A recently published Tesla patent application titled “System and Method for Handling Errors in a Vehicle Neural Network Processor” describes a way to safely handle errors encountered in self-driving software. Rather than risking delays in driving responses that result from input data errors, a signal is sent to ignore the bad information and continue processing as usual. Tesla’s application was published May 23, 2019 as International Publication No. WO/2019/099941.
During self-driving operations in Tesla’s program, streams of real-time input data are received and used to both train its neural network and initiate a vehicle response to what’s being processed. If something in the data is erroneous or causes a delay in processing, the real-world impact can be disastrous if not handled properly. For example, in a fast-moving vehicle, sensor data can become stale very quickly and cause the self-driving software to respond to an environment that no longer exists. This can result in accidents, property damage, injury, and/or death. The solution presented in Tesla’s patent application attempts to avoid such processing delays altogether and thus improves the safety of the self-driving software overall.
Tesla’s patent application describes the issue as follows:
“Some types of errors may cause neural network processor to hang or time out. That is, one or more portions of neural network processor may freeze or otherwise remain inactive for more than a predetermined amount of time. When a timeout error is encountered, [the] neural network processor may cease to provide output data and/or respond to input data. Other types of errors, such as program errors and/or data errors, may cause the output data generated by [the] neural network processor to be corrupted. When such errors are encountered, [the] neural network processor may continue to provide output data, but the result may be incorrect, meaningless, and/or otherwise unusable.”
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- Tesla’s self-driving patent application focuses on handling errors found in its neural network. | Image: Tesla/WIPO
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- Tesla’s self-driving patent application focuses on handling errors found in its neural network. | Image: Tesla/WIPO
On its face, the concept behind invention may seem somewhat simple, but likely due to the complexity of neural networks and the field of autonomous driving still being fairly new, Tesla’s solution is unique and innovative. At the international review stage in the patent application process, the Examiner found that Tesla’s patent was novel (new) compared to similar neural network inventions already in the field. Specifically, the following was commented in a Written Opinion:
“Although neural network processors are well known in the art, including in the operation of a vehicle, the addition of having the controller signal that a pending data result is tainted, or incorrect, without terminating the execution of the network, improves upon prior art processors by ensuring the computations of the processor in the vehicle continue while ignoring data determined to be in error, and would require a complexity beyond the ordinary skill, and therefore…meets the…criteria for patentability.”
Concerns about Tesla’s Autopilot software were recently hit by a report published by Consumer Reports wherein the consumer advocacy group concluded that Navigate on Autopilot with autonomic lane changes was more of a liability than an asset. The report stated that, since the feature requires drivers to be one step ahead of the system while it is engaged, it still needs improvement, although the same group found Tesla’s autonomous driving software to be more capable than the competition. However, the report was only focused on how Navigate on Autopilot operates when changing lanes confirmation and warnings are disabled, contrary to scathing headlines which lumped all of Autopilot’s features together with the review.
This most recent patent application shows that Tesla is continuously improving its self-driving features, if that wasn’t already obvious from the company’s frequent over-the-air software releases.
At Tesla’s Autonomy Day for investors last month, CEO Elon Musk declared that the company’s Full Self-Driving computer was objectively the “best in the world”. As more information becomes available, such as presentations on Tesla’s technology and in patent applications, Musk’s confidence expressed in his statement becomes more clear. Full Self-Driving is expected to be feature-complete this year and will become publicly available as regulatory hurdles are overcome.
The Tesla MultiPass program in Europe is expanding to new countries. The program was launched earlier this year to assist Tesla owners in having an easier charging experience at non-Tesla EV chargers.
In September, Tesla launched the MultiPass program to owners in the Netherlands, which aimed to enable charging for Tesla owners at third-party stations using the app or keycard. It was developed to avoid having to use multiple apps for each charging manufacturer.
Tesla launches MultiPass to simplify charging at non-Tesla stations
Both access and payment would be performed through the Tesla app, streamlining the entire process.
Today, Tesla expanded the program to Sweden, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and Belgium, building on its initial rollout and partnering with companies like Fastned to improve EV roaming coverage across the continent.
MultiPass is expanding in Europe. Your Tesla App and your Tesla keycard can start charging at third-party chargers in these countries.
We’re grateful to customers flagging any issues in the Tesla App. Payment success rate and coverage will continuously improve. https://t.co/1sr0OgdwLI
— Max (@MdeZegher) November 5, 2025
The program is still in its early stages, and it appears to have some issues, which were highlighted by owners.
Some state that the different designs between chargers can create a bit of a hassle, especially as some do not properly display charging rates and inconsistent pricing displays.
Additionally, Tesla’s Trip Planner and other route planner integrations are not as descriptive as they should be, so some owners suggested reliability and visibility improvements.
Tesla partnered with Electrify America, Rivian’s Adventure Network, and other networks to expand charging availability and make options more readily available.
Tesla’s Supercharger presence in Europe has expanded quite a bit over the past few years, but EVs are much more prevalent there than they are here in the U.S. The company has done a great job of growing the Supercharger presence this year, and there are currently over 11,000 stalls on the continent.
