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Tesla owners share first impressions of FSD V12.5 on Hardware 3 vehicles

Credit: Tesla Tutorials/YouTube

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It appears that Tesla is now ramping the release of FSD V12.5.1.5 to more Hardware 3 vehicles. Based on comments from HW3 Tesla owners on social media, it appears that the recently released update represents a good step forward for the advanced driver-assist system. 

As noted by Tesla Director of Autopilot Software Ashok Elluswamy in a recent comment on social media platform X, the company was able to achieve similar performance as HW4’s FSD V12.5 release with a smaller model for Hardware 3 vehicles. He also noted that deploying the larger model required Tesla to “implement a few kernels in the compiler to emulate the same operations that are natively supported on the AI4 hardware.”

While initial reports of FSD V12.5’s HW3 release still suggested that the software was being rolled out to employees, later posts on social media suggested that regular consumers were also receiving the update. Reviews posted on social media from longtime Tesla owners so far suggest that FSD V12.5 may very well be the best version of the advanced driver assist system that has been rolled out to HW3 vehicles to date.

Among the most prominent comments from HW3 vehicle owners was that FSD V12.5 definitely feels smoother than previous iterations of the advanced driver assist system. The build reportedly also feels quicker and more confident in making decisions. This is quite evident in the freeway, as the highway stack has reportedly become more decisive with the V12.5 update as well. That being said, some owners also mentioned that V12.5’s auto speed is a bit too slow in Hardware 3 vehicles. 

Longtime FSD tester @AIDRIVR, who uses a Hardware 3 Tesla Model S with no interior camera, observed that the new update tends to take natural paths through turns. He also noted that FSD V12.5 has very good lane positioning. The update reportedly also featured the best acceleration and braking compared to any FSD version that has been released to date. 

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Overall, it does appear that FSD V12.5 is a solid release for Hardware 3 vehicles. However, it does present some concerns about how fast older Teslas would be receiving the latest updates from the electric vehicle maker. Tesla first started selling FSD as an add-on for Enhanced Autopilot in 2016, after all, and Hardware 3 was only made available for vehicles in 2019. Hardware 4 was released in 2023.

Watch a video of FSD V12.5 on a Hardware 3 vehicle below.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Elon Musk

Elon Musk on Tesla vehicle sales: “We see no problem with demand”

“The sales numbers at this point are strong, and we see no problem with demand,” Musk said.

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(Credit: Tesla)

During a rather testy interview with Bloomberg’s Mishal Husain at the Qatar Economic Forum, Elon Musk stated that the demand for Tesla’s vehicles is still strong. Musk also stated that the issues that Tesla faced earlier his year have already turned around.

Already Turned Around

Tesla sales saw notable drops in the past months, particularly in Europe, where several countries saw drastically fewer Tesla sales year-over-year. Tesla stated in its Q1 2025 vehicle delivery report that the declines were largely due to the company’s changeover to the new Model Y, but media reports nevertheless placed the blame on Musk’s politics and his work with the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

It was then no surprise that Bloomberg’s Husain pointed out Tesla’s low sales in Europe this April during the interview. When questioned about the matter, Musk stated that things have “already turned around.” Musk also noted that while Tesla sales are down in Europe so far, this is true for numerous other carmakers in the region.

No Problem With Demand

When asked for evidence to back up his claims, Musk stated that Europe is indeed Tesla’s weakest market, but the company remains “strong everywhere else.” He also admitted that while Tesla has “lost some sales from the left,” the company also “gained some from the right.” Musk highlighted the fact that Tesla stock, which is partly affected by analysts with insider information, is trading at near all-time highs.

“The sales numbers at this point are strong, and we see no problem with demand. You can just look at the stock price. If you want the best insider information, the stock market analysts have that, and our stock wouldn’t be trading near all-time highs if things weren’t in good shape. They’re fine. Don’t worry about it,” Musk said. 

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Watch Elon Musk’s full interview at the Qatar Economic Forum in the video below.

