Tesla owners @tesla_raj and @teslaownersSV recently went out on the open road to conduct a real-world test of the EV automaker’s limited Full Self-Driving beta update. FSD’s limited beta was released in late October 21 to early access Tesla owners, and it’s expected to represent some of the improvements resulting from the company’s Autopilot rewrite.
Speaking about the FSD update, Tesla Raj noted how distinctly different Tesla’s Full Self-Driving software acted as soon as it hit the road during his real-world test. “So when getting into the car, it didn’t initially get presented with Full Self-Driving, until you were out of your driveway but still in a residential court. It was at that moment that the screen changed into a computerized graphic from the future that basically looked like you were seeing what the computer sees,” he said in a YouTube video about his experience.
The new FSD visuals give the impression that drivers are seeing into the mind that Tesla’s AI team built. The electric car enthusiast noticed that the car seemed to be seeing much more than it used to, from the shoulder of the road before turning to people walking around the car, and more.
The two Tesla enthusiasts activated FSD while navigating through city streets, a function that Full Self-Driving’s previous iterations did not have the capability to do. He stated that Tesla’s FSD was heavily dependent on lane markers before the limited beta’s release. Its dependence on lane markers made it difficult for FSD to navigate residential streets.
The new update didn’t seem to have any trouble driving through a residential area, nor did it have trouble with turns. Previously, FSD did not make left and right turns on its own. Tesla’s Full Self-Driving software only kept the car in its lane, helped merge out of lanes, and stopped at red traffic lights or stop signs with confirmation.
During their real-world test, the two EV enthusiasts demonstrated how Teslas could perform turns with the limited FSD beta. The feat might be minor for most experienced drivers, but not so much for new ones. Making turns can be scary even for human drivers after all, especially in crowded roads with drivers that are lacking in the tact department. So FSD making a turn on its own, and carefully at that, is quite an accomplishment.
The duo was also able to see the difference between FSD’s reaction to a stoplight in an intersection and a green light in an intersection. Tesla Raj observed how human-like FSD acted in these instances. For example, the car stopped at intersections and crept forward slowly–as if it were pausing to check if there were oncoming cars–before executing the turn.
The tiny action really showcased how far Tesla has come in the development of FSD. In the past few months, Elon Musk provided Tesla owners with tidbits here and there about the improvements that will be coming with the Autopilot rewrite. He teased the profound ramifications of the rewrite, particularly in relation to FSD. And when Tesla finally released the limited FSD beta, it certainly did not disappoint.
Tesla’s limited FSD beta will continue to roll out to more early access owners during the weekend, giving the community something to look forward to as the workweek ends. As Full Self-Driving beta is released to more early access owners, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced that the price of FSD would be raised by $2,000 soon. The current price of FSD is $8,000. Later, he tweeted the price increase would take effect on Thursday, October 29, for the US market only.
Watch Tesla Raj’s insights about his experiences with the limited FSD beta in the video below.