Tesla launches FSD Beta 10.69.3 with a huge list of features

By Kevin Armstrong
Tesla has started releasing FSD Beta 10.69.3 to employees
Tesla has started releasing FSD Beta 10.69.3 to employees
Not a Tesla App

It may be one the most anticipated software updates in recent years. Finally, after weeks of Elon Musk tweeting that Full Self Driving Beta 10.69.3 will come out “next week,” it started to appear on Halloween night. Just before midnight on the west coast @WholeMarsBlog tweeted pictures of the FSD Beta 10.69.3 release notes as they appeared on a Tesla employee's screen. That’s right, pictures, plural, as it took three screenshots to gather all the FSD enhancements packed into this update.

FSD Beta 10.69.3 is update 2022.36.15, which means that it includes all of the features on Tesla's 2022.36 update as well, including popular features such as Tesla's new Energy app, Cabin Overheat Protection and more.

It doesn’t take much reading to understand why Tesla’s CEO has been hyping what he has referred to as a “major update.” Several members of the Autopilot team explained the improvements during A.I. Day 2022. It’s worth a watch to understand just how complex the system is and all the work that goes into it.

Many bullet points from the release notes indicate improvements from 6 percent to more than 50 percent, even reducing the runtime of one system by 80 percent. These are incredible achievements for an already highly advanced platform.

Although it was controversial, Tesla’s numbers appear to back up why it removed the ultrasonic sensors and now relies on the cameras, also known as Tesla Vision. An update to the Object Detection network to photon count video streams refers to a particular emphasis on low visibility scenarios.

The architecture for Vulnerable Road Users (VRU), which encompasses pedestrians, cyclists and people on motorcycles, has a 20 percent improved precision. In addition, there is a two-stage VRU Velocity network to adjust how the car responds to crossing pedestrians. The system also has reduced false slowdowns near crosswalks by better predicting pedestrian movements.

The Vector Lanes, which first appeared a year ago, have also been overhauled. According to the notes, it has improved accuracy “of lanes by 9.2 percent, recall of lanes by 18.7 percent, and recall of forks by 51.1 percent.” Additionally, there is a new road marking module to assist with intersections and a “full network update where all components were re-trained with 3.8x the amount of data.”

To summarize the notes regarding vehicle behavior, FSD will provide a smoother ride, with fewer “unnatural slowdowns” thanks to its improved trajectory systems and quicker decision-making.

When Tesla increased the price of FSD in September, Musk said it will soon be worth even more. The CEO has also said this program will prove to regulators that it is safer than humans driving, potentially saving thousands of people from injury or death as Musk hoped. It’s expected this release will go out to approximately one thousand testers and then be expanded quickly if no issues are detected.

Musk has also committed that every FSD subscriber will have access to the program by the end of the year.

Not only is this a huge update regarding FSD, it also includes many features that were previously unavailable to FSD Beta testers since they're still on one of the 2022.20 updates.

Other Features in This Update

Once FSD Beta testers receive this update, they'll gain access to a slew of new features that were previously included in updates 2022.24, 2022.28 and more recently 2022.36.

Energy App

Tesla's new Energy App that will be available in 2022.36
Tesla's new Energy App that will be available in 2022.36
Not a Tesla App

These features include the new Energy App (video), which displays the vehicle's energy usage down to individual components, letting you easily see how much power is being used by the climate system, versus driving and more.

Alternate Routes

Alternate Routes will now display up to three routes for each destination added to the vehicle's navigation system. This will give you more control over the route the vehicle takes.

Cabin Overheat Protection

The long-awaited feature that lets you customize the temperature of Cabin Overheat Protection is also included in this update. You will be able to choose from three different temperature settings at which COP activates.

Blind Spot Camera Placement

One of the more exciting updates of recent was the enhancement of the Blind Spot Camera feature (video). On Model 3s and Model Ys, you'll now be able to pick from three locations for the Blind Spot Camera.

