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Tesla release notes detail remedies to address NHTSA Autopilot “recall”

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By the time news of Tesla’s Autopilot “recall” was published earlier this week, the company was already in the process of rolling out a free over-the-air software update for the advanced driver-assist system’s alleged safety issues. As per the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Safety Recall Report, software version 2023.44.30 would include Autopilot’s required remedies. 

The Autopilot “recall” covers over 2 million vehicles, including legacy vehicles like model year 2012 Model S sedans. As noted by the NHTSA, Tesla’s default safety checks for the affected vehicles’ Autosteer function may prove inadequate, which may result in drivers abusing the system and potentially increasing their chances of meeting an accident on the road. 

As could be seen in the release notes of software version 2023.44.30, which were posted by Tesla software tracking service Not a Tesla App, the changes to Autopilot’s driver checks are quite notable. Following are the pertinent sections of the 2023.44.30 release notes related to Tesla’s prolific 2-million-vehicle “recall.” 

2023.44.30 Release Notes

Over-the-Air (OTA) Recall

In accordance with a recent recall (campaign #23V-838 for US and #2023-657 for Canada), Tesla is making the following improvements to Autosteer:

– Improved visibility of driver monitoring warning alerts on the touchscreen by increasing the text size and moving the notifications to a more prominent position (Model 3 and Model Y only).

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– Added option to activate Autopilot features with a single stalk depression, instead of two, to help simplify activation and disengagement.

– Increased the strictness of driver attentiveness requirements when using Autosteer and approaching traffic lights and stops signs off-highway.

– Introduced a Suspension Policy that will restrict Autosteer usage for one week if improper usage is detected. Improper usage is when you, or another driver of your vehicle, receive five “Forced Autopilot Disengagements.”

You are the driver. As the driver, you must be vigilant to the road, keep your hands on the wheel, and be ready to intervene to maintain safety.

Autopilot Suspension

For maximum safety and accountability, use of Autopilot features will be suspended if improper usage is detected. Improper usage is when you, or another driver of your vehicle, receive five ‘Forced Autopilot Disengagements’. A disengagement is when the Autopilot system disengages for the remainder of a trip after the driver receives several audio and visual warnings for inattentiveness. Driver-initiated disengagements do not count as improper usage and are expected from the driver. Keep your hands on the wheel and remain attentive at all times. Use of any hand-held devices while using Autopilot is not allowed.

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Autopilot features can only be removed per this suspension method and they will be unavailable for approximately one week.

FSD Beta 11.4.9

-Added option to activate Autopilot with a single stalk depression, instead of two, to help simplify activation and disengagement.

-Introduced a new efficient video module to the vehicle detection, semantics, velocity, and attributes networks that allowed for increased performance at lower latency.This was achieved by creating a multi-layered, hierarchical video module that caches intermediate computations to dramatically reduce the amount of compute that happens at any particular time.

-Improved distant crossing object detections by an additional 6%, and improved the precision of vehicle detection by refreshing old datasets with better autolabeling and introducing the new video module.

-Improved the precision of cut-in vehicle detection by 15%, with additional data and the changes to the video architecture that improve performance and latency.

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-Reduced vehicle velocity error by 3%, and reduced vehicle acceleration error by 10%, by improving autolabeled datasets, introducing the new video module, and aligning model training and inference more closely.

-Reduced the latency of the vehicle semantics network by 15% with the new video module architecture, at no cost to performance.

-Reduced the error of pedestrian and bicycle rotation by over 8% by leveraging object kinematics more extensively when jointly optimizing pedestrian and bicycle tracks in autolabeled datasets.

-Improved geometric accuracy of Vision Park Assist predictions by 16%, by leveraging 10x more HW4 data, tripling resolution, and increasing overall stability of measurements.

-Improved path blockage lane change accuracy by 10% due to updates to static object detection networks.

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Cabin Camera

The cabin camera above your rearview mirror can now determine driver inattentiveness and provide you with audible alerts, to remind you to keep your eyes on the road when Autopilot is engaged. Camera images do not leave the vehicle itself, which means the system cannot save or transmit information unless you enable data sharing. To change your data settings, tap Controls > Software > Data Sharing on your car’s touchscreen.

The NHTSA document also noted that Tesla Model S, Model 3, Model X, and Model Y vehicles that were produced from midday December 7, 2023 are not covered by the recall. This was because the vehicles were already loaded with 2023.44.30 out of the factory.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Investor's Corner

Tesla just got a weird price target boost from a notable bear

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Credit: Tesla Manufacturing

Tesla stock (NASDAQ: TSLA) just got a weird price target boost from a notable bear just a day after it announced its strongest quarter in terms of vehicle deliveries and energy deployments.

JPMorgan raised its price target on Tesla shares from $115 to $150. It maintained its ‘Underweight’ rating on the stock.

Despite Tesla reporting 497,099 deliveries, about 12 percent above the 443,000 anticipated from the consensus, JPMorgan is still skeptical that the company can keep up its momentum, stating most of its Q3 strength came from leaning on the removal of the $7,500 EV tax credit, which expired on September 30.

Tesla hits record vehicle deliveries and energy deployments in Q3 2025

The firm said Tesla benefited from a “temporary stronger-than-expected industry-wide pull-forward” as the tax credit expired. It is no secret that consumers flocked to the company this past quarter to take advantage of the credit.

