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Thoughts on Tesla Autopilot under 8.0 vs. 7.0

Published

8 years ago

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Tesla’s latest Version 8.0 of Autopilot has done a complete 180 when it comes to the core technology that powers its driving-assist features. Where the former 7.0 version relied primarily on the front-facing camera to detect obstacles, 8.0 has swapped focus to the onboard radar, making it the main source for Autopilot input. Let that sink in a moment: this very advanced suite of drivers’ assistance features that we’ve all come to trust to propel and Autosteer our cars down the highway has fundamentally changed. One part of me wanted to mentally start over again using Autopilot cautiously and not really trusting that it would do the right thing. The other part of me figured that if Tesla decided to change course, the new tech must be at least as safe and reliable as before.

My very first use of Autopilot features after the 8.0 update was on my usual stop-and-go traffic commute, on the same highway I always take. The car performed as expected and I really had nothing to note. But as luck would have it, we got the update mere days before embarking on our longest Tesla road trip to date. 8 days, 21 Superchargers and 2100 miles. I estimate that 1,750 of those miles were done using Autopilot, with my husband using it for 90% of his drive, and me using it for 60% of the time while I was behind the wheel of our Model S.

Here is what I’ve noticed:

  • Autosteer: The same dark, rainy conditions where I’ve previously experienced Autosteer to be unavailable are still present. I agree, these aren’t ideal for use, so no harm in being unavailable.
  • Car offsets in lane: Exactly as described in Tesla’s 8.0 blog update, the car would move over to hug the far side of its lane when approaching another vehicle in the opposite adjacent lane, if that vehicle was either too close to your side or so large as to take up a lot of space. We saw this several times on our trip, mostly with tractor trailers.
  • Wheel nag more prominent. Very true. The wheel nag now includes a pretty white frame around the entire instrument panel and the ‘red hands of death‘. I went two whole days of driving without the nag even once. The other driver, not so much.
  • Approximately 200 small enhancements that aren’t worth a bullet point. This was the ending bullet on Tesla’s blog update and it sort of tickled me when I first read it. Thinking more now, I see the point. Autopilot technology is so extremely complex and intelligent, with so many moving parts and algorithms that it’s needless for an owner such as myself to even be concerned with knowing it all.

Though a recent poll suggests that Americans still aren’t sure if they’re ready for self-driving technology, hopping behind the wheel of a Tesla with driver-assist features is a good starting point. Autopilot continues to improve and the company’s latest 8.0 is no different. It’s smooth and makes long distance driving a heck of a lot more enjoyable.

Again, everything has changed, while nothing really has. The whole way it works was turned on it’s ear, yet the outcome of using the system is about the same. The car sees two cars ahead and sometimes even three, instead of one in 7.0, and the instrument panel shows as much. That visual change took exactly zero getting used to. I thought the whole system would take some getting used to, some learning curve or at the very least, some trust curve. Nope. What I’ve actually found is that the system is just as reliable as before so keep on using your Autopilot, keep on logging miles, keep on contributing to fleet learning, and keep on helping Tesla to refine the most technologically advanced car ever.

The below video was intended to describe the differences in using Autopilot before and after the 8.0 upgrade.

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Elon Musk seemingly confirms Cybertruck gift to 13-year-old cancer fighter

Diagnosed in 2018 with a rare form of brain and spine cancer with no cure, the teen has undergone 13 surgeries by the time he was 12.

Published

3 weeks ago

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March 6, 2025

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Credit: Tesla

Elon Musk has seemingly confirmed that he will be sending a Tesla Cybertruck to 13-year-old Devarjaye “DJ” Daniel, a 13-year-old Houston boy fighting brain cancer. The teen was recognized as an honorary Secret Service member by U.S. President Donald Trump during his address to Congress on Tuesday. 

A Chance Meeting

The Tesla CEO’s Cybertruck pledge was mentioned during DJ’s short interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins. When Collins asked the 13-year-old what he told the Tesla CEO, DJ answered that he asked for a Cybertruck.

“I said, ‘can you do me a big favor, when you get back to Houston can you send us a Cybertruck down there?’” the cancer fighter stated.

Daniel noted that Musk responded positively to his request, which was highlighted by Collins in a post on X. Musk responded to the post with a heart emoji, suggesting that he really will be sending a Cybertruck to the 13-year-old cancer fighter.

