Tesla Director of Autopilot Software Ashok Elluswamy gave credit to the electric vehicle maker’s AI team for meeting its ambitious FSD release goals for September 2024. The executive also shared an update for the upcoming rollout of FSD’s end-to-end highway driving for Tesla’s greater fleet.
Tesla’s tendency to miss its self-imposed release targets for its products and features have become so commonplace that when the Tesla AI team published its roadmap for FSD features earlier this month, many were skeptical. While it would be great if Tesla could release FSD for the Cybertruck by the end of the month, it would not be surprising at all if the advanced driver-assist system was released in Q4 instead.
But as it turns out, the Tesla AI team forecasted the release schedule for the Cybertruck’s FSD quite accurately. As per the roadmap published by the team, the company would release FSD v12.5.2, Actually Smart Summon, Cybertruck Autopark, eye-tracking with sunglasses, end-to-end network on highway, and Cybertruck FSD this September. As of this weekend, all of these items have been crossed off the list.
Great job by the @Tesla_AI team on meeting the goals laid out for September?
End-to-end on the highway is first shipping to Cybertrucks. We are close to an early release build for remaining platforms and will release to internal employees in the next week or so.— Ashok Elluswamy (@aelluswamy) September 30, 2024
Elluswamy shared his update amidst news that Tesla has started rolling out FSD to its first batch of Cybertruck owners. “Great job by the Tesla AI team on meeting the goals laid out for September. End-to-end on the highway is first shipping to Cybertrucks. We are close to an early release build for remaining platforms and will release to internal employees in the next week or so,” Elluswamy wrote.
Super proud of the @Tesla_AI team, these releases are the result of hardcore engineering and major innovations in both training and inference stack.
Happy to see positive reception on all the features from the customers, this will only get better from here!
Eventful September,… https://t.co/VIhcFIy8XS— Srihari Sampathkumar (@srihari__) September 30, 2024
While the release of FSD for the Cybertruck seemed like a long shot earlier this month, updates on social media from several company employees suggested that the Tesla AI team was working extra hard to ensure that the advanced driver-assist system gets released for the all-electric pickup truck on time. Just recently, a lighthearted post from the official Tesla Cybertruck account received a humorous GIF response from Elluswamy, as well as a comment from Lead Engineer Wes Morrill suggesting that testing was underway for the Cybertruck’s FSD.
pic.twitter.com/MFYDKKLUPk— Ashok Elluswamy (@aelluswamy) September 23, 2024
Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.
News
Tesla’s longer Model Y did not scale back requests for this vehicle type from fans
Tesla fans are happy with the new Model Y, but they’re still vocal about the need for something else.

Tesla launched a slightly longer version of the Model Y all-electric crossover in China, and with it being extremely likely that the vehicle will make its way to other markets, including the United States, fans are still looking for something more.
The new Model Y L in China boasts a slightly larger wheelbase than its original version, giving slightly more interior room with a sixth seat, thanks to a third row.
Tesla exec hints at useful and potentially killer Model Y L feature
Tesla has said throughout the past year that it would focus on developing its affordable, compact models, which were set to begin production in the first half of the year. The company has not indicated whether it met that timeline or not, but many are hoping to see unveilings of those designs potentially during the Q3 earnings call.
However, the modifications to the Model Y, which have not yet been officially announced for any markets outside of China, still don’t seem to be what owners and fans are looking forward to. Instead, they are hoping for something larger.
A few months ago, I reported on the overall consensus within the Tesla community that the company needs a full-size SUV, minivan, or even a cargo van that would be ideal for camping or business use.
Tesla is missing one type of vehicle in its lineup and fans want it fast
That mentality still seems very present amongst fans and owners, who state that a full-size SUV with enough seating for a larger family, more capability in terms of cargo space for camping or business operation, and something to compete with gas cars like the Chevrolet Tahoe, Ford Expedition, or electric ones like the Volkswagen ID.BUZZ.
We asked the question on X, and Tesla fans were nearly unanimously in support of a larger SUV or minivan-type vehicle for the company’s lineup:
🚨 More and more people are *still* saying that, despite this new, longer Model Y, Tesla still needs a true three-row SUV
Do you agree? https://t.co/QmbRDcCE08 pic.twitter.com/p6m5zB4sDZ
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) July 16, 2025
Here’s what some of the respondents said:
100% agree, we need a larger vehicle.
Our model Y is quickly getting too small for our family of 5 as the kids grow. A slightly longer Y with an extra seat is nice but it’s not enough if you’re looking to take it on road trips/vacations/ kids sports gear etc.
Unfortunately we…
— Anthony Hunter (@_LiarsDice_) July 17, 2025
Had to buy a Kia Carnival Hybrid because Tesla doesn’t have a true 3 row vehicle with proper space and respectable range. pic.twitter.com/pzwFyHU8Gi
— Neil, like the astronaut (@Neileeyo) July 17, 2025
Agreed! I’m not sure who created this but I liked it enough to save it. pic.twitter.com/Sof5nMehjS
— 🦉Wise Words of Wisdom – Inspirational Quotes (IQ) (@WiseWordsIQ) July 16, 2025
Tesla is certainly aware that many of its owners would like the company to develop something larger that competes with the large SUVs on the market.
However, it has not stated that anything like that is in the current plans for future vehicles, as it has made a concerted effort to develop Robotaxi alongside the affordable, compact models that it claims are in development.
It has already unveiled the Robovan, a people-mover that can seat up to 20 passengers in a lounge-like interior.
The Robovan will be completely driverless, so it’s unlikely we will see it before the release of a fully autonomous Full Self-Driving suite from Tesla.
Energy
Tesla launches first Virtual Power Plant in UK – get paid to use solar
Tesla has launched its first-ever Virtual Power Plant program in the United Kingdom.

