It's been a while since HW3 owners have received a new FSD update, with the latest update coming with FSD version 12.5.4.2. While this version added vision-based attention monitoring with sunglasses, it’s still far behind the latest features available on FSD v13.2.1.
Tesla shared their FSD roadmap twice in the past few months, but HW3 was mostly left out, except for a single bullet point that stated there would be improved V12.5.x AI models for city driving.
We’ve recently seen HW4 vehicles receive much larger AI models, camera improvements that include processing video feeds at full resolution and 36 FPS, and much more. FSD V13 also gained features such as the ability to reverse and start FSD from park, amongst others.
It’s clear that HW3 is not powerful enough to run these latest FSD models, but HW3 owners are right to feel left out and disappointed with Tesla selling vehicles with HW3 up through the middle of 2023. Elon Musk has stated that Tesla will upgrade HW3 cars if needed, but are left in the dark in terms of what the upgrade will be and when it’ll become available.
Since that comment from Musk and Tesla’s updated roadmap in late October, Tesla hasn’t shared any additional news on HW3, until now.
Ashok Elluswamy, VP of AI at Tesla, has confirmed on X that an FSD update for HW3 owners is coming before the end of the year. Putting aside the 2 weeks joke, he did confirm that FSD V12.6 will be on its way for HW3 vehicles by the end of the year - which just happens to be about 2 weeks away.
FSD V12.6
WholeMarsBlog on X
It seems that the V12.6 build will be unique to Hardware 3 - as there haven’t been any builds with that FSD version yet. The closest build that we have to look at is FSD V12.5.6.4, which only went out to HW4 vehicles. We expect FSD V12.6 to include everything in 12.5.6.4 with possibly some additions.
FSD V12.5.6 brought a lot of improvements. We covered all of the features in FSD 12.5.6 previously, if you want a detailed breakdown and photos of all the features. However, here’s a high level overview of everything that version included:
Better and More Natural Lane Change Decisions
Updated Speed Profiles, including Hurry Mode
Auto Speed Changes
End-to-End Highway Stack
Audio Data Collection
These changes greatly improved FSD on HW4, so we’ll have to wait and see if they provide similar improvements for HW3 vehicles. The more natural decisions should improve overall smoothness and get rid of the jerky-wheel syndrome and green-light braking that has become synonymous with V12.5.4.2. Alongside better lane selection, this makes the entire experience much smoother and more fitting of Full Self Driving.
The updated speed profiles are applicable on both roads and highways (up to 50 mph with this version), which means you’ll get an updated Chill Mode (with Minimal Lane Changes), Standard Mode, and the new Hurry Mode, which is focused on driving faster and making more frequent lane changes.
Auto Speed has also been removed in favor of Max Speed, which will let you define an overall max while letting FSD still pick its overall speed up to that maximum set speed. You can adjust the hard max by using your scroll wheel to slow down or speed up the vehicle.
However, the biggest feature in this update is the new End-to-End Highway Stack, which finally brings the benefits of FSD V12 on city streets to highway driving.
The final feature that we’re expecting in FSD V12.6 is the ability to collect audio data to begin training for hearing emergency vehicles. This one will be big and it’s what will make FSD feel very human-like. Tesla is starting off with detecting emergency vehicles, but you can expect them to start detecting much more than that soon.
Tesla hints at that in their release notes, saying that audio sharing will be used for features such as emergency vehicle detection. Expect FSD to react to more in the future, such as vehicles honking or someone yelling. Tesla also said that they’ll be looking to have the vehicle honk when needed.
Why FSD 12.6
It’s interesting that Tesla is choosing to name this version FSD 12.6 instead of FSD 12.5.6.x, like they’ve done in the past. This points at some additional improvements being included, but it’s not clear what they could be. Could Tesla bring down some improvements from FSD V13, or add some features such as the ability to reverse?
Tesla may want to stay away from the FSD V13 name if the HW3 version isn’t going to perform as well as FSD V13 on HW4, but at the same time, they could simplify some FSD V13 features and make them available for HW3 owners.
