Musk Says FSD v12.4 Will Be a Major Improvement As Tesla Eyes China for FSD Expansion

By Cláudio Afonso
AI Training Capacity As of March 2024
AI Training Capacity As of March 2024
Not a Tesla App

Less than ten days since the last FSD update, Tesla has started rolling out FSD v12.3.6. Not only does this update include improvements to FSD itself, but it also adds the new Autopark and High Fidelity Park Assist to vehicles with ultrasonic sensors.

As Tesla continues to ramp up its AI training capacity, the average number of miles driven on FSD continues to climb at an increased rate.

Computing Power

Last week, in the earnings call deck, Tesla revealed that it’s set to increase its core AI infrastructure capacity “in the coming months.” Tesla stated it has quadrupled its capacity since September 2023.

To further improve our end-to-end training capability, we will continue to increase our core AI infrastructure capacity in the coming months. - Tesla

Musk said on Sunday that the company will spend “around $10B” throughout 2024 in “combined training and inference AI, the latter being primarily in car”. “Any company not spending at this level, and doing so efficiently, cannot compete,” he added.

Tesla's computing power has drastically increased
Tesla's computing power has drastically increased
Not a Tesla App

Expansion to China

In an unexpected 24-hour trip to China, Elon Musk visited Beijing to meet with Premier Li Qiang to discuss the rollout of Full Self-Driving (FSD) software and permission to transfer driving data overseas. Since Tesla uses fleet data to continuously improve FSD, being able to use data gathered in and outside of China will be crucial to its continued improvement.

On the same day, Tesla models produced at Giga Shanghai were listed among the EVs that meet China's data security requirements for smart cars, an important hurdle for Tesla to surpass.

When Musk was asked on X about Tesla releasing FSD in China, Musk simply said “It may be possible very soon.”

Regarding additional markets such as Europe and Australia, Musk said he believes that v12 is “ready for supervised FSD in LHD countries” while RHD like the UK or Australia “will take a bit longer”.

Internal FSD Is 3 to 6 Months Ahead

Earlier this month, Tesla disclosed that the team knows “roughly” how the software will perform in “3 to 6 months”. He added that it takes “a few months to fix those bugs and complete safety tests” before releasing the version to the Tesla employees and then to the general public.

Major FSD Updates Coming

On X, Musk teased that the next major update to FSD will be v12.4, saying “it’s awesome,” and that it’s “another big jump in capabilities.” Musk said that Tesla’s computing constraint has been much improved, and likely may be a factor in this further being another big improvement.

In mid-March, Elon Musk announced that Tesla will reintroduce Smart Summon and Autopark to its vehicles. Tesla has now delivered on the Autopark promise, but we’re still waiting on the improved Smart Summon feature. It’s possible we’ll see in FSD v12.4.

Tesla Improves Wrap Services: Switches to Vinyl, Cuts Prices Drastically, Adds New Colors and Expands Availability

By Karan Singh
Not a Tesla App

After canceling the in-house wrap program for the Cybertruck last month, Tesla has reintroduced the program with a lot of changes. Let’s take a look at the original program, then we’ll dive into what’s changed.

Tesla began the wrap program for the Model 3 and Model Y in the fall of 2023. With the arrival of the Cybertruck, Tesla launched Matte Black and Satin White options for the Cybertruck and later added 11 more colors.

Tesla initially offered high-quality PPF (Paint Protection Film) wraps, which protect the paint in addition to changing the color of the vehicle. PPF is thicker than traditional vinyl wraps, but the material costs more and is more time-consuming to apply.

Tesla’s updated program switches away from PPF wraps and now offers traditional vinyl wraps at a cheaper price. This makes Tesla’s wrap service more comparable to third-party installers.

Correction: We initially reported that the new wrap program offered PPF rather than vinyl and that the program was only available for new deliveries.

New Wrap Prices

First things first - the price of the wraps has dropped considerably, mostly due to the change away from PPF. While these prices are still a little more expensive than what you could find at a third-party location, you have the advantage of getting it directly from Tesla.

Vehicle

Original Cost

New Cost

Cybertruck

$8,000

$4,500

Model 3 / Model Y

$6,500

$4,000

Model S / Model X

Not available

Not available

Tesla initially offered 11 wrap colors, but that selection has now been reduced to eight per vehicle. Interestingly, the color options vary by model—Model 3 and Model Y owners have their own distinct palette. The Cybertruck also boasts its own unique set of colors, though unfortunately, the popular Satin White option is absent from its catalog.

Of course, the ever-popular Matte Black is still available, along with a fairly unique set of other vivid colors.

New Locations

Not a Tesla App

When the wrap program launched, it was limited to just three locations in California and one location in Texas. That meant that unless you were taking delivery at West Covina, Oceanside, Costa Mesa, or Santa Clara, you’d be unable to get a first-party wrap done by Tesla.

Under the new program, Tesla is offering wraps out of all the original locations and adding Seattle, Washington. What initially seemed like Tesla scaling back its wrap service has turned out to be them making it more affordable and efficient. While the switch to vinyl may disappoint some owners, in reality, a lot of owners probably didn’t know the difference between PPF and vinyl, making Tesla’s service seem disproportionally more expensive.

No Longer New Purchases Only

While the original wrap program was constrained to new vehicle purchases—you can now have Tesla wrap a vehicle that’s already been delivered. Paint damage and scuffs can impact the installation of wraps and require additional time to smooth out the vehicle surface, and most third-party installers charge additional fees to prepare the surface.

Tesla doesn’t appear to be charging any additional surface prep fees at this time and is able to install on any Model 3, Model Y, or Cybertruck that’s been delivered after 2023.

Either way, with cheaper wrap options, Tesla is now directly competing against third-party wrap shops. While it’s still a bit more expensive than you’d find elsewhere, it also comes with a level of care and precision from technicians intimately familiar with your vehicle.

Tesla Increases Price of Model S; Starts Offering Free Lifetime Supercharging

By Karan Singh
Not a Tesla App

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.

Latest Tesla Update

Confirmed by Elon

Take a look at features that Elon Musk has said will be coming soon.

More Tesla News

Tesla Videos

Latest Tesla Update

Confirmed by Elon

Take a look at features that Elon Musk has said will be coming soon.

Subscribe

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter