The Future Gas Station: Tesla's Unstoppable Supercharger Network Expansion

January 6, 2024

By Kevin Armstrong

55,000 Superchargers and Counting

Tesla announced the installation of its 55,000th Supercharger stall. This milestone achieved three and a half months after installing the 50,000th Supercharger, demonstrates the company’s commitment to revolutionizing transportation. It took just 110 days to open up 5,000 more Superchargers, which averages to over 45 new Supercharger stalls opening daily. Tesla is the “gas station” of the future.

A Pioneering Force in EV Charging

The growth of Tesla's Supercharger network, and the charging network in general, is crucial in addressing one of the primary concerns of potential EV owners: the availability and convenience of charging facilities. With Tesla consistently adding Superchargers at an unprecedented rate, the network has become a backbone for current and future Tesla drivers, offering fast, reliable, and widespread charging solutions.

55k Superchargers around the world — and counting pic.twitter.com/tQQCff2b9b
— Tesla Charging (@TeslaCharging) January 4, 2024

Several sources back up the claim that Tesla Superchargers are the most reliable chargers available, including a JD Power report and user experiences collected by Rate Your Charge. Tesla also monitors their Superchargers in real-time, so that they can address any issues and minimize potential downtime.

Opening the Supercharger Network

While Tesla has made a lot of smart, strategic moves, opening the Supercharger network may go down as one of the best. The decision reflects Tesla's vision of a more sustainable transportation future. By opening up its superior North American Charging Standard (NACS) plugs to all competitors and even adding the Magic Dock to allow Combined Charging System (CCS) adapters, Tesla has made its Superchargers accessible to all EVs, truly making it the gas station of the future.

Major players like Ford, Toyota, Honda, GM, and almost all other automakers have announced plans to integrate NACS ports into their EVs and access Tesla's Supercharger network. This collaboration is a significant step towards overcoming the challenges of public charging and enhancing the EV experience for all users.

Tesla's achievement of 55,000 Superchargers and the opening of its network to non-Tesla EVs marks a new era in electric mobility. These developments signify Tesla's role as an EV manufacturer and a catalyst for industry-wide change. As Tesla continues to innovate and collaborate, it reinforces its commitment to a sustainable future, leading the charge in transforming global transportation.

A Testament to Tesla's Vision

The journey from 50,000 to 55,000 Superchargers has been swift and impactful. At its current rate, Tesla will be over 70,000 Superchargers by the end of 2024. Tesla's rapid expansion of its Supercharger network is more than just a numerical achievement; it's a bold statement of intent. This growth spurt highlights the company's dedication to making electric vehicle (EV) use convenient, reliable, and accessible worldwide.

Tesla’s Supercharger network, a cornerstone of its strategy to promote EV adoption, provides fast and efficient charging solutions. This network not only supports Tesla's growing fleet of electric vehicles but also encourages a shift in public perception, making the switch to EVs a more viable and attractive option for consumers across the globe.

Tesla to Eliminate the Steering Wheel Nag in FSD v12.4; Vehicles Supported and Release Date

May 9, 2024

By Not a Tesla App Staff

In a recent interaction on X, Elon Musk confirmed that the long-standing steering wheel nag, designed to ensure driver attentiveness, would be removed in FSD v12.4.

Musk initially replied to a user on X claiming that FSD v12.4 would fix the steering wheel nag. However, it wasn't clear what Musk meant by fixed until user, Farzard, created another post stating that Musk insinuated that the nag would be removed in FSD v12.4, to which Musk replied with “Yes.”

Tesla's removal of the steering wheel nag isn't surprising, as Tesla's camera-based driver monitoring system in the vehicle can in theory do a much better job monitoring the driver's attentiveness. So before NHTSA has a heart attack with Musk's comment, it's important to understand that Tesla is likely improving cabin camera monitoring in this same update to the point that the steering wheel nag becomes redundant.

How Tesla Uses the Cabin Camera

Tesla uses the cabin camera to detect whether a driver is paying attention to the road by detecting whether their eyes are open, which way their head is facing, and even whether the driver is using their phone.

Thanks to Tesla hacker Greentheonly, we know Tesla uses the vehicle’s interior camera output and AI to determine the likelihood of each scenario they're looking for. For example, Tesla runs neural networks that look at the video feed of the cabin camera and determine whether the driver is looking up at the road, looking off to the side, or looking down.

This Won't be the End of the Steering Wheel Nag

While Musk's statement implies the removal of the steering wheel nag, Tesla will probably retain it as a fallback measure, at least in early iterations of the suspected improved camera-based monitoring system.

The steering wheel nag may still be used when the cabin camera can't confidently determine whether the driver is paying attention. This could be caused by sunglasses, hats, glare, or even driving at night. Newer Teslas include interior infrared lights that help the camera see in the dark, although not all Teslas on the road include infrared lights.

