While Tesla’s futuristic new Cybercab was truly the highlight of its recent ‘We, Robot ‘event, Tesla did have some other tricks up its sleeve—like the Robovan. But even beyond that, they had plenty of other secrets they showed off but didn’t announce during its keynote.
One of the largest unannounced features is Unsupervised FSD and FSD V13. So, let’s look at what Tesla’s AI team has been cooking up in the background.
Unsupervised FSD
Elon Musk confirmed at the We, Robot keynote that Unsupervised FSD was coming. And while we know it’s been the pie in the sky for Tesla to achieve for quite a while, it was something else to see it in action at the event. Musk even provided dates and locations.
The initial locations in which Unsupervised FSD will be available will be Texas and California sometime in 2025. Additionally, that will be initially limited to Model 3 and Model Y vehicles, with it rolling out to Cybertruck and Models S and X shortly afterward. The Cybercab isn’t expected to hit production until late 2026.
Many states follow California, New York, and Texas’ direction on legislation – and for the tech sector – it's primarily focused on following California. Interestingly enough, this also includes Canada, which generally follows along once New York approves something (due to the closeness and population that crosses the border every day).
So, we could be looking at Unsupervised FSD arriving throughout North America faster than most people think. It is conceivable that by the end of 2025, Unsupervised FSD will be available in multiple US States.
FSD V13
If you use FSD or have been following it, you know that it's unable to reverse the vehicle in its current state. Currently, it can only reverse when using Actually Smart Summon, but not when using FSD on regular roads.
One of the goals for Tesla’s AI Roadmap is to bring FSD V13, with Park, Unpark, and Reverse being some of the key features. Apparently, the Robotaxis (and specifically - a Model Y Robotaxi) at We, Robot was capable of reversing and conducting 3-point turns. This video below from AI DRIVR on X shows the vehicle reversing at the event.
FSD V13's ability to reverse is an excellent example of the team’s progress on the next batch of features. Tesla also demonstrated the Unpark feature at the event—when the Robotaxi pulled up at the curb, it smoothly shifted out of park and proceeded. We predicted we’d see these features come to life at the Robotaxi event, and apparently, the prediction was right.
We’re excited to see what’s coming next. FSD V12.5.6 has been on early-access tester vehicles for about a week now, and FSD V12.5.5 has already been released to most Cybertrucks on the road.
It seems that the next major version that goes out wide may be FSD V13, with a litany of new features. Of course, the ability to reverse is just one of the biggest features - we’re looking forward to Banish Autopark and Autopark becoming smoothly integrated into FSD as well.
Tesla’s Cybertruck has officially earned a 5-Star Safety Rating from the NHTSA—an impressive achievement given the vehicle’s design. The achievement demonstrates Tesla’s engineering prowess. As one engineer points out, it wasn’t an easy feat.
Interestingly, the NHTSA only recently disclosed the results, despite the crash tests being completed a while ago. According to Lars Moravy, Tesla’s VP of Vehicle Engineering, the team had been aware of the 5-star rating for quite some time. While the reason for the delay remains unclear, now that the results are public, Tesla’s engineers can finally share how they achieved the rating.
Crumple Zones
Wes Morril, the Cybertruck’s Lead Engineer, wrote about the crash test video on X recently, addressing the claims that the Cybertruck doesn’t have a crumple zone. He also posted a side-by-side video (below) of the engineering analysis and the crash test itself.
Engineered Crash Safety
There’s a lot of engineering precision at play when a Cybertruck is involved in a crash. Unlike traditional crash structures that rely on crash cans and collapse points, the Cybertruck’s front gigacasting is designed to absorb and redirect impact forces in a highly controlled manner.
It all starts with the bumper beam, which crushes within the first few milliseconds of a high-speed impact. At the same time, the vehicle’s sensors rapidly analyze the crash dynamics and determine the optimal deployment of safety restraints, including airbags and seat belt pre-tensioners. These split-second actions are crucial in keeping occupants safe.
