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Tesla owner’s manuals outside North America hint at FSD beta rollout
Tesla has begun including Full Self-Driving (FSD) beta information in some of its newer owner’s manuals across Europe, China and Australia, further suggesting that the automaker may be inching toward a release of the system beyond North America.
The FSD beta was spotted being tested in Australia and Europe by just a few vehicles earlier this year, and Tesla has been ramping up hiring for the system in China in the past few months. In addition, China debuted a smart expressway for self-driving last month, designed for the use of up to Level 4 driving automation.
On Saturday, Tesla software observer Teslascope pointed out that the automaker has been hinting at the deployment of its FSD beta beyond North America, as details about the software can now be found in newer vehicle manuals from the company in Europe, China, Australia and elsewhere.
Although Tesla has been testing the software outside of North America for years, Teslascope notes that the FSD beta will still require regulatory approval in many countries, even as U.S. officials continue to navigate how to create a regulatory framework around self-driving software.
As a reminder with today’s “hinting” to Full Self-Driving (Beta) outside of North America within Owner’s Manuals, Tesla has been testing their autonomous suite for 2+ years now.
Many countries will require regulator approval, however, we remain confident in expansion soon. https://t.co/tyOkA5jDvN
— Teslascope (@teslascope) November 18, 2023
Credit: Tesla | Model 3 Owner’s Manual in Europe
It’s still not clear when Tesla will be rolling the FSD beta out publicly in these regions, though the addition of the system to its owner’s manuals is definitely not a bad thing.
Other sources have also claimed that Tesla’s FSD beta is set to enter the Chinese market, adding that the company is just waiting to announce the news.
https://twitter.com/bentv_sh/status/1725906555361808877
In each of the owner’s manuals, Tesla notes that “Depending on market region, vehicle configuration, options purchased, and software version, your vehicle may not be equipped with Full Self Driving (Beta) (also referred to as Autosteer on City Streets), or the feature may not operate exactly as described.”
The automaker also details plans to roll the feature out to customers beyond North America gradually, as can be seen below from the manuals.
“As Full Self-Driving (Beta) deployment expands, Tesla will gradually make it available to eligible customers in select countries outside of the United States and Canada,” the automaker writes.
“Because every country contains unique infrastructure, driving behaviors, and traffic patterns that Full Self-Driving (Beta) must adapt to over time, it is essential for drivers using Full Self-Driving (Beta) in newly eligible countries to be extra attentive and overly cautious. You must be ready to take over safely at any time.”
The company also notes that its FSD beta is a “hands-on feature that requires you to pay attention to the road at all times,” rather than offering higher levels of automation that would allow the driver to stop monitoring road conditions.
Last month, Tesla’s FSD beta program reached half a billion cumulative miles driven, ahead of the company’s release of the system’s version 12 in North America, which reportedly will no longer be a beta, according to CEO Elon Musk. It’s not clear exactly when the release will take place, though it’s expected to come soon.
In what seemed to be a joke tinged with self-awareness around Tesla’s failure to stick to rollout deadlines and his many prior claims that software would be released in just two weeks, Musk last week said customers might be able to try out FSD version 12 in “about 2 weeks.”
What are your thoughts? Let me know at zach@teslarati.com, find me on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send your tips to us at tips@teslarati.com.
Tesla is atop the American-Made Index from Cars.com for the sixth-straight year, as the Model 3 and Model Y took the top two spots, respectively.
Last year, the Model 3, Model Y, Model S, and Model X took the top four spots, respectively. The company has routinely performed well in the Index. However, Tesla discontinued its flagship Model S and Model X earlier this year, which took the two cars out of the ranking.
Cybertruck is not considered due to its curb weight being above the 8,500-pound threshold, which eliminates it from being required to have more detailed assembly information.
Cars.com uses five main categories to develop its rankings:
- Location(s) of final assembly
- Percentage of U.S. and Canadian parts
- Countries of origin for all available engines
- Countries of origin for all available transmissions
- U.S. manufacturing workforce
These five major factors are then put into a 100-point scale. The vehicles with the highest scores sit atop the list. The Model 3 edged out the Model Y.
🇺🇸 The Tesla Model 3 and Tesla Model Y have been put atop the American-Made Index from https://t.co/PXZ0g1pPb6, meaning they are the most American vehicles you can possibly buy.
This is the SIXTH-STRAIGHT year a Tesla has been listed as the most American-made vehicle: pic.twitter.com/HyraOmaxSL
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) June 23, 2026
Tesla uses a strong domestic strategy to build its cars and parts domestically. It relies on intense vertical integration that reduces its dependence on global suppliers, keeping more value and jobs in the United States.
This strategy has helped Tesla gain a strong reputation for domestically produced vehicles and parts. However, it helps it with more than just awards like this one. Keeping a supply chain local has also helped insulate Tesla more than others from tariffs and supply chain disruptions.
This year’s American-Made Index from Cars.com studied nearly 400 vehicles from the 2026 model year. Tesla was the only manufacturer to have an EV inside the Top 10. The Kia EV9 was the next EV to make the list, scoring the 17th position.