Teen’s Cancer Battle Inspires

Diagnosed in 2018 with a rare form of brain and spine cancer with no cure, Daniel has undergone 13 surgeries by the time he was 12. During his speech, Trump highlighted the 13-year-old’s long battle with his disease. 

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“Joining us in the gallery tonight is a young man who truly loves our police. The doctors gave him five months at most to live. That was more than six years ago. Since that time, DJ and his dad have been on a quest to make his dream come true,” Trump stated.

Daniels officially received an honorary badge from U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran, to much applause during the event.

Surprisingly Partisan

While Daniels’ story has been inspiring, Trump’s focus on the 13-year-old cancer fighter has received its own fair share of criticism. MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace, while referencing Daniels’ love for law enforcement, noted that she is hoping the 13-year-old never has to defend the U.S. capitol against Trump supporters. “If he does, I hope he isn’t one of the six who loses his life to suicide,” Wallace stated.

Anti-Musk and Trump accounts on X have also thrown jokes at the cancer fighter’s honorary badge, with some dubbing the 13-year-old as a “DEI hire” that should be looked into by DOGE.

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Tesla owner highlights underrated benefit of FSD Supervised

Published

2 months ago

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January 31, 2025

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Credit: Tesla

Elon Musk has been pretty open about the idea of FSD being the difference maker for Tesla’s future.

If Tesla succeeds in achieving FSD, it could become the world’s most valuable company. If it doesn’t, then the company would not be able to reach its optimum potential.

FSD Supervised’s safety benefits:

  • But even if FSD is still not perfect today, FSD Supervised is already making a difference on the roads today.
  • This was highlighted in Tesla’s Q4 2024 Vehicle Safety Report.
  • As per Tesla, it recorded one crash for every 5.94 million miles driven in which drivers were using Autopilot technology.
  • For comparison, the most recent data available from the NHTSA and FHWA (from 2023) showed that there was one automobile crash every 702,000 miles in the United States. 

FSD user’s tale:

  • As per an FSD user’s post on social media platform X, FSD Supervised was able to help him drive a relative to a medical facility safely even if he was exhausted.
  • During the trip, the driver only had to monitor FSD Supervised’s performance to make sure the Tesla operated safely.
  • In a vehicle without FSD, such a trip with an exhausted driver would have been quite dangerous. 
  • “This morning, Tesla FSD proved to be an absolute godsend. I had to take my brother-in-law to the hospital in Sugar Land, TX, which is 40 miles away, at the ungodly hour of 4 AM. Both of us were exhausted, and he was understandably anxious about the surgery.
  • “The convenience of sending the hospital’s address directly from my iPhone to my Tesla while still inside my house, then just a single button press once inside, and 40 miles later we were precisely in front of the hospital’s admissions area.This experience really underscores just how transformative this technology can be for society,” Tesla owner JC Christopher noted in his post.

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

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Tesla Optimus “stars” in incredible fanmade action short film

Published

2 months ago

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January 14, 2025

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Credit: @SoKrispyMedia/YouTube

There are few things that prove an enthusiast’s love towards a company more than a dedicated short film. This was highlighted recently when YouTube’s SoKrispyMedia posted a 10-minute action movie starring Optimus, Tesla’s humanoid robot, as well as several of the company’s most iconic products. 

The video: 

  • Shot like a Hollywood action flick, the video featured a rather humorous plot involving a group of thieves that mistakenly targeted a Tesla Model 3 driver. 
  • The Model 3 driver then ended up speaking to Tesla for assistance, and some high-octane and high-speed hijinks ensued.
  • While the short film featured several Tesla products like the Model 3, Superchargers, and the Cybertruck, it is Optimus that truly stole the show.
  • Optimus served several roles in the short film, from an assistant in a Tesla office to a “robocop” enforcer that helped out the Model 3 driver.

Cool inside jokes: 

  • The best Tesla videos are those that show an in-depth knowledge of the company, and SoKrispyMedia definitely had it. 
  • From the opening scenes alone, the video immediately poked fun at TSLA traders, the large number of gray Tesla owners, and the fact that many still do not understand Superchargers.
  • The video even poked fun at Tesla’s software updates, as well as how some Tesla drivers use Autopilot or other features without reading the fine print in the company’s release notes.
  • The video ended with a tour de force of references to Elon Musk products, from the Tesla Cybertruck to the Boring Company Not-a-Flamethrower, which was released back in 2018.

Check out SoKrispyMedia’s Tesla action short film in the video below.

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

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