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The bump will need to be solidified as the start of a continuing trend of strong vehicle deliveries, the firm said in a note to investors. Analysts said that one quarter of strength was “too soon to declare Tesla as having sustainably returned to growth in its core business.”

JPMorgan does not anticipate Tesla having strong showings with vehicle deliveries after Q4.

There are two distinct things that stick out with this note: the first is the lack of recognition of other parts of Tesla’s business, and the confusion that surrounds future quarters.

JPMorgan did not identify Tesla’s strength in autonomy, energy storage, or robotics, with autonomy and robotics being the main focuses of the company’s future. Tesla’s Full Self-Driving and Robotaxi efforts are incredibly relevant and drive more impact moving forward than vehicle deliveries.

Additionally, the confusion surrounding future delivery numbers in quarters past Q3 is evident.

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Tesla will receive some assistance from deliveries of vehicles that will reach customers in Q4, but will still qualify for the credit under the IRS’s revised rules. It will also likely introduce an affordable model this quarter, which should have a drastic impact on deliveries depending on pricing.

Tesla shares are trading at $422.40 at 2:35 p.m. on the East Coast.

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Tesla coding shows affordable model details, including potential price

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Credit: @tslaming | X

Coding within Tesla’s website appears to have potentially revealed some details of the affordable model it plans to launch, including its possible price.

Although these details are unconfirmed by the company, recent sightings of the vehicle have sparked significant speculation as to what it will offer.

Tesla said a few months back that it had already successfully built the first few test units of the affordable model. CEO Elon Musk revealed later that it would essentially be a stripped-down version of the Model Y with a handful of changes.

We had our first look at what those changes appear to be, as what is likely the new affordable model was spotted on roads near Gigafactory Texas yesterday. It is a Model Y body with some Model 3 features.

It lacks the light bar that the new Model Y has and instead equips headlights similar to those of the Model 3 “Highland.”

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Affordable Tesla Model Y spotted without camouflage near Giga Texas

Other design changes appear to include no glass roof and new wheels. Some rumors have also indicated that Tesla plans to use a cheaper, textile interior, devoid of the flashy features that its other cars are equipped with, including no rear screen, no HEPA system, and manually adjustable second-row air vents.

However, coding within the Tesla website seemed to reveal some pretty significant details about the new affordable model, including its name, which differs from the E41 codename it was given, its price, and a complete list of features.

This was found by Tesla Newswire on X. Here’s what the coding showed for the car. Note that this was found in coding, and is not necessarily confirmation from Tesla regarding what it plans to offer:

  • Name – Model Y Standard
  • Price $39,990
  • Redesigned front fascia
  • Single-part headlights
  • Front bumper camera
  • No glass roof, noted as a “closed glass roof”
  • 18″ Aperture wheels
  • Manually adjustable steering wheel
  • Textile décor
  • 15.4″ front touchscreen
  • No second-row touchscreen
  • Manually adjustable air vents in the second row
  • No HEPA system
  • 75 cu. fu. cargo space

Here’s what the coding looked like:

Many believe these could be the specs and details of the new affordable model, but others think Tesla might be baiting the community. Tesla knows its fans well, and many of them are sharp enough to examine some of the core portions of its website, looking for clues.

The company is well aware that these breadcrumbs will be discovered, and could be putting anything to drive up interest and chatter about what it could release. It certainly seems as if the price tag is a tad high, which tends to push some skepticism about the coding.

However, we’ll take anything we can get at this point. It is important to note that this coding is not a confirmation of details from Tesla.

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Affordable Tesla Model Y spotted without camouflage near Giga Texas

The vehicle had clean lines and it looked sleek, though it was also notably simpler than the standard Model Y.

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Credit: Ryan Mable/X

The tea leaves seem to be pointing towards the imminent release of the highly anticipated affordable Tesla Model Y. This was hinted at in recent observations from notable Tesla influencers on social media, as well as a sighting of the vehicle without any camouflage.

The affordable Tesla uncovered

Sightings of the affordable Model Y have been abounding as of late, though details of the vehicle were still hidden by coverings on the vehicle. In a recent post on X from Firefly engineer Ryan Mable, however, noted Tesla influencer Sawyer Merritt has reportedly “spotted an uncovered cheaper Model Y variant” driving near Giga Texas. 

Several images of the uncovered vehicle were shared online. Based on the photos that were shared by Mable, the affordable Model Y seemed to feature a fascia that’s inspired by the Model 3 sedan. Its roof also looked blacked out. Overall, the vehicle had clean lines and it looked sleek, though it was also notably simpler than the standard Model Y.

Tesla influencer mystery

Interestingly enough, several Tesla influencers apart from Merritt posted that they were in Giga Texas. These included drone operator Joe Tegtmeyer, teardown specialist Sandy Munro, and reviewers Kyle Conner and Kim Java. These influencers have not provided any context behind their Giga Texas trip, though the fact that they were gathered on the site brought speculations that Tesla might have invited the group for a teaser or a private unveiling event of sorts.

It remains to be seen when the affordable Model Y would be made available, though conversations now are centered on the vehicle’s potential price. Previous reports suggested that the car might be priced just below $40,000, which many believe would result in very low sales, though some have also speculated that the affordable Model Y could be priced below $35,000, which would likely make it a strong seller.

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