As the crash progresses, the vehicle’s structure deforms in a carefully engineered sequence. The drive unit cradle bends, directing the solid drive unit downward and out of the way, allowing the gigacasting to begin absorbing impact forces.
The casting crushes cell by cell, methodically dissipating energy in a controlled manner. This gradual deceleration reduces the g-forces transferred to occupants, making the crash much less severe. As the gigacast begins crushing, the safety restraints are deployed.
As Wes points out in his post - you can see how accurate the virtual analysis and modeling were. The video shows the simulated crash side by side with the real-life crash test and they’re almost identical. All that virtual testing helps provide feedback into the loop to design a better and safer system - one that is uniquely different than any other vehicle on the road.
All the armchair experts claimed the Cybertruck has no crumple zone and I get it, the proportions seem impossible. It was a tough one and there is a lot of engineering that went into it. Let me break it down for you:
Tesla has pioneered the use of single-piece castings for the front and rear sections of their vehicles, thanks to its innovative Gigapress process. Many automakers are now following suit, as this approach allows the crash structure to be integrated directly into the casting.
This makes the castings not only safer but also easier to manufacture in a single step, reducing costs and improving repairability. For example, replacing the entire rear frame of a Cybertruck is estimated to cost under $10,000 USD, with most of the expense coming from labor, according to estimates shared on X after high-speed rear collisions.
These insights come from Sandy Munro’s interview (posted below) with Lars Moravy, Tesla’s VP of Vehicle Engineering, highlighting how these advancements contribute to the improvements in Tesla’s latest vehicles, including the New Model Y.
However, with the new Model Y, Tesla has decided to go a different route and eliminated the front gigacast.
No Front Casting
Tesla’s factories aren’t equipped to produce both front and rear castings for the Model Y. Only Giga Texas and Giga Berlin used structural battery packs, but these were quickly phased out due to the underwhelming performance of the first-generation 4680 battery.
Tesla has gone back to building a common body across the globe, increasing part interchangeability and reducing supply chain complexity across the four factories that produce the Model Y. They’ve instead improved and reduced the number of unique parts up front to help simplify assembly and repair.
There is still potential for Tesla to switch back to using a front and rear casting - especially with their innovative unboxed assembly method. However, that will also require Tesla to begin using a structural battery pack again, which could potentially happen in the future with new battery technology.
Rear Casting Improvements
The rear casting has been completely redesigned, shedding 7 kg (15.4 lbs) and cutting machining time in half. Originally weighing around 67 kg (147 lbs), the new casting is now approximately 60 kg (132 lbs).
This 15% weight reduction improves both vehicle dynamics and range while also increasing the rear structure’s stiffness, reducing body flex during maneuvers.
Tesla leveraged its in-house fluid dynamics software to optimize the design, resulting in castings that resemble organic structures in some areas and flowing river patterns in others. Additionally, manufacturing efficiency has dramatically improved—the casting process, which originally took 180 seconds per part, has been reduced to just 75 seconds, a nearly 60% time reduction per unit.
Advancements in die-casting machines and cooling systems have allowed @Tesla to dramatically reduce cycle times and improve dimensional stability. pic.twitter.com/WB5ji67rvV
Tesla’s new casting method incorporates conformal cooling, which cools the die directly within the gigapress. Tesla has been refining the die-casting machines and collaborating with manufacturers to improve the gigapress process.
In 2023, Tesla patented a thermal control unit for the casting process. This system uses real-time temperature analysis and precise mixing of metal streams to optimize casting quality. SETI Park, which covers Tesla’s manufacturing patents on X, offers a great series for those interested in learning more.
The new system allows Tesla to control the flow of cooling liquid, precisely directing water to different parts of the die, cooling them at varying rates. This enables faster material flow and quicker cooling, improving both dimensional stability and the speed of removing the part from the press for the next stage.
With these new process improvements, Tesla now rolls out a new Model Y at Giga Berlin, Giga Texas, and Fremont every 43 seconds—an astounding achievement in auto manufacturing. Meanwhile, Giga Shanghai operates two Model Y lines, delivering a completed vehicle every 35 seconds.
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