Will It Also Remove It For Basic Autopilot?

While Musk says Tesla will remove the steering wheel nag in FSD v12.4, the need to detect driver attentiveness isn’t unique to FSD. Tesla detects for driver attentiveness in all their Autopilot packages, including Basic Autopilot, Enhanced Autopilot, and FSD. It’s not clear whether Tesla plans to only remove the nag in FSD, but it looks like Tesla will at least start there and the feature will likely work its way down to Enhance Autopilot and Basic Autopilot as well.

Vehicles Supported

The only Teslas expected to take advantage of the “nag-less” improvements in FSD v12.4 are those with cabin cameras, which include the Model 3, Model Y, Cybertruck, and the redesigned Model S and Model X. However, the newest vehicles with infrared lights near the cabin camera will likely benefit the most.

FSD v12.4 Release Date and Features

Elon Musk indicated that FSD v12.4 could start rolling out as early as next week. Musk doesn't usually reveal what's in each FSD update, but he did talk about what we should expect in FSD v12.4, disclosing that the update will largely focus on refining passenger comfort by addressing concerns such as abrupt acceleration and braking.

Musk went on to tease some of the improvements to expect in subsequent versions like v12.5 and v12.6, but the primary focus of v12.4 seems to be delivering a smoother and better driving experience.

Musk Shares What to Expect in FSD v12.4 Next Week; Talks About Abilities of FSD v12.5 and v12.6

May 8, 2024

By Not a Tesla App Staff

Less than two weeks since its last FSD update, Tesla is getting ready to release FSD v12.4, with CEO Elon Musk hinting at significant improvements. The current version, 12.3.6, introduced Autopark and High Fidelity Park Assist for vehicles equipped with ultrasonic sensors in the U.S. and Canada, along with minor fixes for FSD.

Just an hour ago, Musk shed some light on Tesla's next FSD update. Through his X account, Musk teased the imminent release of v12.4, stating, "Probably start rolling out 12.4 next week." Moreover, he provided insights into the development process and the features users can expect in the upcoming 12.4 version, as well as v12.5 and v12.6.

What to Expect in FSD v12.4

Musk says that FSD 12.4 has extensive retraining of AI models that particularly focuses on refining the comfort of passengers by addressing concerns around abrupt acceleration or braking. Musk previously commented on the next versions of FSD saying that FSD v12.4 and 12.5 would be major improvements, and while v12.4 may be a major step forward, it looks like its main focus will be on being more natural and smoother.

"Probably start rolling out 12.4 next week."

FSD v12.5 and v12.6 to Handle More Complex Scenarios

Looking ahead, Tesla is already laying the groundwork for future updates according to Musk. The CEO previously stated that Tesla is constantly working on FSD updates that are three to six months ahead of what’s in production, so they have a good idea of what the software will be able to handle in the future.

Today on X, Musk said that there's ongoing testing for FSD versions 12.5 and 12.6, which involves tackling complex scenarios. Musk says this includes navigating narrow, one-way roads and handling unexpected road closures, requiring the vehicle to reverse and find alternate routes.

Actually Smart Summon in v12.5?

Tesla’s Autopilot lead, Ashok Elluswamy, previously talked about how FSD would gain the ability to go in reverse when Tesla is ready to release Actually Smart Summon. If the ability to reverse is still tied to some of the abilities of Actually Smart Summon, then, it’s possible we may see Tesla’s better summon implementation in version 12.5 or 12.6.

Vehicles to be Able to Communicate with Fleet

Musk also gives us some insight into vehicle communication, saying vehicles will need to be able to communicate with the fleet so that you "don't get a whole bunch of Teslas stuck down a road."

Instead of vehicle-to-vehicle communication, Tesla will likely have vehicles report back to the "mothership," where Tesla can aggregate data and report it to nearby vehicles. This is similar to how vehicles report traffic today, instead of talking directly to each other.

Spending on AI

Tesla's commitment to advancing its AI capabilities is evident through its substantial investments. Musk recently emphasized the company's dedication to spending around $10 billion throughout 2024 on training and inference AI. Musk said that any company that isn’t spending billions on AI this year just won’t be able to compete.

Expansion of FSD

Tesla appears ready to start the expansion of FSD, and it looks like China may be up first. Musk's recent visit to Beijing to discuss a potential FSD rollout and data sharing shows that Tesla is ready and serious about FSD's expansion.

While FSD's rollout in China appears promising, Musk remains cautiously optimistic about expanding into other markets. He believes that FSD v12 is ready for supervised FSD in left-hand drive (LHD) countries, while right-hand drive (RHD) markets like the UK and Australia may require additional time.