Tesla has launched its first-ever Virtual Power Plant program in the United Kingdom. This feature enables users of solar panels and energy storage systems to sell their excess energy back to the grid.
Tesla is utilizing Octopus Energy, a British renewable energy company that operates in multiple markets, including the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and the United States, as the provider for the VPP launch in the region.
The company states that those who enroll in the program can earn up to £300 per month.
Tesla has operated several VPP programs worldwide, most notably in California, Texas, Connecticut, and the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. This is not the first time Tesla has operated a VPP outside the United States, as there are programs in Australia, Japan, and New Zealand.
This is its first in the UK:
Our first VPP in the UK
You can get paid to share your energy – store excess energy in your Powerwall & sell it back to the grid
You’re making £££ and the community is powered by clean energy
Win-win pic.twitter.com/evhMtJpgy1
— Tesla UK (@tesla_uk) July 17, 2025
Tesla is not the only company that is working with Octopus Energy in the UK for the VPP, as it joins SolarEdge, GivEnergy, and Enphase as other companies that utilize the Octopus platform for their project operations.
It has been six years since Tesla launched its first VPP, as it started its first in Australia back in 2019. In 2024, Tesla paid out over $10 million to those participating in the program.
Participating in the VPP program that Tesla offers not only provides enrolled individuals with the opportunity to earn money, but it also contributes to grid stabilization by supporting local energy grids.
Elon Musk
Waymo responds to Tesla’s Robotaxi expansion in Austin with bold statement
Waymo and Tesla are surely in a battle of “mine’s bigger” right now.

Waymo has responded to Tesla’s Robotaxi expansion in Austin with a bold statement by extending its own geofence by a considerable margin.
Earlier this week, Tesla chose to expand its geofence for its driverless Robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, substantially. The geofence more than doubled, bringing Tesla’s total serviceable area within Austin to approximately 42 square miles.
Tesla’s Robotaxi geofence in Austin grows, and its shape is hard to ignore
This put Tesla ahead of Waymo in terms of its service area in Austin, as the company’s geofence was just 37 square miles.
We reported on how significant this statement was for Tesla, as it has only been operating its driverless Robotaxi platform in Austin for less than a month, compared to Waymo, which has been there since March.
Tesla Robotaxi has already surpassed Waymo in this key metric
Waymo took it as a challenge, it seems, and expanded its geofence, and it did it impressively and massively. Now, Waymo’s geofence spans 90 square miles within Austin, including new neighborhoods such as Crestview, Windsor Park, Sunset Valley, Franklin Park, as well as popular tourist destinations like The Domain and McKinney Falls State Park.
The move “unlocks another key milestone in Austin as our operating territory with Waymo expands from 37 to 90 square miles, which means that even more riders can experience Waymo’s fully autonomous vehicles through the Uber app,” Sarfraz Maredia, Global Head of Autonomous Mobility & Delivery at Uber, said.
Additionally, Shweta Shrivastava, Senior Director of Product Management at Waymo, said:
“Just months after serving our first Austin riders with Uber, we’re excited to offer our 24/7 service to more of the city. The service with our partners at Uber is healthy, and we are ready for more Austinites to experience the magic of fully autonomous driving. Austin remains one of the fastest growing cities in the country, and we are doing our part to grow with it.”
Across the U.S., this expansion brings Waymo’s service area to more than 700 square miles, as it also operates in California and Arizona.
Here’s what the two geofenced regions look like:
🚨 Here’s a comparison of Tesla Robotaxi vs Waymo geofences in Austin https://t.co/6jIaDwBm2I pic.twitter.com/B9jiCIU21F
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) July 17, 2025
The competition between Waymo and Tesla only benefits consumers, as the two companies are evidently sparring for a larger service area in Austin. Tesla launched its interestingly-shaped geofence expansion on Monday, and it seemed that the shape was more of a joke that could also be construed as a warning to competitors.
Tesla could more than likely have pushed its geofence to a larger size, but it purposely chose to do so in a comical fashion.
Now that Waymo has responded in this way, we’ll see if Tesla puts the jokes aside.
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