Why Tesla doesn't update all of its vehicles at once

October 11, 2022

By Lennon Cihak

How to check for a software update

Not a Tesla App

Tesla releases a major update about once a month that includes feature improvements, safety enhancements or new features.

While some owners may receive an update within a few days of it being released, most owners will actually not receive the latest update for several weeks.

There are a couple of reasons why Tesla doesn't update all of its vehicles at the same time.

Unfortunately, updates for Teslas aren’t like mobile devices where an update is available for everyone right away. There’s a little more that goes into pushing updates for vehicles, especially for a vehicle that can drive itself.

How Tesla Rolls Out Updates

Tesla rolls out updates to its fleet based on the vehicle's VIN, region, model, hardware, and other factors. The main reason Tesla rolls out updates in this manner is to minimize risk and to assess how an update is performing.

Rolling out updates slowly lets Tesla quickly iterate on their update and focus on feedback and bug fixes before a potential issue has the chance to affect a large number of vehicles.

If, for example, an update caused the MCU reboot , making the display go dark while the vehicle was in motion, Tesla could more easily isolate the issue. Tesla would then be able to roll out a fix before the issue had a chance to affect a larger portion of their fleet.

Your vehicle model or other hardware in your vehicle is taken into account as well. For example, if Tesla is looking to gather feedback on a feature that requires MCU 2 or MCU 3, they may first send the update to those vehicles before releasing it more widely.

If you look at our software updates page you'll see that there are Tesla vehicles on a wide variety of updates. Some may be on the same major update, but on a different revision, while others may be one or two major updates 'behind'.

Although a vehicle can have an update that gets 'stuck' while downloading, that's usually relatively rare. If you notice that your vehicle falls too far behind, you can send a message to Tesla Service to see whether there is an issue with your vehicle.

What do the Numbers in Tesla Updates Mean?

Tesla's release process is why you may notice several versions for the same update.

For example, Tesla may first release update 2022.36, but as new issues are found and Tesla fixes them, Tesla will roll out further updates such as 2022.36.1 and 2022.36.2.

The 2022 in the version number stands for the year in which development began for this update. The 36 stands for the week number, and the last number stands for the revision of the update.

So in general, 2022.36.1 would include the same features as update 2022.36 but would contain several fixes for issues that were found in 2022.36, while 2022.36.2 would contain fixes that were fixed after 2022.36.1 was released.

This isn't always the case since Tesla does sometimes release new features with a minor revision, or but in general it's a good rule of thumb.

Once Tesla is confident they have solved all known issues, they'll then send out the update to the entire Tesla fleet.

Can I Force My Vehicle to Receive an Update?

Unfortunately, no. Under normal circumstances, there is no way to force your Tesla to receive an update. You'll simply have to wait until the update is available for your vehicle.

However, there are a couple of things you can do to receive updates as soon as possible.

It's not clear how much this toggle does anymore, but if you're interested in receiving updates as soon as they're available it's a good idea to toggle on “Advanced Updates” under the Software tab in your vehicle.

You'll also want to make sure your car is connected to Wi-Fi as often as possible, such as at home or work. Tesla prefers to download updates over Wi-Fi so this will ensure you get an update as soon as it's available to you.

You can track which updates are going out to by checking our software updates page.

How to Check if Your Tesla is Running the Latest Update

If an update is available for your Tesla, it will usually show up in your mobile app, although it's not clear how often the mobile app checks for updates. If you suspect an update may be available for your vehicle, you can check in your vehicle, although Tesla has recently started limiting this check to once per 24-hour period.

To check if there is an update available for your Tesla, tap Controls (the car icon), and then tap on Software. On the right side, you'll be able to check your vehicle's version and whether an update is available.

Your vehicle does not need to be connected to Wi-Fi to check whether an update is available

Do I Need to be on Wi-Fi?

For the most part, Tesla requires that updates be downloaded while the vehicle is connected to Wi-Fi.

However, there are exceptions to this. If an update includes important fixes or a recall then it is usually available over cellular. The same goes if you haven’t updated your vehicle in a while, are on FSD Beta, or other unique scenarios.

If you can't connect to Wi-Fi at home or work, you can try using public Wi-Fi networks or using your mobile phone as a hotspot for your vehicle.

Tesla Starts Rolling Out HW3 Support for FSD to Chinese Employees

March 16, 2025

By Not a Tesla App Staff

Tesla Newswire

Tesla is getting ready to start rolling out FSD support for hardware 3 vehicles in China. Tesla is internally testing what appears to be a build of FSD V12.6 on HW3 vehicles with its employees.

