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Tesla “Request FSD Beta” button formally gets released
After months of waiting, Tesla owners who wish to take part in the company’s FSD Beta program could now formally request the advanced driver-assist system to be loaded into their vehicle. The release of the “Request FSD Beta” button comes before the rollout of FSD Beta 10.1, which is expected to be distributed to the company’s testers over the weekend.
The wait has been long for Tesla owners who are looking to test out the company’s most advanced driver-assist system to date. Initially intended for release months ago, the rollout of the “Request FSD Beta” button has been delayed multiple times. True to Elon Musk’s recent statements on Twitter, however, the wait for the famed button is now over, with Tesla releasing the function in its software update 2021.32.22. As per the update’s Release Notes:
Just received @tesla software update version 2021.32.22 for our model S a couple hours ago. Request Full Self-Driving Beta is here @elonmusk ! https://t.co/miJElVf01S pic.twitter.com/feLnkbPI8R
— Sofiaan Fraval (@Sofiaan) September 25, 2021
“Request Full Self-Driving Beta”
“You can now request early access to Full Self-Driving Beta pending eligibility. To get started, tap ‘Controls’>’ Autopilot’>Request Full Self-Driving Beta’ and follow the instructions.”
Similar to the FSD Beta program that has initially been released to the company’s first batch of testers last October, Tesla made it a serious point to highlight that safety must be paramount when using the advanced driver-assist system. This could be seen in the heavy emphasis on cautious driving that the company references in its recent update, as well as the use of Safety Scores to determine which drivers are eligible for the program.
https://twitter.com/28delayslater/status/1441716622868172805?s=21
“Thank you for your interest in limited early access Full Self-Driving Beta! The Tesla team is analyzing your vehicle driving data and Safety Score to determine eligibility. You can view your Safety Score from the Tesla app at any time (version 4.1.0 or newer). If eligible, you will receive a software update as part of the limited early access,” Tesla wrote, adding that owners also have the option to opt-out of the FSD Beta test program.
Tesla requires owners to agree to a number of terms and conditions for the FSD Beta program. First off, the company noted that owners must “consent to the collection and review of ongoing VIN-associated vehicle driving data” while enrolled in the program. Also, participants must “understand that when using FSD Beta, (they are) responsible for remaining alert with (their) hands on the wheel, and must be prepared to take action at any time.”
— Flavin (@Flavinrocks) September 25, 2021
The company further made it clear that while FSD Beta would provide vehicles with advanced driver-assist capabilities that would enable navigation on areas such as inner-city roads, “FSD Beta does not make (vehicles) autonomous.” Tesla also made it clear that access to the advanced driver-assist system could be revoked at any time. This should discourage drivers from abusing the system, such as when Consumer Reports posted a video showing how to use Autopilot without anyone in the driver’s seat.
FSD Beta request button goes live tonight, but FSD 10.1 needs another 24 hours of testing, so out tomorrow night
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 25, 2021
Tesla’s emphasis on safe driving with the release of the “Request FSD Beta” button is understandable. The scrutiny faced by new technologies such as Autopilot and FSD is immense, after all, and it would be very easy for critics to take control of the narrative if something untoward were to happen. This was highlighted by Elon Musk recently when he noted on Twitter that the initial ~2,000 FSD Beta testers have been testing the advanced driver-assist system for almost a year with no accidents whatsoever. As the program expands with the “Request FSD Beta” button, Tesla would definitely do what it can to keep the system’s safety record as intact as possible.
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Tesla Cybercab is using a unique strategy for picking up the correct rider, which is a crucial part of ride-hailing to ensure people end up in the right place and are charged the correct price.
Cybercab will utilize an RGB strip in its front light bar that will illuminate in a variety of different colors to mark itself.
This identifying mark will also appear in the Robotaxi app, giving riders in the same location a notable distinction in an effort to avoid any confusion regarding who should get in each vehicle.
🚨 Tesla is using different light bar colors to help riders understand which vehicle is theirs
Pretty cool strategy pic.twitter.com/eGMpEMeRpc
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 27, 2026
Other ride-hailing services use similar strategies: Lyft and Uber rides are recognizable through driver identity, vehicle type and color, as well as license plate. Waymo will display the rider’s initials on top of the vehicle, letting them know that the specific vehicle for them has arrived.
Tesla’s strategy is unique and interesting, but there are some flaws. Cybercab’s main purpose is aimed toward being an autonomous ride for all, including those who have disabilities like being blind or even color blind.
Tesla will likely have something in the pipeline for those who cannot see colors or have limited vision. There will definitely be multiple ways to identify which vehicle is the one that “you” specifically ordered.
Cybercab is set to start giving public rides next Thursday, September 3, in Austin, as it announced a dedicated event last week and invited many members of the Tesla community.
Additionally, members of the public will be invited as well. Tesla has been offering employee rides in Cybercab for nearly two months.
