. These release notes are now available in various languages including German, Danish, Italian and others. This selective translation process suggests a preparation phase for introducing FSD Beta to international markets, although not in its current version.
Developments in China
The prospect of Tesla's FSD Beta entering the Chinese market has been a topic of discussion for some time. Recent observations indicated that Tesla China's website briefly featured references to FSD Beta, although these were later removed, adding to the speculation.
According to reports from Chinese media, including China Fund News, Tesla is actively moving forward with plans to release FSD in the Chinese market.
A joint notice from several Chinese government departments mentioned that vehicles with Level 3 and Level 4 autonomous capabilities might be allowed for road tests in certain areas. This development aligns well with Tesla's potential plans to test FSD Beta in China.
Infrastructure Developments
In 2021, Tesla established a data center in Shanghai to gather data from its domestic operations. Additionally, Tesla has formed an FSD operations team and a data labeling team in Shanghai. Despite these developments, there are hurdles to overcome before FSD Beta's release in China, such as data collection qualifications.
Tesla has not provided a specific timeline for the FSD Beta release in China, but the company has confirmed ongoing preparations. This aligns with recent changes observed in Tesla's online manuals in China.
Tesla's FSD Beta is poised for an international rollout, with China being a primary target. The translation of release notes, updates to owner manuals, and recent government notices all point toward Tesla's preparation for an international release. While challenges remain, the groundwork laid by Tesla, particularly in China, indicates significant progress in bringing FSD Beta to international markets.
Below is part of the German release notes for FSD Beta, which read:
Autonomes Fahren (Beta)"
Sie können die Funktion Autonomes Fahren (Beta) aktivieren. Tippen Sie hierzu auf ‚Fahrzeug‘ > ‚Autopilot‘ > ‚Autonomes Fahren (Beta)‘ und folgen Sie den Anweisungen.
Die Funktion Autonomes Fahren befindet sich in einer frühen, eingeschränkten Beta-Phase und muss daher mit zusätzlicher Vorsicht verwendet werden. Da sie möglicherweise im schlechtesten Moment falsch reagiert, müssen Sie Ihre Hände immer am Steuer lassen und genau auf die Straße achten. Werden Sie nicht nachlässig. Wenn Vollautonomes Fahren aktiviert ist, wird Ihr Fahrzeug Spurwechsel auch abseits der Autobahn durchführen, Ihrer Navigationsroute an Abzweigungen folgen sowie um andere Fahrzeuge und Objekte herum steuern und nach rechts und links abbiegen. Verwenden Sie die Funktion Autonomes Fahren im eingeschränkten Beta-Modus nur, wenn Sie jederzeit auf die Straße achten und sofort eingreifen können, insbesondere an uneinsehbaren Ecken, beim Überqueren von Kreuzungen und in Fahrsituationen mit wenig Platz.
Ihr Fahrzeug nutzt Tesla Vision! Beachten Sie, dass für Tesla Vision auch einige vorübergehende Einschränkungen gelten: Der Folgeabstand ist auf 2-7 und die Höchstgeschwindigkeit des Autopiloten auf 85 mph begrenzt.
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Tesla recently showed off Giga Small Haus, an interesting new display project hosted at Giga Berlin. The small new house is located just outside the main entrance of Tesla’s Giga Berlin factory, with a Quicksilver Model Y parked inside.
Giga Small Haus is powered only by solar and Powerwall 3 - disconnected from the local grid and from Giga Berlin itself. It serves as a live demonstration of Tesla Solar and Tesla’s Powerwall battery backup.
Giga Small Haus
The centerpiece of the display is a Model Y in Quicksilver - a beautiful pick for a beautifully lit house. However, that’s not the real focus here - it's the Powerwall and Gateway on the wall.
The Powerwall is the focus of Giga Small Haus, and there’s a display with some additional information on the wall. Part of the display also includes a screen that displays the current output of the Powerwall itself versus the consumption of Giga Small Haus, as well as the input from solar.
