Tesla Continues Rollout of FSD 12.4.3; Resets Strikes [Update: Another Wave Going Out Now]

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Tesla FSD 12.4 has yet to go out to most eligible customers, but last night it took a big step toward achieving that. FSD v12.4.3 went out to the largest batch of FSD vehicles in North America so far, more than tripling the number of users on the latest Tesla FSD software.

Update: Another wave of FSD 12.4.3 just started going out this evening. This wave just started and it’s already the largest wave for this release. It’s estimated to be about 12% of FSD users.

Most vehicles with FSD in North America are now on update 2024.14.9 which includes FSD 12.3.6. However, these vehicles have been on this FSD version since it was first introduced with update 2024.3.25. About 25% of the Tesla fleet is on update 2024.14.9, which is almost exclusively vehicles that have bought or subscribed to FSD.

Before yesterday’s rollout, FSD 12.4.3 stood at about 1.3% of the entire fleet (not just FSD vehicles), but after yesterday’s release, about 3.3% of the fleet now has access to FSD v12.4.3. That appears to be about 10% of FSD users that now have access to FSD 12.4.3. If Tesla doesn’t see major issues with this wave, this could be the point where FSD 12.4.3 finally goes into wide release and becomes available to most users in the next week.

Roll Out and Eligibility

We should hopefully see another rollout of FSD 12.4.3 later today or tomorrow. This latest FSD release is update 2024.15.15, which means that it’s available to anyone on a 2024.14 update or earlier. Users who have recently subscribed or resubscribed to FSD and are on update 2024.20 won’t be able to receive FSD 12.4 or later until it becomes available on a branch that is higher than 2024.20.

Tesla doesn’t merge FSD software with the main Tesla branches often so historically speaking, it could be another month or even two before that happens.

Strike Reset

With FSD 12.4, Tesla has not only removed the steering wheel nag when the cabin camera can clearly see the driver, but it has also introduced a new strike system. Tesla will now remove one strike from the vehicle’s record (strikes are shared for all drivers of the vehicle), for every week the drivers’ of the vehicle go without receiving an Autopilot strike.

However, with the release of FSD 12.4.3, Tesla is also resetting all vehicle strikes to zero so that drivers’ have a clean slate to start with.

Vision-Based Monitoring

In place of the steering wheel nag is the improved vision-based monitoring, which tracks the driver with the cabin camera. In update 12.4.2, Tesla specifically updated the release notes for vision-based monitoring to mention that the driver’s arms also need to be visible to the camera. Tesla also changed some language around when it uses the vision-based camera and when it relies on steering wheel torque.

Whenever vision-based monitoring is active, the Tesla screen will display a green dot to alert the driver that the cabin camera is tracking them visually.

Prefer Update 2024.20 Over FSD 12.4?

Users who subscribe to FSD can sometimes pick whether they remain on the FSD track or the feature track of Tesla updates. If you subscribe to FSD and prefer to receive update 2024.20 instead of waiting for FSD 12.4.3, then you could let your FSD subscription lapse and Tesla will push update 2024.20 to your vehicle within a day. Keep in mind that your subscription needs to completely expire, not just be canceled.

The reason your vehicle remains on update 2024.14 is so that it remains eligible for FSD 12.4.3, however, when your FSD subscription expires, Tesla will send you the latest update your vehicle is eligible for. Right now that should be update 2024.20 for just about everyone. If you unsubscribe, you can immediately subscribe to FSD after you receive the latest update. However, doing so will mean that you won’t be eligible for FSD 12.4.3 or higher until the main FSD updates are based on a branch 2024.20 or higher, which may not be anytime soon.

Unfortunately, if you have bought FSD, then this isn’t an option for you. Hopefully, it won’t be long before another large wave of FSD 12.4.3 goes out.

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

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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.

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Tesla’s Optimus Robot Learns to Walk Without Vision [VIDEO]

Optimus Falls - but catches itself!

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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.

Daily walks help clear your mind pic.twitter.com/dUsW58trS6

— Tesla Optimus (@Tesla_Optimus) December 9, 2024

A Look Behind the Curtain

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.

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