What’s in FSD V13
Let’s take a quick look at all the features in FSD V13 that weren’t in FSD 12.5.6.x. FSD V13 includes significant improvements to the FSD model that just won’t fit into HW3 that are likely responsible the the smoothness seen in FSD V13. This includes a much larger model, full camera resolution, higher frame rates, and more, but FSD V13 also includes these additional features:
Speed Profiles on both City Streets and Highways (available on all roads and speeds)
Integrated unpark, reverse, and park capabilities
Start FSD from Park
Improved reward predictions for collision avoidance
Improved camera cleaning
Redesigned controller for smoother, more accurate tracking
Dynamic routing around road closures, which displays them along an affected route when they are detected by the fleet
While the larger model of FSD V13 is not expected to be available for HW3 vehicles, some of these other features have the possibility of making the cut in V12.6.
Legacy Vehicles
There’s no news on Model S and Model X legacy vehicles with MCU 1 receiving the same update just yet. Teslas with MCU 1 did receive FSD V12.3.6 on update 2024.26.3.1, but we haven’t seen anything indicating there will be another update coming soon. However, getting FSD 12.6 out for HW3 with MCU 2 could be the precursor to it becoming available for older MCU 1 vehicles.
We’re super excited to hear Tesla talking about HW3 vehicles and that an update is coming in just a couple of weeks. While it’s not FSD V13, it could provide massive improvements until a hardware upgrade becomes available for HW3 owners.
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Tesla has unveiled its 6-seat Model Y variant in China, known as the Model Y L. This new variant of one of the world’s best-selling vehicles comes with a longer wheelbase, adjusted C-pillar design, and most importantly, a six-seat interior layout.
The vehicle’s specifications have been officially listed in a filing with China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), confirming a launch for this fall.
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The addition of a longer wheelbase and a more spacious third row is a fantastic addition for the Model Y’s family utility, and positions this variant as sort of a mini Model X, but let’s compare the sizes to really know how this new Model Y compares to a Model X.
Meet the Model Y L
The defining feature of the new Model Y L is its six-seat configuration. This layout has previously been exclusive to the larger and more expensive Model X. While Tesla has offered the Model Y in a 7-seat configuration before, the third row was much too small to be utilized by anyone but small children.
Comparing Model Y L to the Model X
@xiaoteshushu on X
Let’s compare this upcoming Model Y L to the regular Model Y and the Model X.
Vehicle/Dimension
Wheelbase
Overall Length
Model Y
2,890mm / 113.8 in
4,797mm / 188.9 in
Model Y L
3,040mm / 119.7 in
4,976mm / 195.9 in
Model X
2,965mm / 116.7 in
5,060mm / 199.2 in
The new wheelbase of 3,040mm is a significant stretch from the standard wheelbase, and in fact, is longer than the Model X’s wheelbase of 2,965mm. However, the overall length of the vehicle is 84mm (~3 inches) shorter than the Model X. This means the vehicle sits neatly between the current Model Y and Model X, filling a much-needed gap.
While this Model Y L is slightly smaller than the Model X, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s smaller inside. The Model X features a much larger front end than the Model Y, accounting for several inches. When you line up the front wheel base of the Model X with this new Model Y, the vehicles are almost exactly the same length.
Tesla has designed this Model Y to be a bit more compact and efficient than the Model X, and likely much cheaper, while featuring the well-loved design of the new Model Y.
Other Specifications and Price
The MIIT filing also provided a detailed look at some additional specifications. The Model Y L is a dual-motor, AWD variant, so it will likely be more expensive than the current Model Y AWD that’s available in China today. Tesla charges an additional $6,500 USD when upgrading the Model X from a 5-seat configuration to a 6-seat layout, so we may see something similar here.
The extra length has been added behind the C-pillar, resulting in a longer rear profile for the Model Y L. To accompany this, Tesla has added an updated rear spoiler, similar to the one found on Performance variants, but not carbon fiber. There is also a new wheel design to complement the updated look, along with unique Model Y L badging and a new light gold paint option.
