Walter Isaacson’s Elon Musk biography is set to be published on Tuesday, and a new preview of the book illustrates details about Tesla’s development of the upcoming Full Self-Driving (FSD) version 12.
In an additional preview of his Musk biography for CNBC, Isaacson discusses the use of AI in the development of Tesla’s FSD v12, in a shift that took place within the last several months. Isaacson talks about Tesla’s recent development of the upcoming FSD v12, which he and Tesla demonstrate has moved away from a “rules-based” approach.
Notably, FSD v12 is expected to use billions of video frames from real-world driving incidents to train its neural network rather than using thousands of lines of code like previous versions. In a conversation with Musk last December, Tesla Autopilot employee Dhaval Shroff had likened the concept to the popular chatbot ChatGPT, instead for use with driving.
“It’s like ChatGPT, but for cars,” Shroff said. “We process an enormous amount of data on how real human drivers acted in a complex driving situation, and then we train a computer’s neural network to mimic that.”
Surprisingly enough, Tesla only shifted toward this “neural network planner” approach recently. By the beginning of this year, however, the neural network had already analyzed 10 million video clips based on the best-case-scenario drivers the system had access to. Musk instructed employees at the company’s Buffalo, New York facility who were in charge of analyzing the footage to train the AI on things “a five-star Uber driver would do.”
Moving from a rules-based to a network-path-based AI approach allowed FSD to use human driving data to avoid obstacles, even if breaking some rules was necessary. Shroff helped demonstrate the idea to Musk with a demo featuring trash bins, debris, and upturned traffic cones, which the car handled surprisingly well.
“Here’s what happens when we move from rules-based to network-path-based,” Shroff explained. “The car will never get into a collision if you turn this thing on, even in unstructured environments.”
Musk quickly took to the idea, as can be seen in a recent livestream of Tesla’s FSD v12 software in Palo Alto with Autopilot software director Ashok Elluswamy. He has repeatedly spoken about the upcoming software version’s impressive driving results, despite one small moment in the drive where the car almost ran a red light.
In any case, Musk could argue that the red-light moment is a good case for the need for self-driving software to continually learn. Given that it will constantly be trained from the video data generated by camera footage from real-world drivers, it should theoretically make it safer over time, according to Musk.
During development, Musk also reportedly latched onto the fact that it took over a million video clips for the neural network to begin performing well, though he looks forward to what significantly more data will do for FSD.
Still, critics and regulators have expressed concerns about the faults of human drivers training AI-based driving systems, and Tesla has repeatedly been questioned by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) about its Autopilot and FSD beta systems.
According to Isaacson, Tesla plans to release FSD v12 as soon as regulators approve it. Meanwhile, an ongoing study by the National Highway Safety Board is looking to determine if self-driving cars should be permitted to imitate human driving actions that blur traffic rules, such as creeping up at stop signs.
Musk said in April that he expects Tesla to reach full autonomy within a year, though he has also been known to share ambitious targets for the software in the past.
You can read Walter Isaacson’s full account of the development of Tesla FSD v12 here, in a CNBC preview of the upcoming Elon Musk biography.
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Tesla Diner to transition to full-service restaurant as Chef heads for new venture
“I am leaving the Tesla Diner project to focus on the opening of Mish, my long-desired Jewish deli. Projects like Mish and the Tesla Diner require a sharpness of focus and attention, and my focus and attention is now squarely on Mish.”
Tesla Diner, the all-in-one Supercharging and dining experience located in Los Angeles, will transition to a full-service restaurant in January, staff said, as Chef Eric Greenspan said he would take on a new project.
A report from the Los Angeles Times says Greenspan confirmed through a text that he would leave the Diner and focus on the opening of his new Jewish deli, Mish.
Greenspan confirmed to the paper:
“I am leaving the Tesla Diner project to focus on the opening of Mish, my long-desired Jewish deli. Projects like Mish and the Tesla Diner require a sharpness of focus and attention, and my focus and attention is now squarely on Mish.”
Greenspan took on the job at the Tesla Diner and curated the menu back in March, focusing on locally-sourced ingredients and items that would play on various company products, like Cybertruck-shaped boxes that hold burgers.
