Tesla Full Self-Driving (FSD) Beta 10.69.3.1 has been out for some time now, and Teslarati talked to a few beta testers about the update.
Below are some notes and observations about v.10.69.3.1 from Tesla FSD Beta Testers.
FSD Beta 10.69.3.1 and Lanes
Lane selection has been one of the issues that most FSD Beta testers bring up when they talk to Teslarati. Before 10.69.3.1, FSD Beta reportedly had trouble understanding when to switch lanes, which one to switch to, or when to remain in a lane. FSD Beta testers are still experiencing lane selection issues.
“Not only has lane selection in anticipating a turn been a step back for me, lane selection whilst performing dual lane left-hand turns still suffer. The car doesn’t stay in its assigned lane but drifts. This does not happen on right turns,” said Les, a long-time FSD Beta tester.
“Lane selection still has issues. Most of the time it’s ok, but occasionally, it does strange things like changing into the right lane momentarily, then back to the left when there is an upcoming left-hand turn,” noted FSD Beta tester Sandy.
Turn Issues in FSD Beta 10.69.3.1
Les and fellow FSD Beta tester Sandy mentioned other lane issues related to turns. Les noted that one of the biggest step back with FSD Beta 10.69.3.1 occurs when the car faces an upcoming turn.
“On previous builds, the car would only occasionally move in the opposite lane direction of an upcoming turn. On this build, virtually every turn I had upcoming, when the car got within half a mile of said turn, it would signal and move into the lane of the opposite direction,” Les said.
“Virtually every right turn I’ve had upcoming, the car, inexplicably, signals and changes into the left-hand lane. Same for left-hand turns, within half a mile out the car signaled and changed into the right-hand lane. Confounding to say the least, to the point of comedy,” he added.
Sandy noticed that his car requires interventions or disconnects at stop signs sometimes. In the past, other FSD Beta testers have mentioned that their vehicle experiences jerky movements or their signal lights turn off and on during intersections, traffic lights, and stop signs. It’s as if the car is deciding whether the driver wants to turn or not.
“Following and lane changes seem smoother and more natural,” said Sandy. “However, it still has issues that require intervention/disconnects. When it creeps at stop signs, it can make jerky movements with steering wheel and, imo, it creeps to slowly and takes too long before proceeding.”
Mixed Reviews for 10.69.3.1
As with all of Tesla’s FSD Beta updates, there have been a few good reviews and bad ones. Beta testers tend to focus on the issues, as it is their responsibility to report them so Tesla can improve FSD. However, testers also report significant improvements they see during their drives.
In the case of 10.69.3.1, it seems like FSD Beta received mixed reviews. Some testers believed that the update significantly improved the advanced driver assist software while others thought it was a step back.
“I have tested the 10.69.3.1 build on my Model Y, and it’s a giant leap forward from builds prior to 10.69,” observed Tony, a Model Y owner and a member of the FSD Beta program.
Tony noted that the biggest changes were improvements to acceleration, smoother turns, and less necessary steering wheel input. Sandy also observed more improvements with Tesla FSD Beta 10.69.3.1 rather than issues.
On the other hand, Les believed that v.10.69.3.1 was a step back for FSD Beta.
“These 10.69.3.1 step backs are the biggest in my FSD Beta testing experience to date. Previous builds have been much better for me. But again, I understand the process; updates are sometimes “2 steps forward and 1 step back.” I still enjoy testing. The product isn’t finished yet,” he said.
Tesla FSD Beta Wide Release
Tesla started the wide release of FSD Beta v.10.69.3.1 in late November. A day after its release, Tesla rolled out FSD Beta to cars with less than 100 Autopilot miles and Safety Scores lower than 80.
The EV maker rolled out FSD Beta V11 to a few testers already. FSD Beta V11 is Tesla’s single-stack update. However, update 10.69.3.1 seems to be rolling out to more testers.
Tesla also made Full Self-Driving Beta available to anyone in North America who purchases it from their car screen. Now that Tesla has released FSD Beta to anyone in North America interested in trying it out, the company might want to streamline its performance. Based on Teslarati‘s interviews with FSD Beta Testers, the software performs differently based on location, driver, terrain, and other factors.
“Phantom braking on city streets (not highways) returned for me in one bizarre instance; it wasn’t the sudden hard kind of braking, rather this was a new braking behavior that was slow and gradual almost to a stop while I was going straight in the middle lane of a three-lane road. Not at a turn, wasn’t going through an intersection, and the road was clear,” described Les in one instance.
“There were no cars around me so I let the car do its thing to see what it was doing; it literally started slowing from 40mph to 5mph before I disengaged and accelerated back up to speed. Very weird. I went back to that spot a couple days later and the car didn’t do it. It acted normal,” he explained.
Tesla Full Self-Driving has not received regulatory approval yet. It still faces a lot of skepticism, especially in terms of safety. Delivering consistent, reliable performances in various driving situations might help it get regulatory approval.
Are you an FSD Beta tester? Have you tried out V11? If you have, I’d like to hear from you! Contact me at maria@teslarati.com or via Twitter @Writer_01001101.
Energy
Tesla launches Cybertruck vehicle-to-grid program in Texas
The initiative was announced by the official Tesla Energy account on social media platform X.
Tesla has launched a vehicle-to-grid (V2G) program in Texas, allowing eligible Cybertruck owners to send energy back to the grid during high-demand events and receive compensation on their utility bills.
The initiative, dubbed Powershare Grid Support, was announced by the official Tesla Energy account on social media platform X.
