Batteries vs Hydrogen Fuel Cells and Which Make the Most Sense

With version 9 of the FSD Beta Tesla has rolled out an updated view of the car visualizations, known as “Mind of the car.”

Elon Musk is calling the visualizations, 'mind of the car' because Tesla is attempting to show you what the car is recognizing and it's confidence level in a visual way.

The new visualizations are combining what the FSD beta used to recognize in beta 8 and earlier into a more production ready visualization. The visualization is similar to the production version in Teslas today, but it's much more advanced in what it shows. The new visualizations are all 3D objects rendered on the screen instead of the dots and rectangles we saw in earlier betas. The updated visualizations are able to render complicated intersections, curves and turns. Similar to earlier betas they paint road boundaries in red and divide on-coming traffic with same-way traffic with a purple line. The yellow lines represent their real life counterparts, lines that you should not cross on the road. In addition lane markings are more consistent and smooth.

Tesla FSD beta 9 visualization is amazing. Hope this will be incorporated in upcoming V11 software pic.twitter.com/gbUKjSXiyl

— Blue Sky Kites (@blueskykites) July 11, 2021

With this beta, Tesla also switched over to vision only and stopped relying on radar. Due to improvements with their vision detection the car is now able to detect and display objects much more accurately. The car detects and displays more vehicles in the visualizations and more detailed surroundings.

Tesla found a clever way to show how confident the vehicle is in each object it's displaying. The brightness and translucency of each object will vary, depending on the confidence level of the neural net for that object.

Mind of car visualization will improve a lot in coming releases.

Brightness/translucency indicate confidence of neural net in predicting any given object.

Acid test is being able to assess with quick glance at screen if car fully understands environment.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 10, 2021

Although previous betas showed a rectangular prism for each object detected, even if the car didn't recognize what the object was, this beta requires knowing what the object is before it will render it on the screen.

I expect this to change and Tesla to not only add many more 3D assets, but also to come up with a way to show an unknown object. Maybe they go back to a 3D rectangle for these situations. Elon Musk has said that car visualizations will “improve a lot in coming releases.” He recently commented that turn signals, hand gestures and more are going to be added soon.

In order for Tesla to achieve a high level of autonomy, they will essentially need to be able to build a highly detailed video game that represents the real world, in real-time. We are getting closer and the visualizations help us understand what the car sees and understands. With the ‘Mind of the car' visualizations we will now be able to tell how confident the car is in determining certain situations and that will let us better understand when we should take over.

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Tesla Issues Physical Recall for Some Model 3 & Model Y Vehicles Over Seat Fasteners

Not a Tesla App

Tesla has issued a new, voluntary safety recall for a small batch of Model 3 and Model Y vehicles due to an issue with improperly tightened fasteners in the first-row seats. 

The recall impacts only about 48 vehicles and will require a Tesla service visit to resolve. 

Improperly Tightened Fasteners

According to the recall notice, the issue stems from the first-row seating that may have been manufactured with improperly torqued fasteners that attach the seat back to the seat bottom. In some cases, the fasteners may be loose or missing, which could cause a rattle or the seat to detach.

This is a critical safety issue, as a seat back that is not properly anchored could detach, leaving the driver or passenger unsupported and increasing the risk of an accident.

According to Tesla’s investigation, this issue originated from a production change made for vehicles manufactured between April 3rd and May 7th of 2025. However, not all vehicles built within that date are impacted by the recall. The issue impacts 30 2026 Model Ys and 18 2025 Model 3s, across all variants, including RWD, AWD, and Performance (for the Model 3).

Thankfully, there have been no incidents related to this issue to date.

The Fix

Since this is a physical recall, Tesla will have to inspect impacted vehicles and replace and properly retorque the seat fasteners as needed, free of charge. 

Owners of vehicles who have been impacted have already been contacted under the voluntary recall, and most vehicles should have been repaired by the time this notice is formally issued.

You can also check if your VIN is impacted by a recall using Tesla’s Recall Tool.

Tesla has noted the repair should take approximately one hour of work at a Service Center, and up to two hours if a Mobile Ranger addresses the recall.

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Tesla Robotaxi Sends Out More Invites: Next Phases of Robotaxi

@TerrapinTerpene

Following the successful launch of Robotaxi on Sunday, June 22nd, Tesla has begun moving to the next phase of its Robotaxi rollout. They have finally begun sending out a second, larger wave of invites, expanding the early access program to more members of the Tesla community across the United States.

This has moved them past the initial 20 or so users that were offered access on Sunday. That also means Tesla is on the hunt for something crucial: more real-world data.

More Riders ASAP

The initial launch was a tightly controlled event, with access granted to a small and curated group of influencers. While this approach was ideal for generating initial buzz for the launch and collecting feedback from high-quality testers, it also presented logistical challenges.

With only a handful of authorized riders and vehicles, the demand for rides would inevitably dry up as influencers begin their journeys back home. Without a public release, that would leave Tesla’s Robotaxi fleet idle, unable to gather additional data.

To rapidly improve on Robotaxi’s FSD, Tesla needs its vehicles to be constantly navigating real-world scenarios, encountering edge cases, and logging miles. The second round of invites is needed to keep Robotaxis learning and on the road.

Austin Users Next?

This new wave of invites isn’t an open door for members of the public quite yet. By continuing to send invites to trusted community members, Tesla is executing a slow and deliberate rollout by inviting members who know and love Tesla. This allows them to scale the program gradually, increasing the number of users and the diversity of ride requests without overwhelming the relatively small initial fleet of about 10 cars.

Future phases will likely involve opening access to Tesla owners within Austin, which would open up a regular flow of rides. Once that’s done, Robotaxi will likely open up to the public.

Sign of Confidence

The expansion of the early access program is a sign that Tesla is happy and confident with the rollout so far. While Tesla can gather plenty of data around Austin from Tesla owners using FSD, they also need to continue testing features that are exclusive to the Robotaxi, such as the Robotaxi app, support, and remotely control the vehicles when needed.

We expect a full launch to potentially still be months out, but this methodical expansion will likely see more users gradually gain access to the Robotaxi network in the coming weeks.

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