Tesla Cybertruck leftovers are the main course at the Supercharger Diner
The Tesla Diner has operated as somewhat of a self-serve establishment, where Tesla owners can order directly from their vehicles through the center touchscreen. It was not exclusive to Tesla owners. Guests could also enter and order at a counter, and pick up their food, before sitting at a booth or table.
However, the report indicates Tesla is planning to push it toward a sit-down restaurant, full of waiters, waitresses, and servers, all of which will come to a table after you are seated, take your order, and serve your food.
It will be more of a full-featured restaurant experience moving forward, which is an interesting move from the company, but it also sounds as if it could be testing for an expansion.
We know that Tesla is already considering expanding locations, as it will be heading to new areas of the country. CEO Elon Musk has said that Tesla will be considering locations in Palo Alto near the company’s Engineering HQ, and in Austin, where its HQ and Gigafactory Texas are located.
Musk said that the Diner has been very successful in its first few months of operation.
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Tesla adds new surprising fee to Robotaxi program
“Additional cleaning was required for the vehicle after your trip. A fee has been added to your final cost to cover this service. Please contact us if you have any questions.”
Tesla has added a new and somewhat surprising fee to the Robotaxi program. It’s only surprising because it was never there before.
Tesla shocked everyone when it launched its Robotaxi platform and offered riders the opportunity to tip, only to tell them they do not accept tips. It was one of the company’s attempts at being humorous as it rolled out its driverless platform to people in Austin.
As it has expanded to new cities and been opened to more people, as it was yesterday to iOS users, Tesla has had to tweak some of the minor details of the Robotaxi and ride-hailing platforms it operates.
First Look at Tesla’s Robotaxi App: features, design, and more
With more riders, more vehicles, and more operational jurisdictions, the company has to adjust as things become busier.
Now, it is adjusting the platform by adding “Cleaning Fees” to the Robotaxi platform, but it seems it is only charged if the vehicle requires some additional attention after your ride.
The app will communicate with the rider with the following message (via Not a Tesla App):
“Additional cleaning was required for the vehicle after your trip. A fee has been added to your final cost to cover this service. Please contact us if you have any questions.”
The cost of the cleaning will likely depend on how severe the mess is. If you spill a soda, it will likely cost less than if you lose your lunch in the back of the car because you had a few too many drinks.
This is an expected change, and it seems to be one that is needed, especially considering Tesla is operating a small-scale ride-hailing service at the current time. As it expands to more states and cities and eventually is available everywhere, there will be more situations that will arise.
The messes in vehicles are not a new situation, especially in a rideshare setting. It will be interesting to see if Tesla will enable other fees, like ones for riders who request a ride and do not show up for it.
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Tesla Model Y sold out in China for 2025
Customers who wish to get their cars by the end of the year would likely need to get an inventory unit.
It appears that the Model Y has been sold out for 2025 in China. This seems to be true for the four variants of the vehicle that are currently offered in the country.
Tesla China’s order page update
A look at Tesla China’s order page for the Model Y shows a message informing customers that those who wish to guarantee delivery by the end of the year should purchase an inventory unit. This was despite the Model Y RWD and Model Y L showing an estimated delivery timeline of 4-8 weeks, and the Model Y Long Range RWD and Model Y Long Range AWD showing 4-13 weeks.
As per industry watchers, these updates on the Model Y’s order page suggest that Tesla China’s sales capacity for the remainder of 2025 has been sold out. The fact that estimated delivery timeframes for the Model Y Long Range RWD and AWD extend up to 13 weeks also bodes well for demand for the vehicle, especially given strong rivals like the Xiaomi YU7, which undercuts the Model Y in price.
Tesla China’s upcoming big updates
What is quite interesting is that Tesla China is still competing in the country with one hand partly tied behind its back. So far, Tesla has only been able to secure partial approval for its flagship self-driving software, FSD, in China. This has resulted in V14 not being rolled out to the country yet. Despite this, Tesla China’s “Autopilot automatic assisted driving on urban roads,” as the system is called locally, has earned positive reviews from users.
As per Elon Musk during the 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting, however, Tesla is expecting to secure full approval for FSD in China in early 2026. “We have partial approval in China, and we hopefully will have full approval in China around February or March or so. That’s what they’ve told us,” Musk said.
Tesla Diner to transition to full-service restaurant as Chef heads for new venture
Tesla adds new surprising fee to Robotaxi program