A post on Chinese social media platform Rednote initially shared the software update details and was then shared by Tesla Newswire. We’ve verified that the vehicle in question is a 2023 Model Y, confirming it falls within the HW3 hardware generation.

Tesla initially introduced FSD for HW4/AI4 vehicles in China in late February, making this a surprisingly fast follow-up to extend support to HW3 vehicles. The Chinese rollout of FSD also came just a couple weeks after Tesla introduced FSD in Mexico.

FSD V12.6 Primer

We reviewed FSD V12.6 in depth here, and provided a comparison to FSD V13 here, but here’s the key points you’ll need to know.

FSD V12.6 is Tesla’s latest revision of FSD for HW3 vehicles and it’s is very comparable to FSD V13 in terms of features. It includes 3 speed profiles, Chill, Standard, and Hurry, which control how aggressive FSD is in making lane changes and ensuring it stays at, near, or above the speed limit.

This version of FSD also comes with an improved controller, as well as earlier and more natural lane change decisions, making it far more capable than V12.5 or V12.3 builds.

For Chinese customers getting their first taste of FSD after using Autopilot for years, it’s mindblowing. It can handle city level streets, hanlde turns and traffic control signs and get you to your destination with minimal interventions.

When Does It Release?

Given’s China’s more crowded streets and more complex road layouts, we weren’t sure whether Tesla would introduce support for HW3 vehicles in the market. This news is a positive and encouraging sign, not only for FSD in China, but for all HW3 vehicle owners out there.

Tesla usually releases updates to employees in advance of releasing them to its general customers - providing them with a second chance to find and fix bugs. Usually, once updates make their way to employee vehicles, and barring any major issues, they begin rolling out to customers within one to two weeks.

China currently requires owners to buy FSD, as FSD subscriptions aren’t available in the country yet. If you’re in China and bought FSD on a HW3 vehicle, it may not be long before you have access to FSD.

A Look at the Tesla Cybertruck’s Crumple Zones [VIDEO]

March 14, 2025

By Karan Singh

Not a Tesla App

Tesla’s Cybertruck has officially earned a 5-Star Safety Rating from the NHTSA—an impressive achievement given the vehicle’s design. The achievement demonstrates Tesla’s engineering prowess. As one engineer points out, it wasn’t an easy feat.

Interestingly, the NHTSA only recently disclosed the results, despite the crash tests being completed a while ago. According to Lars Moravy, Tesla’s VP of Vehicle Engineering, the team had been aware of the 5-star rating for quite some time. While the reason for the delay remains unclear, now that the results are public, Tesla’s engineers can finally share how they achieved the rating.

Crumple Zones

Wes Morril, the Cybertruck’s Lead Engineer, wrote about the crash test video on X recently, addressing the claims that the Cybertruck doesn’t have a crumple zone. He also posted a side-by-side video (below) of the engineering analysis and the crash test itself.

Engineered Crash Safety

There’s a lot of engineering precision at play when a Cybertruck is involved in a crash. Unlike traditional crash structures that rely on crash cans and collapse points, the Cybertruck’s front gigacasting is designed to absorb and redirect impact forces in a highly controlled manner.

It all starts with the bumper beam, which crushes within the first few milliseconds of a high-speed impact. At the same time, the vehicle’s sensors rapidly analyze the crash dynamics and determine the optimal deployment of safety restraints, including airbags and seat belt pre-tensioners. These split-second actions are crucial in keeping occupants safe.

As the crash progresses, the vehicle’s structure deforms in a carefully engineered sequence. The drive unit cradle bends, directing the solid drive unit downward and out of the way, allowing the gigacasting to begin absorbing impact forces.

The casting crushes cell by cell, methodically dissipating energy in a controlled manner. This gradual deceleration reduces the g-forces transferred to occupants, making the crash much less severe. As the gigacast begins crushing, the safety restraints are deployed.

As Wes points out in his post - you can see how accurate the virtual analysis and modeling were. The video shows the simulated crash side by side with the real-life crash test and they’re almost identical. All that virtual testing helps provide feedback into the loop to design a better and safer system - one that is uniquely different than any other vehicle on the road.

All the armchair experts claimed the Cybertruck has no crumple zone and I get it, the proportions seem impossible. It was a tough one and there is a lot of engineering that went into it. Let me break it down for you:

Here you can see the large single piece casting in action in a… https://t.co/Jk4X5erTcm pic.twitter.com/24Nmb1bmU5
— Wes (@wmorrill3) February 20, 2025