Tesla’s FSD Beta may very well be the most robust advanced driver-assist system today that is capable of navigating most roads without pre-mapped data, but the system’s improvements over the past nine months since its initial rollout have been fairly subtle. That is, at least, until one compares the performance of FSD Beta’s capabilities today from its performance back in October 2020.
Even in its initial iteration, FSD Beta was immediately impressive. It was, however, not perfect, and videos of the system in action showed that members of Tesla’s FSD Beta program were still performing manual interventions. This was the case for Tesla Model 3 owner and FSD Beta tester James Locke, who has been testing the capabilities of the advanced driver-assist system for nine months now.
What is rather interesting with Locke’s FSD Beta tests is the fact that he generally operates the advanced driver-assist system through the same routes. This means that one could effectively compare the behavior and capabilities of FSD Beta from its present iteration to its initial version from back in October 2020. A video highlighting these comparisons was recently shared in YouTube’s ElonX channel, which features footage from tests conducted with FSD Beta 2020.40.8.11 and FSD Beta 9.1.
A quick look at the footage compiled in the video would show that FSD Beta has become significantly more proficient over the past nine months. Videos from October 2020 showed a system that is able to handle most driving tasks but is still unsure about some of its behavior on the road. This could be seen in the way the FSD Beta 2020.40.8.11 performed left-hand turns or how it handled speed bumps. Clips from October 2020 also featured some phantom braking incidents.
In comparison, footage of FSD Beta 9.1 shows a system that is far more confident and proficient on the road. From its smooth left-hand turns and its lack of phantom braking incidents, FSD Beta 9.1 is evidently a massive upgrade compared to 2020.40.8.11. Of course, V9.1 is still not perfect, and it still has some behavior to improve, but a comparison between its capabilities today to its performance nine months ago is practically night and day.
Watch a comparison of FSD Beta V9.1’s performance compared to its iteration nine months ago in the video below.
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