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Elon Musk

Tesla’s Elon Musk confirms he’ll stay CEO for at least five more years

Tesla CEO Elon Musk eased any speculation about his role with the company as he confirmed he would be with the automaker for at least five more years.

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveils futuristic Cybertruck in Los Angeles, Nov. 21, 2019 (Photo: Teslarati)

Tesla’s Elon Musk said that he will still be CEO of the automaker in five years’ time, dispelling any potential skepticism regarding his commitment or plans with the company.

In the past, there was some speculation that Musk would leave Tesla if he was not adequately compensated for his work. He had a massive pay package taken from him by Delaware Judge Kathaleen McCormick in a move that caused Tesla to reincorporate its company in Texas.

Tesla Chair of the Board letter urges stockholders to approve Texas reincorporation

However, Musk confirmed today with a simple “Yes” that he would still be Tesla’s frontman in five years during an interview with Bloomberg at the Qatar Economic Forum:

“Do you see yourself and are you committed to still being the chief executive of Tesla in five years’ time?”

“Yes.”

Musk has had the massive $56 billion pay package declined twice by Chancellor McCormick, who has ruled that the pay was an “unfathomable sum.” Shareholders have voted twice in overwhelming fashion to award Musk with the pay package, but she has overruled it twice. This seemed to be one reason Musk might minimize his role or even step away from Tesla.

He said (via Bloomberg):

“The compensation should match that something incredible was done. But I’m confident that whatever some activist posing as a judge in Delaware happens to do will not affect the future compensation.”

Musk’s commitment to Tesla for the next five years will help steer the company in a more stable direction as it begins to expand its market well past automotive and sustainable energy. Although Tesla has been labeled as an AI company, it is also starting to push more into the robotics industry with the future release of the Optimus robot.

Now that Musk is on board for at least five more years, Tesla investors have their frontman, who has remained firm on the company’s vision to be a true disruptor in all things tech. The company’s stock is trading up just over 1 percent at the time of publication.

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Tesla Australia Exec: No regulatory barriers for FSD release

Tesla’s FSD demonstrations have been quite impressive as of late.

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Credit: Tesla AI/X

Recent comments from Tesla’s Country Director for Australia and New Zealand Thom Drew have provided an exciting update for Full Self Driving’s upcoming release in Australia. As per the executive, there is currently no regulatory barrier to FSD being rolled out to Australian roads.

Drew’s comments came on the heels of a video demonstration featuring FSD Supervised navigating Melbourne’s central business district.

Tesla FSD’s Australia Demo

Shared by the Tesla AI team’s official account on social media platform X, FSD Supervised’s demonstration in Melbourne’s central business district sparked a lot of conversations online. Electric vehicle enthusiasts on X were quite impressed with the system’s capabilities to handle the city’s busy and crowded streets. Even more were pleasantly surprised when FSD Supervised performed a smooth hook turn in its demonstration.

In a comment to News.com.au, Drew emphasized that FSD’s global expansion is a priority for Tesla. “That’s Elon’s push. We have a global engineering team that are working across markets around a lot of FSD… actively working across all our markets to roll it out,” the executive noted.

No Regulatory Barriers 

Interestingly enough, Drew also stated that there is no regulatory barrier to FSD hitting Australia’s roads. This suggests that FSD may be released in Australia once Tesla is satisfied with the local calibration and performance of the system on the country’s inner city streets.

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“There’s currently no blockers in Australia to releasing Full Self Driving Supervised, as we have in North America. It’s something our business is working on releasing. I don’t have a timeline currently for you, but it’s certainly very exciting to be able to bring that to a market that doesn’t have a regulatory blocker,” Drew stated.

Tesla’s FSD demonstrations have been quite impressive as of late, with the company also publishing a video showing the system navigating France’s Arc de Triomphe, one of Europe’s most complicated roundabouts, recently. Over in China, a Tesla Model 3 owner also used FSD to travel almost 2,485 miles from the Henan Province to the base camp of Mt. Everest.

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