The Hyundai IONIQ 5 was 21st, and the final EV to make the list was the Cadillac LYRIQ in 77th.
Tesla has finally clarified the situation regarding the viral crash in Texas where a Model 3 slammed into a home.
CEO Elon Musk replied to reports on Monday that stated the crash was due to the company’s Full Self-Driving or Autopilot suite, which seemed unlikely to those who are familiar with it. Video showed the car slamming into a house at an excessive rate of speed, making it highly unlikely the crash was due to the suite’s operation, as it does not travel at those speeds in residential areas.
Musk said:
“This makes no sense. FSD drives slowly through neighborhood streets, and this was a high-speed crash!”
Tesla’s Head of AI, Ashok Elluswamy, added context, revealing that the company’s data shows the driver “manually overrode self-driving by pressing the accelerator all the way to 100%.”
He revealed the speed reached by the car was 73 MPH, and the accelerator was still pressed “even after the crash.”
Yup. In this case, the driver manually overrode self-driving by pressing the accelerator all the way to 100% of the accel pedal in this residential area. They reached a speed of 73 mph during the crash, and had the accelerator pressed even after the crash.
— Ashok Elluswamy (@aelluswamy) June 22, 2026
Authorities are reportedly investigating “whether Tesla’s Autopilot system played a role after a Model 3 left the roadway…slammed through a brick house at high speed and fatally struck Matha Avila as she sat inside,” the New York Post reported.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is now investigating the crash. Tesla will work with the agency to provide them with whatever information they need in order to clarify the cause of the crash.
Similarly, Tesla had claims of a fatal accident in Harris County, Texas, a few years ago. Early reports indicated that Full Self-Driving was the cause of the crash. After the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) worked with Tesla, the agency proved there was “no use of the Autopilot system at any time during this ownership period of the vehicle, including the time frame up to the last transmitted timestamp on April 17, 2021.”
Tesla alleged “driverless” crash in Texas: What is known so far
“Application of the accelerator pedal was found to be as high as 98.8 percent,” the NTSB said in their findings. The highest recorded speed in the five seconds leading up to the impact was 67 miles per hour. The area where the crash occurred is residential, and Texas State laws have default speed limits of 30 MPH in residential streets.
This appears to be a similar situation. However, an investigation will prove what happened for sure.
SpaceX announced today that it commenced its first-ever public bond offering, marking a significant step in the newly public company’s capital markets strategy.
The company announced an offering of senior unsecured notes expected to raise at least $20 billion.
The move comes just a short time after SpaceX completed one of the largest initial public offerings in history. In mid-June, the company priced shares at $135 and raised more than $85 billion, propelling founder Elon Musk’s net worth past the trillion-dollar mark and giving the firm substantial liquidity.
🚨 SpaceX has announced its inaugural offering of senior unsecured notes.
The net proceeds will be used to repay outstanding loans under its bridge loan facility in full.
This inaugural debt offering represents a financing milestone for SpaceX, which previously depended… pic.twitter.com/pcOZuVbTRv
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) June 22, 2026
According to the company’s SEC filing, the net proceeds from the notes will be used primarily to repay in full the outstanding borrowings under its existing bridge loan facility, cover related fees and expenses, and fund general corporate purposes. The offering is being conducted under Rule 144A, as well as Regulation S, targeting qualified institutional buyers and non-U.S. investors. Notes will be unsecured obligations ranking equally with other unsubordinated debt.
The $20 billion bridge loan was used to refinance approximately $17.5 billion in higher-cost “junk” debt tied to X and xAI. SpaceX had merged with xAI in February 2026 in an all-stock deal. The bridge facility, which matures in September 2027, had represented the bulk of SpaceX’s long-term debt.
SpaceX officially acquires xAI, merging rockets with AI expertise
In connection with the bond launch, SpaceX disclosed it held approximately $100.8 billion in cash and cash equivalents as of June 19. Investor calls began on the announcement date, with pricing and launch expected shortly thereafter. Rating agencies have assigned investment-grade ratings to the proposed bonds, reflecting confidence in SpaceX’s dominant position in commercial launches and the growth trajectory of its Starlink internet offering.
The debt raise also allows SpaceX to optimize its balance sheet by replacing short-term, higher-cost bridge financing with longer-date, lower-cost fixed-income securities. This provides greater financial flexibility to support capital-intensive initiatives, including the development of Starship, the expansion of the Starlink constellation, and the integration of AI capabilities following the xAI combination.
SpaceX shares (NASDAQ: SPCX) fell sharply on the news, dropping over 16 percent overall on the market on Monday. The stock had surged initially after debuting but pulled back amid profit-taking and broader market dynamics.
Overall, the bond offering underscores SpaceX’s transition to a mature public company with access to diverse funding sources. It positions the firm to pursue its long-term vision of multiplanetary expansion and AI infrastructure, while maintaining a disciplined approach to its capital structure in a high-growth but capital-heavy industry.
Tesla tops American-Made Index for sixth-consecutive year
Tesla finally clarifies fatal Texas crash, confirms driver manually overrode acceleration