Tesla has said goodbye to one customization option for its vehicles: the wrap service it launched several years ago.
After launching an in-house wrap service in August 2020 for the first time in China. In the U.S., it launched in October 2023. Tesla continued to expand the program and adjust it with better pricing and fewer options for the Cybertruck.
By December 2023, it was giving owners of the Model 3, Model Y, and the Cybertruck the opportunity to give their vehicle a fresh look with a vinyl wrap.
Tesla revamps in-house vinyl wrap service with better pricing
It was only available in five locations: Costa Mesa, Oceanside, Santa Clara, West Covina, all in California, and Seattle, Washington.
However, Tesla made some big adjustments to its shop, and the wrap service is officially gone:
Tesla has made a LOT of changes to its online shop recently — price increases, price cuts, new options, and several products being removed entirely.
Some of the biggest increases are wheel covers. 👀
📈 PRICE INCREASES
• 2017-2023 | Model 3 Aero Wheel Cover — Style: Refresh…— Phoenix Self-Driving 🐦🔥 (@PhoenixFSD) August 25, 2026
Wraps are very popular across the Tesla lineup, especially since the company offers relatively few colors. Many choose to wrap their Teslas with interesting colors, patterns, or even finishes, turning their cars from glossy to satin or matte.
However, Tesla’s wrap service was so limited geographically that it never really had a chance to get off the ground or compete with local shops. Every area in the United States is now overflowing with detailing shops, mobile detailers, and other automotive specialists, many of whom perform wrap services.
Tesla’s service was confined to the Pacific time zone and only spanned across two states. It was never going to be something Tesla was a major competitor in, nor was it going to disrupt the wrapping industry. Now that the program has ended, it seems pretty ideal to believe it was always going to be a short-term thing.
Along with the wrap service, Tesla removed several other products, but nothing too crazy. The Model 3 Door Pocket and Cupholder Liners, the Model S 19″ Magnetite Wheel and Winter Tire Package, Model X/Y Ski/Snowboard Carrier for Hitch Rack, Tesla’s Electric Summer Party Tee, and the Electric Summer Tee were the other items the company totally eliminated from its online shop.
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Tesla Robotaxi fleet gets a brain upgrade ahead of Cybercab launch event
Tesla’s Robotaxi service now runs longer hours nationwide as its unsupervised fleet quietly grows larger.
Tesla’s Robotaxi service just got easier to catch, with the company’s official Robotaxi account noting that rides are now available from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week, across its operating footprint. The account also said its unsupervised fleet is “a lot bigger” than before, though without specifics. The bigger change is what Tesla says upgraded intelligence in vehicle distribution and routing is what’s actually cutting wait times, not a new Full Self-Driving version.
While Tesla did not name the team behind the upgrade, the language points to its AI and fleet software group rather than the driving stack itself. Vehicle distribution and routing in Robotaxi has functioned mostly as a dispatch problem with the software deciding which idle car goes to which rider, and how far it has to travel to get there. “Upgraded intelligence” suggests a smarter version of that dispatch logic, likely using demand forecasting to position idle cars near where riders are about to request them rather than reacting once a request comes in. Tesla’s AI division has built similar prediction systems for other parts of the business, including the neural networks that power FSD itself, so applying that same approach to fleet logistics would be a natural extension rather than a new discipline for the team.
Robotaxi now runs 6am to 10pm, 7 days/week
Unsupervised fleet is a lot bigger
Also, upgraded intelligence in vehicle distribution & routing means you wait less pic.twitter.com/UFZ4bqg2dZ
— Tesla Robotaxi (@robotaxi) August 26, 2026
Tesla is also about a week away from a separate robotaxi milestone. The company plans to launch Cybercab, its purpose built two seat robotaxi with no steering wheel or pedals, in Austin on September 3. Cybercab has been giving employees rides on public and private roads for weeks, and the September event is expected to fold those vehicles into the existing Robotaxi fleet within days of the launch.
Thank you so much @Tesla for inviting us to the Cybercab launch in Austin! 🤠 pic.twitter.com/F1rAR8zd5O
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 22, 2026
Austin previously ran Robotaxi from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. as of last September, a schedule set before the service expanded into Dallas, Houston, Miami, Tampa, Orlando and the Bay Area. Wednesday’s post did not specify whether that extended overnight window still applies in Austin specifically or whether 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. is now the standard across every market. Tesla’s post, visible on its official Robotaxi account, framed the change simply as fewer riders waiting around for a car.
Whether the wider hours hold once Cybercab enters the fleet next week is the next thing worth watching. Tesla has tended to expand Robotaxi in increments, first geofence, then hours, then fleet size, and each step so far has arrived without much advance notice.
Police sergeant recounts his Neuralink journey with Elon Musk’s brain chip
Tesla Cybercab uses a unique strategy for picking up the right rider