Texas’ Cybertruck V2G program
In its post on X, Tesla Energy confirmed that vehicle-to-grid functionality is “coming soon,” starting with select Texas markets. Under the new Powershare Grid Support program, owners of the Cybertruck equipped with Powershare home backup hardware can opt in through the Tesla app and participate in short-notice grid stress events.
During these events, the Cybertruck automatically discharges excess energy back to the grid, supporting local utilities such as CenterPoint Energy and Oncor. In return, participants receive compensation in the form of bill credits. Tesla noted that the program is currently invitation-only as part of an early adopter rollout.
The launch builds on the Cybertruck’s existing Powershare capability, which allows the vehicle to provide up to 11.5 kW of power for home backup. Tesla added that the program is expected to expand to California next, with eligibility tied to utilities such as PG&E, SCE, and SDG&E.
Powershare Grid Support
To participate in Texas, Cybertruck owners must live in areas served by CenterPoint Energy or Oncor, have Powershare equipment installed, enroll in the Tesla Electric Drive plan, and opt in through the Tesla app. Once enrolled, vehicles would be able to contribute power during high-demand events, helping stabilize the grid.
Tesla noted that events may occur with little notice, so participants are encouraged to keep their Cybertrucks plugged in when at home and to manage their discharge limits based on personal needs. Compensation varies depending on the electricity plan, similar to how Powerwall owners in some regions have earned substantial credits by participating in Virtual Power Plant (VPP) programs.
News
Samsung nears Tesla AI chip ramp with early approval at TX factory
This marks a key step towards the tech giant’s production of Tesla’s next-generation AI5 chips in the United States.
Samsung has received temporary approval to begin limited operations at its semiconductor plant in Taylor, Texas.
This marks a key step towards the tech giant’s production of Tesla’s next-generation AI5 chips in the United States.
Samsung clears early operations hurdle
As noted in a report from Korea JoongAng Daily, Samsung Electronics has secured temporary certificates of occupancy (TCOs) for a portion of its semiconductor facility in Taylor. This should allow the facility to start operations ahead of full completion later this year.
City officials confirmed that approximately 88,000 square feet of Samsung’s Fab 1 building has received temporary approval, with additional areas expected to follow. The overall timeline for permitting the remaining sections has not yet been finalized.
Samsung’s Taylor facility is expected to manufacture Tesla’s AI5 chips once mass production begins in the second half of the year. The facility is also expected to produce Tesla’s upcoming AI6 chips.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently stated that the design for AI5 is nearly complete, and the development of AI6 is already underway. Musk has previously outlined an aggressive roadmap targeting nine-month design cycles for successive generations of its AI chips.
Samsung’s U.S. expansion
Construction at the Taylor site remains on schedule. Reports indicate Samsung plans to begin testing extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment next month, a critical step for producing advanced 2-nanometer semiconductors.
Samsung is expected to complete 6 million square feet of floor space at the site by the end of this year, with an additional 1 million square feet planned by 2028. The full campus spans more than 1,200 acres.
Beyond Tesla, Samsung Foundry is also pursuing additional U.S. customers as demand for AI and high-performance computing chips accelerates. Company executives have stated that Samsung is looking to achieve more than 130% growth in 2-nanometer chip orders this year.
One of Samsung’s biggest rivals, TSMC, is also looking to expand its footprint in the United States, with reports suggesting that the company is considering expanding its Arizona facility to as many as 11 total plants. TSMC is also expected to produce Tesla’s AI5 chips.
News
Anti-Tesla union leader ditches X, urges use of Threads instead
Tesla Sweden and IF Metall have been engaged in a bitter dispute for over two years now.
Marie Nilsson, chair of Sweden’s IF Metall union and a prominent critic of Tesla, has left X and is urging audiences to follow the union on Meta’s Threads instead.
Tesla Sweden and IF Metall have been engaged in a bitter dispute for over two years now.
Anti-Tesla union leader exits X
In a comment to Dagens Arbete (DA), Nilsson noted that her exit from X is not formally tied to IF Metall’s long-running labor dispute with Tesla Sweden. Still, she stated that her departure is affected by changes to the platform under Elon Musk’s leadership.
“We have stayed because many journalists pick up news there. But as more and more people have left X, we have felt that the standard has now been reached on that platform,” she said.
Jesper Pettersson, press officer at IF Metall, highlighted that the union’s departure from X is only indirectly linked to Tesla Sweden and Elon Musk. “Indirectly it does, since there is a lot of evidence that his ownership has caused the change in the platform to be so significant.
“We have nevertheless assessed that the platform had value for reaching journalists, politicians and other opinion leaders. But it is a microscopic proportion of the public and our members who are there, and now that value has decreased,” Petterson added.
IF Metall sees Threads as an X alternative
After leaving X, IF Metall has begun using Threads, Meta’s alternative to the social media platform. The union described the move as experimental, noting that it is still evaluating how effective the platform will be for outreach and visibility.
Pettersson acknowledged that Meta also does not operate under Sweden’s collective bargaining model, but said the union sees little alternative if it wants to remain visible online.
“In a perfect world, all large international companies would be supporters of the Swedish model when they come here. But unfortunately, the reality is not like that. If we are to be visible at all in this social media world, we have to play by the rules of the game. The alternative would be to become completely invisible, and that would not benefit our members,” he said.
Tesla launches Cybertruck vehicle-to-grid program in Texas
Samsung nears Tesla AI chip ramp with early approval at TX factory
