Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently updated on the company’s Full Self-Driving Beta 10 rollout for compatible Tesla vehicles. The new version of FSD is expected to come out on Friday. He also told how he plans to expand its test group for FSD Beta.
According to Elon Musk, “the next beta version of the company’s Full Self-Driving beta (FSD) will blow your mind.”
The driver assistance feature — which provides the self-driving capability to drivers who remain alert on the road — was first made available to a limited group of daring volunteers last year who tested the software on public roads.
Now, Tesla is preparing to spread the beta version to a broader audience.
“Expansion will be gradual, based on ensuring maximum safety,” Musk tweeted on Thursday when asked about the feature’s expansion.
It is perhaps a good thing that Musk is heavily emphasizing on security.
“A previous version of the FSD beta is not great [in my opinion], but Autopilot/AI team is rallying to improve as fast as possible,” Musk stated.
According to Musk, the new feature includes FSD version 10, the culmination of a long beta programme that allows Tesla customers to test the software on the road.
While Tesla’s Autopilot can operate in a straight line, FSD is meant to deal with the whole A-to-B driving experience, including autonomous lane changes, full navigation, and traffic sign detection. However, this full self-driving system still requires the human driver to remain conscious at all times, and that’s not what you think when you hear a name like “Full Self-Driving.”
Tesla charges an additional $10,000 for FSD at the time of purchase. In July, a lawsuit was filed accusing the company of misleading promotion of the unavailable FSD features. In addition, government regulators are also investigating a series of accidents in which vehicles in self-driving mode seem to have driven right into emergency vehicles.
It is unclear whether FSD will directly address this scenario, but Musk has stated that it will take several weeks to roll out bug patches and finish FSD features.
Overall, the car company is at crossroads, and the risks are real. Let’s hope Tesla did its research.