Tesla App

Tesla's adding song title and artist information to the mobile app
Tesla's adding song title and artist information to the mobile app
@longzheng

The Tesla app has recently been updated to include additional features, although many of these features required a newer vehicle update, which meant that existing beta testers didn't have access to them. However, with the latest FSD Beta, you'll now have access to features such as the ability to view the vehicle's destination and ETA in the app, as well as details on the music currently being played. You'll also be able to unlatch the driver's door on a Model 3 or Model Y if the door handle has become frozen shut.

Minimize Tesla Theater

Another big feature included in this update is that you'll now be able to minimize Tesla Theater (video) when adjusting vehicle controls instead of having to exit the video streaming app completely. When viewing a video in full screen, you'll be able to tap the top of the screen to reveal a minimize button that when pressed will let you access vehicle controls and menus.

Tesla Cloud Profiles

In update 2022.24 Tesla launched cloud profiles which save your vehicle's profiles to the cloud. This is especially useful if you have multiple Teslas or finding yourself renting a Tesla in the future. You'll now be able to carry your vehicle settings and profiles from one vehicle to another.

Car Left Open Notifications

Tesla has recently updated the notifications that you'll receive when the vehicle is parked. You can now choose to receive an alert if the vehicle doors have been left unlocked for a period of time as well.

Undocumented Changes

In addition to all the documented features in this update, there is also an extensive list of undocumented changes that never made it to the release notes.

One of the most interesting is that Tesla will now display suggested destinations when you tap on the Navigate box. The destinations at the top will be suggestions that will vary depending on your location, time of day, history and user profile.

Other undocumented changes include the ability to view tire pressure data in the Service tab even when the vehicle is parked, improvements to vehicle alerts and HomeLink and the capability to uninstall games.

The list of features and enhancements included in this update is huge. To see a complete list of all the changes, check out the release notes for this update.

Tesla Introduces ‘Pay Later’ Option for Tesla Service Invoices in North America

By Karan Singh
@TESLA_winston

Tesla recently introduced Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) payment options in the United States and Canada for items in the Tesla Shop, letting owners pay later for new vehicle accessories.

However, with Tesla app update 4.46, they’re expanding support to a much more critical area — Tesla Service. Qualifying owners in the U.S. and Canada will now be able to use Pay Later options for service performed by Tesla, which includes maintenance or repairs.

Services are provided by Affirm and Klarna, as per Mark Fonte, a Senior Software Engineer working on the Tesla app.

Tesla app update 4.46 also added improvements to Tesla Assist, Wall Connector details, Tesla Energy ownership changes, and added visualizations for the updated Model S and Model X.

How It Works

The new feature is seamlessly integrated into the existing service workflow within the Tesla app.

On the Service Estimate, before work on the vehicle begins, you will see a new message on the estimate screen: Pay over time - see if you qualify.

Tapping this link opens the payment calculator, which allows you to view potential payment structures and monthly costs. This provides a clear picture of what a payment plan would look like before you commit to servicing your vehicle.

Additionally, after service is complete and you are ready to pay, the final payment screen will present Affirm and Klarna (region-dependent) as selectable payment methods, alongside the usual options of Tesla Credit or your primary payment card.

Tapping Affirm or Klarna here will reopen the payment calculator, and a confirmation prompt will appear before selecting either BNPL option.

Service Now, Pay Later

Overall, the integration of BNPL providers for service is a thoughtful one for vehicle owners. The terms can vary widely, so it’s important to compare them to other payment options you may have access to. The additional financial flexibility, when faced with a large repair bill, allows more owners to get their vehicle professionally and properly serviced by Tesla.

For those getting larger work done, such as high-voltage battery pack replacements, this is an excellent option to spread payments over a longer period, helping reduce the burden of vehicle repair.

Tesla Robotaxi: A Breakdown of Its New FSD Abilities

By Karan Singh
Not a Tesla App

With the launch of Tesla’s Robotaxi Network, we didn't just get a peek into the future of transportation—we got a detailed look at the next version of FSD.

Videos from early access riders revealed some additional capabilities over current public FSD builds, showing off how it handles emergency vehicles and more.

