Musk says that Tesla is close to releasing FSD Beta 11.4.7
DirtyTesla/YouTube
Tesla's FSD Beta program has been progressing more slowly in recent months, the latest iteration, V11.4.6, was released in July, yet it reached only a fraction of Tesla's user base, with just 78 cars on TeslaFi receiving the update. However, responding to a Tesla fan on X.com, Elon Musk stated an even newer build, 11.4.7, will be going "wide release within a week." Yes, we all know about Musk's timelines, but after such a slowdown in updates, Tesla must have something to get out to testers.
99% Based on AI
But it's not all about delays and anticipation. Musk also shared fascinating details about the upcoming major release of FSD software, Version 12. This one is slated to be out of beta, unlike previous versions. It represents a total rewrite, with approximately 99% of the code being neural networks, according to the CEO. Musk describes the build as "mind-blowing", which has ignited excitement. Nevertheless, he also cautioned that FSD V12 would not go public anytime soon, due to the need for extensive testing and validation.
Current Improvements and Challenges
Back to the latest beta version news, 11.4.6 promised several improvements, including short-deadline lane changes, adjusting speed more comfortably, handling of oncoming cars on narrow unmarked roads, better handling near crosswalks, and enhancements to Automatic Emergency Braking, according to the release notes. Still, only a tiny fraction of users have had a chance to try it out, as most are still on Beta 11.4.4.
Adding to the complexity, Tesla has released newer builds like 2023.12, 2023.20, and 2023.26, even with earlier V11.3.6 FSD Beta software. This situation has created a rift between those with the new builds and those awaiting the latest FSD Beta versions. Particularly affected are the owners of Model S, Model X, and recent Model Y vehicles with Hardware 4, as they have not yet had the opportunity to test FSD Beta.
The wait for Tesla's latest FSD Beta updates has blended excitement and frustration, especially with Musk predicting FSD Beta will reach level 4 this year. The upcoming release of version 11.4.7 offers hope, as it promises to reach more users soon. However, it's hard not to look past these beta versions in anticipation of Version 12, where we should see more significant improvements.
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest Tesla news, upcoming features and software updates.
For the first time in quite a while, Tesla has increased the price of one of its vehicle offerings. The Model S Long Range and the Model S Plaid have both received a hefty price increase. However, not all is bad - as Tesla also added a new benefit for buyers.
Price Increase
The price increase for the Model S is $5,000 - currently only in the United States. This price increase will likely impact other markets, including Canada, in the coming days.
The Model S Long Range now starts at $79,990, while the Model S Plaid now starts at $94,990. The Model S and Model X now have the same starting price. Interestingly, that’s also the same pricing point for the Cybertruck AWD and Cyberbeast Trimotor non-Foundation Series.
The vehicle configuration does not appear to have changed, so the new pricing is simply an increase rather than the addition or removal of features. Tesla previously cut the price of the Model S and Model X by 15% in 2023, so this could simply be an adjustment to ensure that the vehicle pricing stays in line with inflation and other factors.
Free Lifetime Supercharging
For those on the fence about ordering a Model S, Tesla has brought back Free Lifetime Supercharging when you order a new Model S on or after December 13, 2024. As always, Free Lifetime Supercharging is restricted to the buyer’s Tesla account and to that specific vehicle. It cannot be transferred to another vehicle or another owner after ownership transfer. It’s worth noting, that it also doesn’t exclude the owner from receiving Supercharger idle fees or congestion fees. There is currently no end date for this promotion.
There are currently no changes to the Model X, neither a price increase nor the addition of Lifetime Superchargering. However, when Tesla makes changes to one of their premium vehicles, it usually affects the other one as well. So be on the lookout for potential changes to the Model X offering in the coming days.
We’ve seen Tesla value Lifetime Supercharging at $5,000, so this falls in line with the price increase we’re seeing. It’s possible that Tesla will begin to bring back Lifetime Supercharging as a perk for buying into their more premium Model S and Model X cars, or this could be another temporary promotion to get buyers who are on the fence to go ahead and make their purchase while this promotion lasts.
Tesla recently showed off a demo of Optimus, its humanoid robot, walking around in moderately challenging terrain—not on a flat surface but on dirt and slopes. These things can be difficult for a humanoid robot, especially during the training cycle.
Most interestingly, Milan Kovac, VP of Engineering for Optimus, clarified what it takes to get Optimus to this stage. Let’s break down what he said.
Optimus is Blind
Optimus is getting seriously good at walking now - it can keep its balance over uneven ground - even while walking blind. Tesla is currently using just the sensors, all powered by a neural net running on the embedded computer.
Essentially, Tesla is building Optimus from the ground up, relying on as much additional data as possible while it trains vision. This is similar to how they train FSD on vehicles, using LiDAR rigs to validate the vision system’s accuracy. While Optimus doesn’t have LiDAR, it relies on all those other sensors on board, many of which will likely become simplified as vision takes over as the primary sensor.
Today, Optimus is walking blind, but it’s able to react almost instantly to changes in the terrain underneath it, even if it falls or slips.
What’s Next?
Next up, Tesla AI will be adding vision to Optimus - helping complete the neural net. Remember, Optimus runs on the same overall AI stack as FSD - in fact, Optimus uses an FSD computer and an offshoot of the FSD stack for vision-based tasks.
Milan mentions they’re planning on adding vision to help the robot plan ahead and improve its walking gait. While the zombie shuffle is iconic and a little bit amusing, getting humanoid robots to walk like humans is actually difficult.
There’s plenty more, too - including better responsiveness to velocity and direction commands and learning to fall and stand back up. Falling while protecting yourself to minimize damage is something natural to humans - but not exactly natural to something like a robot. Training it to do so is essential in keeping the robot, the environment around it, and the people it is interacting with safe.
We’re excited to see what’s coming with Optimus next because it is already getting started in some fashion in Tesla’s factories.
![Tesla’s Optimus Robot Learns to Walk Without Vision [VIDEO]](https://www.notateslaapp.com/img/containers/article_images/optimus/optimus_fall.jpg/59ea0e3082db081e7473a1f0da1ed31c/optimus_fall.jpg)
![Tesla Updates Santa Mode & Rainbow Road to Use Ambient Lighting and Updates SteamOS [VIDEO]](https://www.notateslaapp.com/img/containers/article_images/tesla-screen/ambient-lighting-santa-mode-rainbow.webp/bd6dd7459fc8963516a33efd3bd54466/ambient-lighting-santa-mode-rainbow.jpg)
![Tesla Builds Cybertruck Tunnel While Production Lines Pause [VIDEO]](https://www.notateslaapp.com/img/containers/article_images/2024/cybertruck-tunnel.webp/822a2c10124f46fe13e0d45cefdd9d33/cybertruck-tunnel.jpg)
