Following the first major service area expansion, Tesla is already pushing another update to the Robotaxi app and service as a whole. The new version includes more quality-of-life improvements, and most importantly, a big change to Robotaxi’s pickup logic that makes the entire experience much smoother.
Robotaxi App Update
This latest update is another one focused on polishing the user experience before Tesla adds more vehicles to the fleet and more riders to the network. The most significant change here is that Robotaxi will now navigate more dynamically. Instead of strictly travelling to the designated pickup point, the vehicle will stop where you are or navigate directly to you if you are nearby, making the pickup just that much easier.
Tesla also introduced a small batch of improvements to improve the app, which is still only available for early testers. First up is a vehicle finder arrow - which is shown in the Robotaxi app to help you find your approaching or parked Robotaxi.
This should be a big help in crowded situations, as visually distinguishing a Model Y Robotaxi from a Robotaxi Model Y is nearly impossible, barring the small Robotaxi logos and lack of a driver.
Tesla has also added in automatic dark/light mode switching to match system settings and some other minor design tweaks and bug fixes. It seems that Tesla is close to their final iterations on the Robotaxi app and will hopefully add it to the official app stores soon. However, an Android version is still MIA, and using the Robotaxi itself is still also limited to invitees, so Tesla may be waiting for those to be available before adding the app to the Apple App Store.
The full release notes for this 25.7.6 app update are listed as:
I am pointing the way! Find your vehicle with an arrow
Automatic light/dark mode setting to follow the system
Design tweaks
Bug fixes
This will be huge and make summon even better.
I didn't get to fully test it, but Robotaxi no longer strictly navigates to the pickup point. I noticed it stops right where I am if I am ahead of the pickup point.
The most exciting part of the update isn’t the piece for Robotaxi - but what it implies for Smart Summon instead. The new dynamic pickup logic could be a huge improvement to how Summon works. At the end of the day, it is exceptionally similar - homing in on the user or a targeted location, and then parking nearby.
Summon currently requires a line of sight, and the range is exceptionally limited, meaning you can’t use it in most larger parking lots without having to walk out halfway to meet the vehicle. It’s also slow enough that by the time you get your vehicle rolling - even with Summon Standby active - you’ll probably have walked most of the way there yourself.
A true come-to-me Summon feature that can navigate both city streets and parking lots is definitely the goalpost for customer vehicles - one that doesn’t need to be directly supervised. Robotaxi is the first real-world deployment of the same technology that future builds of Smart Summon will eventually run on.
Sometime in the near future, you’ll be able to Summon your Tesla directly to you - having it navigate the streets from wherever it found parking. All the learnings from Robotaxi are going to come fast - and they’ll all be amazing to finally get on customer cars.
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After months of no updates, Elon Musk has announced that Tesla will soon release a new FSD update, in what he’s calling a “step change improvement,” so expectations will be high for this one. The biggest change is that Tesla is merging in the changes they’ve been making for Robotaxi FSD into the consumer software branch.
Elon also provided an update on the rollout of Robotaxi to additional US cities like San Francisco, as well as FSD for other regions like Europe and China. Let’s dig in - as this is some of the most exciting FSD-related news we’ve seen in a while.
However, the Tesla AI team isn’t standing still. They’ve been making constant improvements to the Robotaxi version of FSD, so hearing that Tesla will integrate that version into FSD Supervised is certainly exciting.
Musk says that Tesla still needs to validate that the improvements they’ve made for Austin in particular don’t cause regressions elsewhere. Regression testing is a necessary step when training neural nets, as they can learn and unlearn things extremely rapidly, as one new behavior can cause a regression in another.
We need to validate that improvements for Austin don’t cause regressions elsewhere.
For Europe and China, we are awaiting regulatory approval. Hopefully, soon🤞
Essentially, we’re at a good spot here. The fact that Tesla is now working on merging Robotaxi FSD into FSD Supervised is a good sign, even if there’s work to be done. We expect these builds to go out to the FSD testing fleet (not the Robotaxi validation testers we’ve seen throughout Texas). These dedicated testers will make sure there are no regressions - and once they give the thumbs up, the standard rollout process begins. Given that the Robotaxis are running HW4 and Tesla is merging Robotaxi FSD into FSD Supervised, we expect this to be an HW4-only rollout.
Once validation is complete, Tesla will likely roll out the update to employees, followed by early access influencers (and potentially also Early Access Program members). Once it is in their hands and we see good progress there, it’ll begin rolling out to customers en masse.
Elon commented on X last night, saying they’re looking good for Q3 release, which puts us in the September timeframe.
Global Rollout Status
Elon also provided an update on two other items - launching Robotaxi in other cities, and launching FSD into other markets - and made it clear that the next hurdle isn’t on Tesla, it is on regulatory approval. Bureaucratic red tape seems to be the biggest obstacle to Tesla’s autonomy ambitions lately - but it is progressing well in some regions, such as Australia.