Safety First for First Responders

One of the biggest changes in FSD’s capabilities is its improved handling of emergency vehicles. During a ride in Austin, Robotaxi is seen identifying an approaching ambulance using a combination of visual and audio data, activating its turn signal, and smoothly pulling over to the side of the road to let the ambulance by (video below).

This is a driving task that requires more than simple awareness of laws. It requires reasoning skills to determine where to move the vehicle to create a safe path, as well as the ability to quickly identify an ambulance or another emergency service vehicle with its sirens and lights activated. Understanding the context and executing a safe and predictable maneuver is crucial, as a wrong maneuver could actually make matters worse.

For FSD and Robotaxi to gain both public trust and regulatory approval, this skill is non-negotiable, and Tesla demonstrated its advancements right here. It’s not surprising Tesla added this ability before Robotaxis made it to public roads.

This is a feature that Tesla previously mentioned would arrive as part of future updates to FSD V13, so expect it in future customer builds as well.

Automated Camera Cleaning

How does a fleet of Robotaxis keep its eyes clean without constant human intervention? Well, a clever new feature that Tesla has previously hinted at in their FSD release notes provides the answer. Robotaxi can now trigger a specific wiper and washer fluid sequence designed to clean the main front-facing cameras.

This might seem like a small detail, but it’s a brilliant solution to one of Tesla’s primary challenges - maintaining sensor clarity. While the vehicle could simply wipe the windshield multiple times, this is a clever solution to clean the most important area of the windshield as thoroughly as possible by focusing extra wiper fluid and wipes on that area.

Complex Maneuvers

Two areas where current builds of FSD V13.2.9 sometimes show hesitation are U-turns and navigating busy parking lots. The latest Robotaxi build appears to improve on both of these areas.

This first video shows a Robotaxi performing a flawless U-turn with no hesitation, and then smoothly switching lanes to take a turn.

Another video on X shows FSD’s updated confidence in navigating a complex parking lot for a precise drop-off. Today’s builds can sometimes struggle in parking lots, being slow and overly cautious when not needed, or too confident elsewhere. This appears to have been improved in these Robotaxi FSD builds with improved path planning and confidence.

We’re also likely to see FSD begin to handle more complex destination options, including parking garages and driveways, which have been promised features for almost a year. The Robotaxi FSD build has also gained the ability to safely pull over on a road, similar to the ambulance example above, but it uses this capability to drop off and pick up passengers. This is a feature that was mentioned in FSD v13.2’s Upcoming Improvements section.

Better Nighttime Performance

Driving at night presents additional challenges, including headlight glare and reduced visibility. The latest version of FSD appears to handle it with almost the same grace as it does during the day. Remember that Tesla’s Robotaxis are available up until midnight.  Early access riders mentioned that FSD is far smoother and is a step up from the behavior of current FSD builds.

Human Support

Now, what happens when a passenger feels unsafe or has a critical question? Tesla has placed two key buttons on the rear screen for just those purposes. Users are given control over the ability to Call Support, which almost instantly connects them with a real human agent at Tesla’s Robotaxi Operations Center via video call.

While it isn’t a fundamental driving feature, it does mean that Tesla’s team can provide support to Robotaxi vehicles remotely, like issuing directive commands to have a vehicle proceed straight, rather than attempting to turn through a gated community.

The other option, Pull Over, allows a rider to immediately request the vehicle to safely pull over, which it will do when it can find a safe and open location. At this point, you can either continue your trip or get out of the Robotaxi.

Both options prompt you with an “Are You Sure?” button before letting you continue, which means you won’t have your Robotaxi ride come to an abrupt stop if you tap the ‘Pull Over’ button by accident.

What This Means for Tesla Owners

These features are likely to be included in future FSD builds. This is essentially the new benchmark by which to judge FSD, at least once it begins rolling out to customer vehicles.

Many of the core driving improvements, such as the more confident maneuvering and emergency vehicle response, will make their way to the wider fleet in upcoming FSD updates.

Remember - Robotaxi isn’t just a service, it is also a preview of Tesla’s driverless FSD builds.

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