The interior exhibit of Giga Small Haus
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The text on the exhibit is divided into several sections. Here’s a translated and edited version of what we can see from Tesla’s images. Some additional text is obscured. If someone visits Giga Small Haus, let us know.
Powerwall
Powerwall is a home battery system that stores energy from solar panels, the electrical grid, or during off-peak hours and powers your home during the day or during a power outage.
With Powerwall, you can use self-generated solar energy during the day and night, thus avoiding high electricity costs. You can also store excess energy produced during sunny periods for use during times of low production or power outages.
Key Features
Energy Storage: Powerwall stores excess energy from solar panels or the grid for later use or during power outages.
Backup Power: In the event of a power outage, Powerwall automatically switches to battery power to ensure continuous power supply.
Integration: Powerwall can be seamlessly integrated with existing solar systems and other power sources.
Scalability: Multiple Powerwalls can be installed to meet higher energy storage needs.
Smart Energy Management: Powerwall works with Tesla's software to optimize energy consumption and reduce costs.
How Powerwall Works
Storage: During the day, when solar panels produce more energy than needed, the excess is stored in Powerwall.
Usage: At night or during times of low solar production, the stored energy is used to power the home, reducing reliance on the grid.
Backup: During a power outage, Powerwall automatically provides power to critical circuits, ensuring continuous operation of essential appliances.
Benefits
Cost Savings: By storing and using solar energy, you can reduce your electricity bills.
Reliability: Provides backup power during outages, ensuring your home remains powered.
Sustainability: Promotes the use of renewable energy by storing excess solar production for later use.
Overall, Giga Small Haus is an interesting real-life demo of what Powerwall and Solar can accomplish. It would be neat if Tesla built more of these displays - perhaps near major Delivery and Service Centers and at Giga Texas, Fremont, Giga Shanghai, and other facilities. Many Tesla owners have yet to learn about and experience some of Tesla’s Energy products.
Tesla has added the Acceleration Boost option to the Tesla store for owners of the 2024 Model 3 Long Range - specifically owners in Australia and China. Acceleration Boost is an upgrade that provides a significant performance boost, drastically narrowing the performance gap between the Long Range and Performance versions of the same model.
This upgrade will likely become available in Europe, Canada, and the United States in the next few days as Tesla updates its shops globally.
Acceleration Boost
This new Acceleration Boost is retailing for $3,000 AUD, or approximately $2,000 USD. That’s the same price for current owners of older Model 3 or Model Y Long Range vehicles, which all have the option to purchase Acceleration Boost through the shop.
The boost provides improved 0-100km/h (0-60mph) performance, bumping the 2024 Model 3 LR from 4.4s to 3.8s. The 2024 Performance version comes in at a blazing fast 2.9 seconds, so while it isn’t equivalent to just buying a performance variant in the first place, it is still a noticeable and significant upgrade.
Performance variants also come with a different front fascia vent for cooling, performance drive units, sport seats, adaptive suspension, 20-inch wheels, and Track Mode V3. That’s a significant number of additional features in the $10,000 USD price difference between the Long Range and Performance versions.
Should You Buy It?
If you’ve purchased a Long Range model and are itching to go just that little bit faster at every red light, this is the upgrade for you. It previously came with the cost of slightly reducing vehicle range, but the Tesla store doesn’t make a note of reduced range this time around. The 2023 Model 3 and Model Y Long Range models had an efficiency loss of about 5% due to the additional always-available acceleration and cooling.
You could drive in Chill mode to mostly negate that efficiency loss, but what’s the fun in driving in Chill when you just got Acceleration Boost? Anyhow, the shop listing for the 2024 variant doesn’t include this detail, so it's possible Tesla may have worked some more engineering magic.
Overall, if you’ve got the $3,000 AUD burning a hole in your pocket, some Tesla referral credits sitting around, or just want to go faster, it's definitely an upgrade many users find valuable.
