Elon Musk has been teasing the next big FSD update, which is now confirmed to be FSD v14, and from everything we’ve been hearing from Musk, it’s going to be quite the update. While Musk tends to be overly optimistic, it’s a good sign that he’s so excited about the next FSD update.
The update is expected to be one of the biggest yet, while also reducing driver monitoring, but it’ll only be available on HW4 vehicles.
Second Biggest Update
Musk posted on X overnight, saying that FSD v14 will be Tesla’s second biggest update after FSD v12. As a reminder, FSD v12 was a major update that merged the street and highway stacks and finally added end-to-end AI to the highway stack.
It also eliminated the steering wheel nag by introducing vision-based driver monitoring, and added the improved suspension that automatically removes a strike after a week of safe driving.
In addition to those improvements, it also made lane changes more natural, added the new driving profiles, and made FSD smoother and more natural.
The fact that FSD v14 will be nearly as large an update is an exciting prospect, especially since FSD is already so good. There are times when FSD could perform better or smoother, but it’s getting to a point where it’s hard to imagine such a massive leap.
“Feels Alive”
In his post on X, Musk said that FSD “feels alive.” Most of us can already testify to this when FSD slows down slightly before a crosswalk or moves over the yellow line when passing someone on a bicycle or walking on the side of the road. The fact that FSD v14 makes it more natural and human-like suggests we’re getting close to the promised delivery of Unsupervised FSD for customers by the end of the year.
10x More Parameters, Video Improvements
Musk has talked about FSD v14 previously, stating that it will use 10x more parameters than v13, pretty much eliminating any hope for HW3 vehicles to get it. However, that should make FSD significantly smoother and more capable.
In addition to the parameters update, the Tesla AI team will also improve video quality by reducing compression-related data loss. The 10-fold increase in parameters, combined with improved visuals, should let FSD’s neural networks to interpret more subtle information and respond more human-like.
Musk also confirmed that the upcoming update won’t be the 4x parameter version initially expected this spring, but rather the 10x version recently discussed. Tesla is skipping this intermediate version—probably the one used in today’s Robotaxis in Austin and the Bay Area.
Robotaxis Are Only Using FSD V13
In another post on X, Musk also confirmed that the Robotaxis are utilizing a version of FSD v13 and not something based on FSD v14, which really makes us believe this will be a massive update. With customers receiving everything the Robotaxis are capable of, along with the 10x parameter and video compression improvements in FSD v14, this could make the long wait between FSD updates worth it.
Reduced Driver Monitoring
Tesla FSD v14 will also include reduced driver monitoring thanks to FSD improvements. Musk said that it will “substantially reduce the need for driver attention.” He goes on to say that it will still need the driver’s involvement through complex intersections, unusual events, or bad weather.
The reduced monitoring will be a welcome improvement, as the vehicle is quick to warn customers when they’re caught looking at the screen for more than a second or two. While it’s a good thing that the vehicle requires users to be attentive, Musk says that Tesla realizes there’s a balance. It doesn’t want to force users to turn off FSD to switch music or enter map information, but it also needs to make sure drivers are giving FSD the attention it needs.
How Driver Monitoring Should Work
Driver monitoring is definitely a balancing act. We’d love FSD to be fluid in the attention it requires. For example, if the driver has only looked away from the screen once in the last 10 minutes, then it should potentially be more lenient and allow the driver more time to be “distracted.” However, if they’re constantly checking their phones or being distracted with the screen, it could become more strict and even issue a warning or strike for looking away too often.
Release
While Musk didn’t provide an update on FSD v14’s release in these latest posts, about two weeks ago, he stated that FSD v14 should be available by the end of September if testing goes well.
During the Q2 2025 Earnings Call, we were told to expect the FSD release between July and September, suggesting that Tesla is on track. However, expect this timeline to refer to when employees receive the update and not necessarily customers or influencers.
If all goes well, we’ll soon be looking at a smoother, more intuitive FSD update that could even introduce the long-awaited parking at garages, driveways and more.
