Tesla's Blueprint for Autonomy: Redundancy, Teleoperators, Hubs

May 27, 2025

By Karan Singh

Not a Tesla App

Tesla’s ambitions extend far beyond electric vehicles, with the company recently saying its goal is sustainable abundance. However, solving vehicle autonomy and deploying a large-scale Robotaxi network are key steps toward that goal.

Today, FSD Supervised offers a glimpse into what an autonomous vehicle will be capable of, but the journey to truly autonomous vehicles involves several interconnected pillars that are in development.

The FSD Journey

The foundation of Tesla’s ambitions is in FSD, which has been on a long, iterative journey. The end goal for FSD is to power both autonomous vehicles, as well as Optimus, Tesla’s humanoid robot.

FSD’s journey began with FSD Beta, an initial phase of real-world testing and extensive data gathering with real users. The first batch of users were influencers on Twitter and YouTube. Tesla eventually opened up FSD Beta to more owners with their Safety Scores in the United States, and then the program rolled out to Canada. Shortly afterward, the Safety Score requirement was removed, and Tesla offered FSD Beta to anyone who purchased FSD or subscribed to FSD. This process took place over several years.

In Spring of 2024, Tesla removed the Beta label and formally introduced FSD (Supervised). FSD Supervised dropped the vast majority of Tesla’s hand-written code and adopted an approach that relied on end-to-end AI networks. This was an important architectural shift, where AI took over most input and output, meaning that AI was controlling the brake and accelerator for the first time.

With the launch of FSD v12.5, FSD also became a hands-free experience with vehicles with a cabin camera. The steering wheel nag was finally gone.

FSD Unsupervised

Now, Tesla is focused on the Robotaxi - with the ultimate objective of deploying a functional version of FSD (Unsupervised). Tesla is already using FSD Unsupervised for logistical tasks, such as moving vehicles from the production line to the outbound delivery lots at Fremont and Giga Texas.

Tesla has also been testing FSD Unsupervised in California and Texas, albeit with safety drivers - ahead of the upcoming launch of the Robotaxi Network in Austin. While some reports from analysts like Adam Jonas have mentioned that Tesla intends to remotely supervise the fleet with teleoperators, we expect that the teleoperation will be limited to getting vehicles out of precarious situations and evaluating fleet performance.

FSD’s entire evolutionary process is fuelled by the vast amounts of data gathered from millions of Tesla vehicles on the road, enabling the AI to continuously learn and improve from an unparalleled diversity of real-world encounters. Tesla takes massive swathes of data and then automatically annotates them with key labeling parameters to prioritize for its learning suite.

Computational Hardware

Training and executing these increasingly sophisticated AI models demands immense computing power, both within the vehicles themselves and within Tesla’s growing data centers. In the car, FSD hardware has jumped from HW3 to the current AI4.

However, with V13 already pushing AI4 to its limits due to the increasingly intensive demands of larger and more complex AI models, the upcoming AI5 hardware is expected to further improve in-vehicle processing by increasing memory and compute power. That’s not to say AI4 won’t be able to achieve autonomy, but AI5 is expected to be safer in the long term due to its increased processing power.

Parallel to in-vehicle hardware is Tesla’s multi-billion dollar investments in its own supercomputing infrastructure. This includes Dojo, Tesla’s custom-built supercomputer specifically designed for machine learning and processing massive amounts of video data. Alongside the still-in-prototype phase Dojo, Tesla has already deployed Cortex 1.0 on the south side of Giga Texas, with Cortex 2.0 just recently announced for the north side. These two facilities are both large-scale GPU clusters and will be responsible for FSD development for the foreseeable future.

Everything Needed for a Robotaxi Network

For a Robotaxi service to be successful and widely adopted, the experience from opening the app to stepping out at your destination must be as seamless as possible for users and highly efficient for fleet operations. This necessitates building an entire ecosystem around the autonomous vehicle and the network.

A core component of this will be inside the Tesla App, in the Robotaxi section. We’ve previously seen some glimpses into the details, including user interaction, ride-hailing, and managing journey preferences.

Minimizing human interaction and maximizing fleet uptime is key. Robotaxis must be able to sustain themselves effectively - and wireless charging is Tesla’s go-to solution. With the addition of wireless charging to V4 Superchargers in the future, Unsupervised autonomy will be able to expand even further than the current limits - which are based around network hubs that provide two key services - charging and cleaning.

That second key service - cleaning - is another big item. Users won’t mind a less luxurious vehicle if it’s cheaper, but it needs to be clean. Tesla has already shown off its robotaxi cleaning robot, which will be deployed at those network hubs. While this may seem like an ideal job for Optimus, Tesla needs to get its network rolling today - and a single robotic arm specialized to the task could be cheaper and faster than employing a humanoid robot. Although, you can bet that Tesla is already thinking about Optimus for such a role in the future.