In classic Tesla fashion, no Tesla is slow - and the Y L has a 0-100 km/h (0-60mph) time of 5.9s, with a top speed of 217km/h. Alongside an 82.5 kWh LFP battery pack, the Model Y L boasts an impressive CLTC range of 688 km (427 mi).
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Launch & Availability
According to posts from Tesla China on Chinese social media, the new Model Y L is scheduled to launch in the fall of 2025. Its official listing in the MIIT database is essentially the final regulatory step required before sales can begin, which means the launch is really just around the corner. For now, it appears that Tesla intends to launch this vehicle only in China, as no other filings have been made in other regions. However, these could be revealed in the coming months.
The new Model Y L is a huge addition to Tesla’s lineup - one that addresses the Chinese preference for vehicles with longer wheelbases and additional passenger room in a compact SUV package. The question is - will this variant make its way to North America and Europe?
Solving real-world artificial intelligence - whether for autonomous driving, real-world robotics, or advanced reasoning - requires an almost unfathomable amount of computational power. To meet this challenge, Tesla has been developing its own custom AI training hardware while simultaneously purchasing hardware in the open market.
Now, the next-generation Dojo 2 chip has reportedly entered mass production with the world’s largest semiconductor manufacturer, TSMC. While many may consider this a side quest, expanding Tesla’s computing base will be necessary to achieve exascale supercomputing, which will be crucial for all of Tesla’s AI ambitions.
Elon Musk called Dojo 2 “a good computer,” and then followed up with a classic computer performance joke - Dojo 2 can indeed play Crysis at a billion frames per second.
While Tesla has effectively utilized powerful third-party GPUs to train its models to date, the Dojo supercomputer is a ground-up, application-specific solution designed for a single purpose. It will efficiently process massive amounts of video data for training neural networks. The Dojo 2 chip itself is the key that unlocks this potential.
Dojo 2 will train the vision-based neural nets that FSD relies on, allowing Tesla to process video from its massive global fleet of vehicles even faster. As Tesla continues to improve FSD, one of the biggest challenges has been the intake of video for handling difficult edge cases.
Hundreds of thousands of miles of training data may pass by before an edge case is identified and trained on, but it all needs to be analyzed, labeled, and processed, which is key for Dojo 2. Each new useful piece of training data will help Tesla proceed down the march of 9s, making FSD just that little bit better every time.
This process requires massive amounts of compute and training time - but it is an absolute necessity to improve FSD. Of course, this goes beyond just FSD in vehicles. Tesla’s humanoid robot, Optimus, also runs on FSD to navigate and interact with the physical world.
While it may be a custom version of FSD, it remains FSD at its core, which means the same neural nets that analyze the environment and build a 3D map of the world for your car perform the same work for Optimus.
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Custom Approach to AI Hardware
Dojo 2’s power doesn’t just come from raw compute; it comes from a series of architectural choices that make it excel at training FSD and differentiate it from general-purpose hardware, or even other AI-specific hardware.
To this end, Tesla is using TSMC’s new Integrated Fan-Out with Silicon-on-Wafer (InFO-SoW) packaging technology. For massive AI workloads, heat and the speed at which data moves between chips are often the biggest bottlenecks.
This new packaging technique allows for high-bandwidth connections directly between processing dies, which lowers latency and dramatically improves heat dissipation, all key to building massive and dense compute clusters.
Unlike general-purpose chips, Dojo 2 is designed with a custom instruction set, specifically built to train FSD. The cores are specifically made to accelerate the exact mathematical operations, like matrix multiples and systolic arrays, which form the backbone of Tesla’s vision-based neural networks.
By building its own hardware, Tesla can then integrate its own software and compilers directly with the silicon, optimizing for specific workloads and avoiding the performance penalties that can result from using third-party software, such as Nvidia’s CUDA.
The start of Dojo 2 may seem like a side quest for some, but it’s actually a key step for Tesla’s AI technologies that give them an advantage over the competition using off-the-shelf hardware. They’ll need to continue investing in custom hardware to improve FSD at a reasonable pace, rather than the current glacial pace we’ve seen over the last few months.
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