This year, Tesla added 200 total stations and roughly 1,250 total stalls, a 16 percent increase from last year. Europe also has a high concentration of V4 Superchargers, as nearly 42 percent of the stalls on the continent are V4, giving higher charging rates of up to 500 kW.
Cybertruck
Tesla announces delivery timeline for Cybertruck in new market
“Coming soon! Estimated deliveries in Q1 for UAE.”
Tesla announced its delivery timeline for the Cybertruck as it heads to a new market.
Tesla Cybertruck deliveries started in the United States and Canada back in late 2023. However, the company has been looking to expand the all-electric pickup to new markets, including the Middle East, for which it opened up orders for earlier this year.
Initially, Tesla planned to launch deliveries late this year, but there has been a slight adjustment to the timeline, and the company now anticipates the pickup to make its way to the first adopters in the United Arab Emirates in Q1 2026.
This was confirmed by the Tesla Cybertruck program’s lead engineer, Wes Morrill:
Coming soon! Estimated deliveries in Q1 for UAE
— Wes (@wmorrill3) November 2, 2025
Tesla first opened orders for the Cybertruck in the Middle East in mid-September of this year. It will be priced at AED 404,900 for the Dual Motor All-Wheel-Drive ($110,254) and AED 454,900 ($123,869) for the Cyberbeast trim.
The Cybertruck has been a highly anticipated vehicle in many parts of the world, but its ability to be sold in various regions is what is truly causing delays in the company’s efforts to bring the electric pickup worldwide.
Tesla confirms Cybertruck will make its way out of North America this year
In Europe, various agencies have challenged the design of the Cybertruck, arguing that it is unsafe for pedestrians due to its sharp edges and “boxy” design.
Agencies in the EU have said the vehicle’s “blade-like” protrusions are a violation of rules that ban sharp exterior edges that could cause severe injuries.
In Asia, Tesla will likely have to develop a smaller, more compact version of the vehicle as it does not align with local standards for urban environments. However, Tesla filed for energy consumption approval for the Cybertruck in December 2024, but there has been no real update on the status of this particular inquiry.
Overall, these issues highlight a real bottleneck in futuristic vehicle designs and the out-of-date regulations that inhibit the vehicle from becoming more widely available. Of course, Tesla has teased some other designs, including a more traditional pickup or even a compact Cybertruck build, but the company is not one to shy away from its commitments.
Nevertheless, the Cybertruck will appear in the Middle East for the first time in 2026.
Elon Musk revealed new information on Tesla’s AI5, previously known as Hardware 5, chip, for self-driving, which will be manufactured by both Samsung and TSMC.
The AI5 chip is Tesla’s next-generation hardware chip for its self-driving program, Optimus humanoid robots, and other AI-driven features in both vehicles and other applications. It will be the successor to the current AI4, previously known as Hardware 4, which is currently utilized in Tesla’s newest vehicles.
Elon Musk reveals Tesla’s HW5 release date, and that it won’t be called HW5
AI5 is specially optimized for Tesla use, as it will work alongside the company’s Neural Networks to focus on real-time inference to make safe and logical decisions during operation. It was first teased by Tesla in mid-2024 as Musk called it “an amazing design” and “an immense jump” from the current AI4 chip.
It will be roughly 4o times faster, have 8 times the raw compute, 9 times the memory capacity, 5 times the memory bandwidth, and 3 times the efficiency per watt.
It will be manufactured by both TSMC and Samsung at their Arizona and Texas fab locations, respectively.
Here’s what Musk revealed about the chip yesterday:
Different Versions
Samsung and TSMC will make slightly different versions of the AI5 chip, “simply because they translate designs to physical form differently.” However, Musk said the goal is that its AI software would work identically.
This was a real concern for some who are familiar with chip manufacturing, as Apple’s A9 “Chipgate” saga seemed to be echoing through Tesla.
Back in 2015, it was found that Apple’s A9 chips had different performances based on who manufactured them. TSMC and Samsung were both building the chips, but it was found that Samsung’s chips had shorter battery life than TSMC-fabricated versions.
Apple concluded that the variance was about 2-3 percent. However, Tesla will look to avoid this altogether.
Release and Implementation into Vehicles
Musk said that some samples will be available next year, and “maybe a small number of units” would equip the chip as well. However, high-volume production is only possible in 2027.
This means, based on Tesla’s own timeline for Cybercab production in Q2 2026, early iterations of the vehicle would rely on AI4. Many believe AI4 can be utilized for solved self-driving, but the power of subsequent versions, including AI5 and beyond, will be more capable.
AI6 and Beyond
AI6 will utilize the same fabs as AI5, but there would be a theoretical boost in performance by two times with this version.
AI6 could enter volume production by mid-2028. However, AI7, which Musk only briefly mentioned, “will need different fabs, as it is more adventurous.”
Tesla MultiPass in Europe expands, allowing ease of access to non-Tesla chargers
Tesla announces delivery timeline for Cybertruck in new market
Tesla teases new AI5 chip that will revolutionize self-driving
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