Beyond the user-facing aspects, Tesla will need to have a sophisticated fleet management and operational logistics hub. For Tesla, this means intelligent dispatch algorithms, utilizing real-time fleet monitoring, predictive scheduling for times of use, charging, and maintenance, as well as a degree of teleoperation or supervision for critical incidents.

The Vehicle

The physical vehicle itself is, of course, a critical element in this entire plan. The vehicle itself needs specific attributes that can enable safe and reliable autonomous operation. Tesla has remained steadfast in their vision-only approach, and have demonstrated that processing data from cameras, much like the human eyes, is the most scalable path to achieving general autonomy.

For Unsupervised autonomy, especially in a commercial robotaxi service, robust hardware redundancy is non-negotiable. While today’s Teslas already offer backup solutions for many critical systems such as braking and steering, redundant FSD computer nodes can help to make sure the vehicle can maintain control or even pull over to reach a safe area in the event of a critical incident.

While Tesla intends to begin its Robotaxi pilot with the Model Y, the upcoming Cybercab is expected to host two AI4 FSD computers, which will increase FSD’s redundancy and improve the safety margin. The Cybercab, unlike many other Robotaxi-esque vehicles, is being engineered from the ground up specifically around Tesla’s Robotaxi service. It’s optimized for low-cost manufacturing, high utilization, and durability while also being easy to maintain, charge, and clean.

Regulation and Trust

Solving autonomy extends far beyond just software or engineering innovations. It also involves navigating a complex and evolving regulatory landscape. Gaining approvals for fully autonomous commercial operations from authorities like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) at the federal level, as well as various state and local bodies, is a significant and ongoing challenge for Tesla.

Winds have changed in the United States for autonomy with new federal autonomous vehicle frameworks looking to standardize the rules and regulations for autonomous vehicles. These frameworks are just the start to actually getting laws in-place that will allow for the operation of Robotaxis outside of smaller jurisdictions.

Equally important is building public trust and acceptance. While people who use FSD swear by it, the average vehicle owner in North America will still be utterly awestruck or panic when they see a Tesla being Summoned from its parking spot to the curb.

Building trust is essential - because nobody will step into a vehicle without a driver and without any means of controlling it unless Tesla can demonstrate consistent safety. That consistent safety must be drastically better than human drivers, and Tesla must be transparent with how it reaches its safety milestones in order to encourage the adoption of autonomous ride-hailing.

Tesla’s approach to autonomy is a vertically integrated strategy that touches every aspect of the challenge - from the fundamental AI software and custom silicon that powers it to the massive processing infrastructure, the physical vehicle hardware, and the entire operational ecosystem required for a future Robotaxi service.

While there will no doubt be challenges, this June, Tesla starts its journey toward an autonomous future.

What Is Tesla’s Joe Mode: What It Does, How to Enable It, Future Features

May 26, 2025

By Karan Singh

Not a Tesla App

In the often-quiet cabin of a Tesla, the various chimes and alerts, while informative and helpful, can sometimes feel too loud. This is especially true when passengers are resting, or you want a more peaceful driving environment.

Enter Joe Mode, a little toggle designed to reduce the volume of non-critical vehicle alerts. We’ll break down what Joe Mode does, how to enable it, how it got its name, and what features may be added in the future.

What is Joe Mode?

Joe Mode is a simple toggle that reduces the volume of most in-car chimes by approximately 50%. It's crucial to note that this feature is specifically designed to lower the volume of non-critical alerts.

Any chimes related to urgent safety issues, such as Forward Collision Warnings or other emergency alerts, will still sound at their normal, attention-grabbing volume. This also includes the chime for the FSD takeover screen (the red hands alert) but not the blue “Pay Attention to the Road” chime.

How to Activate Joe Mode

Activating Joe Mode is simple. You can do it by going to Controls > Safety > Joe Mode and tapping the toggle.

Note: Joe Mode is saved per profile, so you can enable it on your profile, while another driver of the vehicle can choose to have it off.

What Gets Quieter?

When Joe mode is enabled, you’ll notice a discernible reduction in many common alerts, which include:

Autopilot Engagement and Disengagement Chimes
Turn Signal Sounds
Parking Sensor Chimes (USS and non-USS vehicles)
Initial Seatbelt Reminders
General notifications and informational chimes

Critical safety warnings such as Lane Departure Avoidance and Automatic Emergency Braking are not silenced.

Where Did Joe Mode Get Its Name?

Joe Mode was named after a real Tesla owner named Joe, who reached out to Elon on Twitter back in 2019. He requested that Tesla reduce the volume of vehicle chimes, which kept waking up his baby during car rides.

Elon saw the request, acknowledged its utility and Tesla eventually developed the feature and rolled it out as part of the V10 software update, naming it Joe Mode.

When to Use Joe Mode

There are plenty of practical applications for Joe Mode, and personally, the author uses it all the time to reduce the sound of normal chimes.

Many love using it for sleeping passengers, and this is the classic use case, especially for parents with young children napping in the back seats. Night driving is another good use case, as softer chimes at night are a little less intrusive and startling.

