News
Tesla owners share first impressions of FSD V12.5 on Hardware 3 vehicles
It appears that Tesla is now ramping the release of FSD V12.5.1.5 to more Hardware 3 vehicles. Based on comments from HW3 Tesla owners on social media, it appears that the recently released update represents a good step forward for the advanced driver-assist system.
As noted by Tesla Director of Autopilot Software Ashok Elluswamy in a recent comment on social media platform X, the company was able to achieve similar performance as HW4’s FSD V12.5 release with a smaller model for Hardware 3 vehicles. He also noted that deploying the larger model required Tesla to “implement a few kernels in the compiler to emulate the same operations that are natively supported on the AI4 hardware.”
First Drive of 12.5.1.5 on HW3! Fixed the One Main Issue on this route! pic.twitter.com/6RDBIwwD2l— Rocco Speranza (@R0cco_Speranza) August 23, 2024
While initial reports of FSD V12.5’s HW3 release still suggested that the software was being rolled out to employees, later posts on social media suggested that regular consumers were also receiving the update. Reviews posted on social media from longtime Tesla owners so far suggest that FSD V12.5 may very well be the best version of the advanced driver assist system that has been rolled out to HW3 vehicles to date.
? FSD 12.5.1.5 Initial impression on HW3 (compared to 12.4.3)
• Feels smoother
• Seems to be able to anticipate other cars' movement much better
• Overall it feels "quicker" and more confident in making decisions
• Highway stack definitely feels more decisive
• Too low… https://t.co/TpUpGHNiQk pic.twitter.com/pgd9jTU2Mv— Effetto Tesla (@EffettoTesla) August 23, 2024
Among the most prominent comments from HW3 vehicle owners was that FSD V12.5 definitely feels smoother than previous iterations of the advanced driver assist system. The build reportedly also feels quicker and more confident in making decisions. This is quite evident in the freeway, as the highway stack has reportedly become more decisive with the V12.5 update as well. That being said, some owners also mentioned that V12.5’s auto speed is a bit too slow in Hardware 3 vehicles.
FSD 12.5.1.5 first impressions on HW3 “legacy” Model S (~45 min drive)
– the 12.5 magic is definitely still there. it takes natural paths through all the turns, has very good lane positioning, and much better acceleration / braking than any version so far
– it’s not hands free… pic.twitter.com/FYgEQcckOz— ΛI DRIVR (@AIDRIVR) August 23, 2024
Longtime FSD tester @AIDRIVR, who uses a Hardware 3 Tesla Model S with no interior camera, observed that the new update tends to take natural paths through turns. He also noted that FSD V12.5 has very good lane positioning. The update reportedly also featured the best acceleration and braking compared to any FSD version that has been released to date.
I just took FSD 12.5.1.5 (HW3) out for a quick after dark drive. It was flawless and extremely comfortable. However….!!! I think I could have said the same about many previous releases under the same situation. More testing required to form a full opinion. @BarryGoodStocks https://t.co/FKAAxvuNNw— FSD (Beta) Test Pilot (@j32pmxr) August 23, 2024
Overall, it does appear that FSD V12.5 is a solid release for Hardware 3 vehicles. However, it does present some concerns about how fast older Teslas would be receiving the latest updates from the electric vehicle maker. Tesla first started selling FSD as an add-on for Enhanced Autopilot in 2016, after all, and Hardware 3 was only made available for vehicles in 2019. Hardware 4 was released in 2023.
Watch a video of FSD V12.5 on a Hardware 3 vehicle below.
Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.
Elon Musk
Tesla to increase Full Self-Driving subscription price: here’s when
Tesla will increase its Full Self-Driving subscription price, meaning it will eventually be more than the current $99 per month price tag it has right now.
Already stating that the ability to purchase the suite outright will be removed, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said earlier this week that the Full Self-Driving subscription price would increase when its capabilities improve:
“I should also mention that the $99/month for supervised FSD will rise as FSD’s capabilities improve. The massive value jump is when you can be on your phone or sleeping for the entire ride (unsupervised FSD).”
This was an expected change, especially as Tesla has been hinting for some time that it is approaching a feature-complete version of Full Self-Driving that will no longer require driver supervision. However, with the increase, some are concerned that they may be priced out.
$99 per month is already a tough ask for some. While Full Self-Driving is definitely worth it just due to the capabilities, not every driver is ready to add potentially 50 percent to their car payment each month to have it.
While Tesla has not revealed any target price for FSD, it does seem that it will go up to at least $150.
I should also mention that the $99/month for supervised FSD will rise as FSD’s capabilities improve.
The massive value jump is when you can be on your phone or sleeping for the entire ride (unsupervised FSD). https://t.co/YDKhXN3aaG
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 23, 2026
Additionally, the ability to purchase the suite outright is also being eliminated on February 14, which gives owners another reason to be slightly concerned about whether they will be able to afford to continue paying for Full Self-Driving in any capacity.
