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Tesla FSD Beta 5 with significant improvements set to roll out in a few days

(Credit: James Locke/YouTube)

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Tesla’s limited Full Self-Driving beta has only been released to a select few electric car owners for a month, but the driver-assist system has already shown significant improvements. And if a recent tweet from CEO Elon Musk is any indication, optimizations in the performance of the Full Self-Driving suite are coming within the next few days. 

While responding to a Teslarati article featuring a real-world test of a Model S navigating through Las Vegas Boulevard on its own, Musk noted that “FSD Beta 5” is poised for release soon. The CEO seemed optimistic about the upcoming update, stating that the improvements to the system will likely be significant. “FSD Beta 5 coming out in a few days. Improvement should be significant,” Musk wrote. 

Musk’s announcement actually goes in line with the CEO’s statements a few weeks ago, when he remarked that updates for the FSD beta would be rolled out every 5 to 10 days. This signifies an incredibly rapid rollout strategy for the Full Self-Driving suite, which should allow the company to introduce new features and performance improvements quickly. 

When asked about his earlier references to an end-to-end system that involves the Neural Network taking camera feeds as input and acceleration, braking, and steering as output, Musk noted that such a solution, while simple, is still far away. The CEO instead highlighted that the most notable improvements coming to Tesla will likely be the 360-degree, high-FPS video labeling, and training inference. These are set to be released in the near future. 

The rate of improvement for the FSD beta’s driving capabilities has been quite impressive so far, with some Tesla owners remarking that it almost feels like their cars are learning on the fly. This was exhibited by a limited FSD beta tester James Locke, who drove his Model 3 through a 180-degree forced turn thrice. During the course of the test, the FSD beta seemed to improve on the spot, handling the turn better and more confidently each time. This was likely due to the vehicle’s capability to detect speed limits in the area, but it does show that Tesla’s electric cars are getting better at navigating streets on their own. 

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Just recently, Elon Musk referenced an upcoming Tesla holiday software release that will feature many things that have been requested by electric car owners and even some that they “didn’t know they wanted.” Speculations suggest that this holiday update may be Tesla’s highly anticipated “V11” software, the successor of the current V10 software released over a year ago. Together with V11 will likely be massive improvements in Autopilot, and if Musk’s recent update is anything to go by, some solid FSD beta optimizations as well. 

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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Cybertruck

Tesla clears the air on Cybertruck ‘deactivation’ video that is obviously fake

Tesla has cleared the air on the viral video, stating it is fake.

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Credit: Cybertruck | X

Tesla has cleared the air regarding a video that has been circulating, where the owner claims his Cybertruck was “deactivated” by the company while he was driving.

The video was shared on X and showed a driver pulled over on the side of the road, claiming his Cybertruck had been deactivated by Tesla in the middle of traffic. It is very obviously fake to those who know the company, but these kinds of things have a tendency to pick up steam.

The video shows a screen that says:

“Tesla Cybertruck De-Activated. Critical Issue Detected | Contact Customer Service, Comply with Cease & Desist to Re-Activate. Update Failed, Return to Dealer.”

The same person who posted the video also shared an image of what appears to be a Cease and Desist letter from Tesla, but it is also likely fake:

The company finally responded to the video on Monday afternoon, stating that the video is, in fact, fake, reiterating that it will not disable vehicles remotely for any reason.

It is a shame that these types of things happen, especially as people are prone to believe anything they see on the internet. As there is so much misinformation circulating surrounding Tesla and its CEO Elon Musk, it is no surprise that someone would leverage the situation for their own benefit.

If that Cease and Desist letter is not real, perhaps the next one might be. These types of things can truly cause damage to a company’s reputation, and someone getting an idea that Tesla would remotely deactivate a car could prevent them from buying one.

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Elon Musk

Elon Musk is stepping up for Tesla Service in a big way

Elon Musk has stepped up to resolve a handful of customer issues regarding vehicle service.

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tesla service
Credit: Tesla

Elon Musk is stepping up to help customers in a big way, especially when they are having issues with Tesla’s Service.

Perhaps one of the biggest advantages Tesla owners have is access to Musk through X, his social media platform. Over the years, we’ve seen Tesla add features, refine its cars’ performance, and more, all through asking Musk directly through a post.

Now, Musk is stepping up in another way by resolving a few Service complaints that customers had.

The first occurred last week when a recall on a Tesla battery was not honored by Service. The company sought $30,000 for a replacement and labor, which was not right. Musk responded that he would personally investigate the matter. The vehicle was fixed at no cost as it was a recall, and was ready for pickup the next day.

It also revealed a new strategy Tesla is using to combat service communication issues:

Tesla creates clever solution to simplify and improve its Service

The next occurred with a Cybertruck owner who was in Japan. Their car was parked at an airport in the U.S. and had lost a vast majority of its state of charge, leaving them just fifty miles of range at the time.

Musk reached out to the owner and said Service will take care of the car and will investigate the cause of the battery drain:

There are not too many companies out there where the CEO will get involved with individual issues like these. It’s pretty exclusive to Tesla, as Musk has commonly stepped up to resolve complaints with vehicles or to confront features that some owners might find useful.

Service has been a weak point of the company for some time, but it has worked to refine and resolve customer complaints by building more Service Centers across the world that can handle these issues.

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Elon Musk

Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirms Robotaxi is opening to the public: here’s when

Anyone will be able to request a Tesla Robotaxi in September, Elon Musk said this morning.

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Credit: Joe Tegtmeyer | X

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has confirmed that the company’s Robotaxi platform is opening to the public, and he even gave a timeline for when anyone will be able to access one for a ride.

Tesla’s Robotaxi platform launched to a small group on June 22 in Austin, Texas. The company has continued to expand the number of riders and its geofence over the past month and a half.

Tesla officially launches Robotaxi service with no driver

Additionally, it launched rides in the Bay Area of California, but it differs slightly, as the Texas Robotaxi platform does not utilize a Safety Monitor in the driver’s seat. In California, the monitor sits in the driver’s seat.

As the geofence, service areas, and testing populations expand, Tesla fans are awaiting their elusive emails that enable their ability to use the Robotaxi platform. It now seems that the email will come soon, as Musk said Tesla will open up public access to Robotaxi next month:

Tesla has been prioritizing safety over anything else with the launch of the Robotaxi platform, which is why it has been slow to push invitations to new riders. It is confident in the abilities of the platform and its Full Self-Driving suite, which has been proven with data.

However, even a single accident could set Tesla back years in terms of its development of self-driving cars. It is not a risk it is willing to take.

Musk said during the recent Q2 Earnings Call:

“We need to make sure it works when the vehicles are fully under our control. It’s kind of one step at a time here. We don’t want to jump the gun. As I said, we’re being paranoid about safety. But I guess next year is I’d say confidently next year. I’m not sure when next year, but confidently next year, people would be able to add or subtract their car to the Tesla, Inc. fleet.”

As the platform will expand in Austin and the Bay Area for anyone, Tesla still continues to reiterate that Robotaxi will be available for everyone sometime next year, as Musk said in the quote above.

Things will continue to improve over time, and Tesla will likely expand its geofence in both regions in the coming weeks. It has already done that in Austin twice, with about a doubling in size occurring both times.

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