New Model S cars feature a glass roof that is lighter and lets in five times more light than previous versions
Tesla
Tesla has quietly refreshed its Model S vehicles, introducing a new "high-visibility glass roof," improved brake pads, and many other features. In an email to owners, the company lists several new tweaks to the latest Model S.
The new, Ultra Red paint grabbed all the attention. Tesla unveiled its high-chroma color and multi-layered paint process, delivering an exceptionally vibrant finish. But several other features in that Ultra Red launch video (below) are worth just as much attention.
Let the Sun Shine in - Not the UV
The new and improved panoramic roof for the Model S lets in more light and provides a clearer view of the sky, day or night, according to the message from Tesla. The new glass roof weighs less than the previous version and lets in five times more light, while still providing the same level of heat and UV protection. According to Tesla, the new roof also improves handling by lowering the center of gravity.
In addition, Tesla has integrated its new hardware 4 computer for Autopilot and self-driving capabilities, and the Model S now offers a free option of a round steering wheel.
New Brakes Put to the Test
Tesla's vehicle updates are always highly anticipated; the latest refresh is no exception. The improved brake pads with higher thermal capacity are designed to improve the Model S Plaid's braking performance.
Tesla announced the Carbon Ceramic Brake Kit in late 2021, but it is still not available for purchase. Tesla says they will be available in "early 2023." The kit costs $20,000 and is said to make the Model S Plaid a true monster on the track.
Although the ceramic brake kit isn't available to the public yet, test driver Sebastian Vittel raced a Model S Plaid taking on the Circuit de Bresse race track in France with the new performance brakes (video below). Despite the track being best suited for small, nimble cars, the Model S Plaid with the Carbon Ceramic Brake Kit was able to set a track record for street-legal cars on non-semi-slick tires with a lap time of 1:33.610. This record was set with the vehicle's original tires, indicating that the brakes were a significant factor in the vehicle's impressive performance.
Tesla's latest refresh of the Model S includes new features like a high-visibility glass roof, improved brake pads, and the integration of hardware 4 for Autopilot and full self-driving capabilities. The Carbon Ceramic Brake Kit's impressive performance on the track demonstrates Tesla's dedication to enhancing the vehicle's driving experience. Tesla remains at the forefront of the electric vehicle industry with their continuous improvement and innovation.
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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.
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.
Tesla Robotaxi service is just so smooth. Handles parking lots very well, noticeably better than the competitors pic.twitter.com/D5OxSrajCW
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.
Impressive nighttime performance from Tesla Robotaxi, dropping us off at In-N-Out as smoothly as it did during the day. pic.twitter.com/yQOhphtR0q
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.
Here’s what happens when you hit the support button in Tesla’s Robotaxi’s.
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.
In a world first, Tesla has successfully completed its first fully autonomous delivery of a new vehicle from Gigafactory Texas to a customer’s home. While Musk announced this was coming, some of the details make the achievement even more impressive.
The first fully autonomous delivery of a Tesla Model Y from factory to a customer home across town, including highways, was just completed a day ahead of schedule!!
Congratulations to the @Tesla_AI teams, both software & AI chip design!
A Tesla Model Y left the factory, navigating highways at speeds up to 72mph, a day ahead of Tesla’s previously announced schedule. Most critically, Elon also confirmed two key factors that make this achievement even more impressive than Tesla’s launch of the Robotaxi last week.
There were no Safety Monitors in the car, and no remote operators took control of the Model Y at any time, really making this an amazing achievement.
While the launch of the Robotaxi was an amazing step for Tesla, this one easily takes the cake.
No Safety Monitor, No Passengers, No Limits
The significance of this event lies in just how it differs from the current Robotaxi service operating in Austin.
First and most importantly, there was no Safety Monitor. Nobody was sitting up front, ready to tap one of the emergency stop buttons on the screen. The vehicle was empty, fresh from the factory. This is the unsupervised experience and future that we’ve been waiting for.
Max speed was 72 mph -- Ashok Elluswamy
Why There Was No Safety Monitor
However, there is an important distinction with this autonomous ride — that there were no passengers. This is the crucial regulatory distinction. By operating as a logistics trip rather than as a commercial ride-hailing service, Tesla was likely able to bypass many of the stringent rules governing passenger transport.
This freedom is what enabled the other key difference: operating with fewer restrictions. That included a 72mph top speed on the highway, which is well outside the geofenced Robotaxi Network that’s currently available in Austin.
This event wasn’t a surprise - Elon had previously stated that Tesla expects the first fully autonomous delivery to happen on June 28th. He even worked some flex time into that, saying the timing could potentially slip into early July.
It turns out that additional time wasn’t needed, as Tesla ended up delivering its first vehicle a day early. It seems that Tesla is pulling data quickly from its fleet of slightly modified Model Ys cruising the streets of Austin, which likely enabled the confidence behind giving this the green light.
Video of the Drive
Tesla shared a video of the entire drive, from the vehicle leaving Giga Texas to it arriving at the customer’s home. The entire ride took 30 minutes, crossing parking lots and going on the highway.
This Tesla drove itself from Gigafactory Texas to its new owner's home ~30min away — crossing parking lots, highways & the city to reach its new owner pic.twitter.com/WFSIaEU6Oq
This successful delivery is another fantastic use case for FSD that could be another entire business in and of itself for Tesla. The ability to autonomously move vehicles, potentially with cargo inside them, has massive implications for both Tesla’s factory-to-customer logistics, as well as challenging other services like Uber Eats and Skip the Dishes down the road.
Additionally, logistics-focused autonomy may be easier to scale than the Robotaxi network. It sidesteps many of the complex safety, liability, and customer-facing service challenges that come with carrying human passengers. This could be a faster and clearer path for regulatory approval.
Fork in the Road
But it's more than just a new business.
Back in 2022, Elon commissioned an art piece that now stands outside Giga Texas. It is, quite literally, A Fork in the Road. Part of Elon’s greater goal is to ensure we pass Fermi’s Great Filters, and that means ensuring we generate green energy, electrify and automate transportation, and move towards sustainable abundance.
Two years ago, I commissioned an art piece: A Fork in the Road.
Had to make sure that civilization took the path most likely to pass the Fermi Great Filters. pic.twitter.com/mYFzdAy6WF
The point of the fork here is that Tesla’s first autonomous delivery isn’t just a publicity stunt. We’re finally here, at the fork in the road. We’ve hit it - true autonomous capabilities being demonstrated on public highways under a specific and challenging set of conditions. That’s a true Level 4 autonomous capability with no one in the car.
While Robotaxi is a fantastic step towards changing personal transport, this successful delivery proves that there are even more uses to FSD beyond what we’ve seen so far.
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