You can also use it alongside Camp Mode to suppress the volume of any chimes while you’re snoozing off-grid.

More Joe Mode Features Soon?

As it currently exists, Joe Mode is already useful for many people, but there have been plenty of requests to make it more useful. Back in 2020, in response to user feedback, Elon Musk agreed that Tesla could add a volume slider to Joe Mode, allowing users to set their own volume for vehicle alerts.

In 2022, he acknowledged, once again, that Tesla could make Joe Mode even quieter, as many found the 50% reduction in volume insufficient.

Joe Mode is a fantastic example of Tesla listening to community feedback and implementing practical features, but we’d love to see Tesla add even more functionality to this feature in the future.

Elon Musk Shares His Thoughts on Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI in Interview

May 24, 2025

By Karan Singh

Reuters

In a recent interview at the Qatar Economic Forum, Elon Musk answered questions covering a wide array of topics. During this interview, he provided some insights into Tesla, its roadmap for autonomy, his commitment to the company, and then delved into SpaceX and xAI.

It was an interesting interview, run by an interviewer who was ready to pick at Elon’s faults, but nonetheless, he came out standing strong and with a clear focus. Let’s take a look at everything discussed during the interview.

Tesla

One of the key items addressed by Elon during this interview was Tesla’s global presence and markets. Elon noted and agreed that Europe is currently Tesla’s weakest market, but even so, sales for Tesla continue to perform well within expectations for this year. He attributed much of the decline in sales to the ramp of the Model Y, but also linked some to his public persona - but more on that later.

What’s key here is that Elon noted that Tesla has built a global core customer base that is faithful to the brand and excited to see what’s next at every turn, which means that Tesla is in good shape, even with some regions seeing reduced sales.

Covering autonomy, Tesla’s focus remains on the advancement of autonomous driving in the near and long term. The upcoming launch of the Robotaxi network in Austin is an important near-term milestone and represents a critical phase for Tesla. If the launch goes as planned, Tesla plans to expand to additional regions and roll out Unsupervised FSD to customers.

Elon as CEO

Regarding his own role, Elon confirmed that he intends to remain at the head of Tesla as CEO for the foreseeable future, barring any unforeseen circumstances. He also mentioned that this commitment is tied to ensuring he has sufficient voting control to prevent potential ousting by activist investors rather than being primarily about his compensation package.

Tesla has been making moves to prevent further activist investors from filing suits against the company, with the latest step being to re-incorporate in Texas and adopting a new company policy that prevents shareholder lawsuits from those that own less than 3% of the company.

The interview also touched on some of the more challenging aspects that Elon has been exposed to recently. He acknowledged that some recent negative events and narratives surrounding Tesla have taken a personal toll on him, as well as a toll on the company. While he didn’t go into specifics, Elon acknowledged at the Q1 2025 Earnings Call that Tesla has suffered brand damage as a result of his work with the current US administration and that his reduced role at D.O.G.E. should help to reduce further damage.

SpaceX

Shifting the sights from the roads to the skies, SpaceX’s core business remains firmly centered on a few key aspects. That is rocketry, Starlink, and Starlink’s terminals. Elon did note that there is a potential to take Starlink public, but he isn’t in any immediate rush, given the continued and increasing growth of the Starlink user base worldwide. Starlink would need to further expand and provide additional services, like the upcoming Direct-to-Cell, before an IPO would be considered.

The next space-based topic was Starship. Starship is the cornerstone of SpaceX’s plans to colonize Mars, and the full reusability of Starship is SpaceX’s next step in achieving that goal. Once Starship becomes fully reusable, the cost of access to space, the Moon, and Mars will become drastically lowered, enabling further movement towards the greater mission of making humans a multi-planetary species.

xAI and AGI

The conversation also took a turn into the fields of AI. Elon has expressed views that many well-established industries are overregulated while new and upcoming industries, like AI, are grossly underregulated. Once again, Elon is advocating for some level of government oversight or regulation to ensure the responsible development of AI technologies.

This is due to the potential risks that Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) could pose to humans and society as a whole. AGI is a focus for many AI companies who are pursuing truly generalized artificial intelligence that can understand and learn on its own. However, AGI also invokes thoughts of Skynet - the AI built by Cyberdyne Systems in the Terminator franchise.

Preventing and regulating the development of AGI to ensure that it stays within the bounds of human control will be key, and that forms the basis of Elon’s concerns with the rapid rate of advancement of AI today. In particular, Elon mentioned his critical views of OpenAI’s shift from a non-profit, open-source model to a for-profit, closed-source model that is searching for AGI.

Neuralink

Elon also touched on Neuralink just briefly. He highlighted that the company and its engineers are working on new advancements aimed at restoring capabilities, including sight, for individuals with specific medical conditions. Neuralink is already providing real humans who previously lacked the ability to communicate or interact with the world in an easier way.

The interview was pretty broad and covered Elon’s entire spectrum of companies - maybe just stopping short of touching on The Boring Company. You can check out the interview for yourself below.