Some owners have requested a tiered program, which would allow people to pay for the capabilities they want at a discounted price.
Unsupervised FSD would be the most expensive, and although the company started removing Autopilot from some vehicles, it seems a Supervised FSD suite would still attract people to pay between $49 and $99 per month, as it is very useful.
Tesla will likely release pricing for the Unsupervised suite when it is available, but price increases could still come to the Supervised version as things improve.
This is not the first time Musk has hinted that the price would change with capability improvements, either. He’s been saying it for some time. In 2020, he even said the value of FSD would “probably be somewhere in excess of $100,000.”
The FSD price will continue to rise as the software gets closer to full self-driving capability with regulatory approval. It that point, the value of FSD is probably somewhere in excess of $100,000.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 18, 2020
News
Tesla starts removing outright Full Self-Driving purchase option at time of order
Tesla has chosen to axe the ability to purchase Full Self-Driving outright from a select group of cars just days after CEO Elon Musk announced the company had plans to eliminate that option in February.
The company is making a clear-cut stand that it will fully transition away from the ability to purchase the Full Self-Driving suite outright, a move that has brought differing opinions throughout the Tesla community.
Earlier this week, the company also announced that it will no longer allow buyers to purchase Full Self-Driving outright when ordering a pre-owned vehicle from inventory. Instead, that will be available for $99 per month, the same price that it costs for everyone else.
The ability to buy the suite for $8,000 for a one-time fee at the time of order has been removed:
NEWS: Tesla no longer allows buyers to purchase FSD outright in the U.S. when ordering a pre-owned vehicle directly from inventory. Tesla now gives you the option to either subscribe for $99/month, or purchase FSD outright after taking delivery (available until February 14th). pic.twitter.com/1xZ0BVG4JB
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) January 23, 2026
This is a major move because it is the first time Tesla is eliminating the ability to purchase FSD outright for one flat fee to any of its vehicles, at least at the time of purchase.
It is trying to phase out the outright purchase option as much as it can, preparing people for the subscription-based service it will exclusively offer starting on February 14.
In less than a month, it won’t be available on any vehicle, which has truly driven some serious conversation from Tesla owners throughout the community.
There’s a conflict, because many believe that they will now lose the ability to buy FSD and not pay for it monthly, which is an attractive offer. However, others believe, despite paying $8,000 for FSD, that they will have to pay more money on top of that cost to get the unsupervised suite.
Additionally, CEO Elon Musk said that the FSD suite’s subscription price would increase over time as capabilities increase, which is understandable, but is also quite a conflict for those who spent thousands to have what was once promised to them, and now they may have to pay even more money.
News
Tesla Robotaxi has a highly-requested hardware feature not available on typical Model Ys
These camera washers are crucial for keeping the operation going, as they are the sole way Teslas operate autonomously. The cameras act as eyes for the car to drive, recognize speed limit and traffic signs, and travel safely.
Tesla Robotaxi has a highly-requested hardware feature that is not available on typical Model Ys that people like you and me bring home after we buy them. The feature is something that many have been wanting for years, especially after the company adopted a vision-only approach to self-driving.
After Tesla launched driverless Robotaxi rides to the public earlier this week in Austin, people have been traveling to the Lone Star State in an effort to hopefully snag a ride from one of the few vehicles in the fleet that are now no longer required to have Safety Monitors present.
BREAKING: Tesla launches public Robotaxi rides in Austin with no Safety Monitor
Although only a few of those completely driverless rides are available, there have been some new things seen on these cars that are additions from regular Model Ys, including the presence of one new feature: camera washers.
With the Model Y, there has been a front camera washer, but the other exterior “eyes” have been void of any solution for this. For now, owners are required to clean them manually.
In Austin, Tesla is doing things differently. It is now utilizing camera washers on the side repeater and rear bumper cameras, which will keep the cameras clean and keep operation as smooth and as uninterrupted as possible:
🚨 Tesla looks to have installed Camera Washers on the side repeater cameras on Robotaxis in Austin
pic.twitter.com/xemRtDtlRR— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) January 23, 2026
Rear Camera Washer on Tesla Robotaxi pic.twitter.com/P9hgGStHmV
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) January 24, 2026
These camera washers are crucial for keeping the operation going, as they are the sole way Teslas operate autonomously. The cameras act as eyes for the car to drive, recognize speed limit and traffic signs, and travel safely.
This is the first time we are seeing them, so it seems as if Safety Monitors might have been responsible for keeping the lenses clean and unobstructed previously.
However, as Tesla transitions to a fully autonomous self-driving suite and Robotaxi expands to more vehicles in the Robotaxi fleet, it needed to find a way to clean the cameras without any manual intervention, at least for a short period, until they can return for interior and exterior washing.