For the Bay Area, as well as potentially other cities that Tesla is considering, such as Phoenix, Arizona, approval is pending from regulators. Elon mentioned that regulators were being reasonable, which isn’t something we hear often.
As soon as the regulators approve (they are being quite reasonable tbh)
For other markets, including China (for HW3 vehicles) and Europe, the red tape is still in place. Both of these markets have big regulatory hurdles that Tesla needs to overcome. In China’s case, every new update must be validated with the government, which takes additional time. In Europe’s case, we’re still awaiting the green light from UNECE regulators to approve autonomous vehicles on European roads.
Elon provided a much-needed update on FSD and Robotaxi, one that we hadn’t had in a long time. Current users can look forward to what is likely a major capability boost, sourced from Robotaxi in Austin, while those outside of North America now have some additional hope that FSD may arrive before the end of 2025.
After several years of construction, the highly anticipated Tesla Diner and Supercharger station in downtown Hollywood is officially opening to the public today, Monday, July 21st.
Tesla hosted a special pre-opening event this Saturday to celebrate first responders, which provided us with our first full look into the now-operational venue. The diner is a blend of a massive, state-of-the-art Supercharger station, a retro drive-in movie theater, and a restaurant packed with Tesla’s signature — tech, culture, and a ton of fun moments.
Not a Tesla App
Supercharger & Drive-In Experience
At its core, the Hollywood location is a massive Supercharger site, featuring 80 v4 Supercharger stalls. But the experience here goes beyond just charging. The site also features a fully functional drive-in movie theater, complete with two enormous 45-foot LED movie screens.
NEWS: Tesla's Hollywood Diner and Supercharger officially opens to the public this Monday, July 21st!
• 80 V4 Supercharger stalls • Drive-in movie theater with two 45-foot LED movie screens. Audio of movies/videos playing on both screens will sync & play from the speakers… pic.twitter.com/iyAY05OdHi
The integration here is as seamless as we hoped. You’ll be able to order food directly from inside your Tesla - and payment is handled automatically through your Tesla account. A new sub-app called Tesla Diner appears in Tesla Theater, which connects your vehicle’s display and sound system to whatever is playing on the main screens. This works for both the front and rear displays - which means your passengers can also enjoy the entertainment.
Video showing how your car will be able to watch the videos being played on the big screens. The demo vehicles they had on display had an added app under the Tesla Theatre app. The app probably appears once the car connects to the WiFi at the #tesladiner. @Tesla@cybertruckpic.twitter.com/Toa0dxI3Yl
The food offerings are a nod to classic American diner fare, and include the below:
Burgers
Fries
Chicken Wings
Hot Dogs
Hand-spun milkshakes
Sandwiches
In classic Tesla fashion, they couldn’t help but touch on the small details. The burgers and sandwiches are served in a unique Cybertruck-styled burger box.
whistingbhole
The Experience: Robots, Roller Skates, and Rooftop Views
Tesla has pulled out all the stops to create something truly unique and memorable at its diner. Adding to the retro vibe, the human servers were gliding around the diner on roller blades. That’s something you definitely don’t see every day anymore.
On the rooftop deck, you can also get a good view of the iconic Hollywood sign and the theater screens, if you’re up for more of an airy experience.
View from the top deck at Tesla Hollywood Diner and Supercharger - you can even see the Hollywood sign!
Inside, for the soft opening, several Optimus units were on-site. One was even actively serving popcorn to guests and answering questions - giving us a little glimpse into Optimus at work. Although Optimus was remotely controlled through, presumably by a person in a suit and sensors, it could serve as training data to enable it to perform this task independently in the future.
This was the coolest! 😎 Optimus was answering @FthePump’s questions, here is a sample! pic.twitter.com/nZYkQE66W6
The diner is definitely going to be a must-visit destination for Tesla fans, and Tesla is aware of this. They’ve leaned into their own history here with a bunch of diner-exclusive merchandise and swag, along with a ton of pieces of Tesla history on display.
The merch also included a unique diner-themed Optimus action figure. If you’ve got the first one, this new one is definitely another to add to the collection - but you’ll need to visit in person to grab one.
Some of the real treasures, aside from all the swag, are the historical Tesla items. On display is the original broken Cybertruck glass from the infamous 2019 reveal event. Alongside it is also a bullet-tested HFS steel panel from a Cybertruck prototype, which even includes handwritten notes from Wes Morrill, Cybertruck’s lead engineer.
@braddlex on X
To round out the showcase for the event, Tesla also had a Cybercab and a modified Model Y Police Cruiser on display at the event.
The Tesla Diner has shaped itself up to be more than just a restaurant. It’ll definitely be a destination visit for many Tesla fans. You can check out a full walk-through of the experience here:
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