What to expect in Tesla's FSD Beta 10.1

By Nuno Cristovao

Version 10 of Tesla's FSD Beta landed this past Saturday and it has shown incremental improvements over the previous beta from just a few weeks ago. It's now driving smoother and more confident than it has in the past, especially in more complicated scenarios such as roundabouts and taking unprotected left turns.

Tesla to release FSD Beta 10.1

We're a few weeks away from the next beta, which is sure to be an exciting one for many. It's the one that we've been looking forward to for quite some time. Beta 10.1 is the one that should be stable enough for Tesla to release it to a wider audience.

v10.1 Release

Beta 10.1 is scheduled to be released on October 1st at midnight if everything stays on schedule. If so, we'll soon have the long-waited button to opt-in to the 10.1 beta. Elon Musk already talked a little about how Tesla will release the beta to additional users. It'll be a gradual process, so not everyone who wants the beta will be able to get it initially.

Wider Release

Soon owners will be able to tap a ‘Download FSD Beta' button to opt-in to the FSD Beta. It's not clear whether the capability to show this button is already available in current software and Tesla just needs to enable it via a configuration or whether it will require a new software update. The original plan back in April was for Tesla to add the button to the Service menu in the car, or maybe adding it to the Software section makes more sense since we already have the ability to be on the stable or advanced track there.

Highway and City NNs Merged

With the 10.1 release Tesla is also set to merge Autopilot code for city streets and highways so that Tesla has a single stack for FSD. So far, Navigate on Autopilot on the FSD betas has utilized the same stack as production vehicles. Navigate on Autopilot on the highways is already fairly good, but we may see it get even better with this release.

One of my gripes on the highway is that the car will often go too fast around a sharp curve and go slightly toward the outer edge of the curve instead of taking the curve a little tighter. If you're taking one of these curves with a neighboring car, it can definitely be a little gut wrenching and I'll usually take off if the curve is sharp enough.

We'll hopefully see these kinds of issues improved when Tesla applies the new neural net to highway driving.

Ability to Move Backward

An additional feature that's expected in version 10.1 is the ability for the car to move backwards. For example, if the car is stopped at an intersection and doesn't have great visibility, it'll now creep forward for a better view, just like a human driver would. But with 10.1, the car will actually move backwards after creeping forward if it notices a car is coming. We're absolutely inching toward autonomy here.

Tesla is building an impressive system and we may all get to try it soon. Version 10.1 is set to drop in just 15 days.

Beta Released Version
Beta 9.0 July 10th, 2021 2021.4.18.12
Beta 9.1 July 31st, 2021 2021.4.18.13
Beta 9.2 August 15th, 2021 2021.12.25.15
Beta 10.0 September 11th, 2021 2021.24.15
Beta 10.1 October 1st, 2021? TBD

Tesla FSD in Europe: June Update

By Karan Singh
Not a Tesla App

The road to bringing FSD to Europe has been a long and complex one and filled with regulatory and bureaucratic hurdles. Elon Musk, as well as other members of Tesla’s AI team, have previously voiced their grievances with the regulatory approval process on X.

However, it appears that there is finally some progress in getting things moving with recent changes to upcoming autonomy regulations, but the process still seems slow.

Waiting on the Dutch

Elon commented on X recently, stating that Tesla is waiting for approval from Dutch authorities and then the EU to start rolling out FSD in Europe. Tesla is focusing on acquiring approvals from the Dutch transportation authority, which will provide them with the platform they need to gain broader acceptance in Europe. Outside of the Netherlands, Tesla is also conducting testing in Norway, which provides a couple of avenues for them to obtain national-level approval.

The frustration has been ongoing, with multiple committee meetings bringing up autonomy regulation but always pulling back at the last second before approving anything. The last meeting on Regulation 157, which governs Automated Lane Keeping Systems, concluded with authorities from the UK and Spain requesting additional time to analyze the data before reaching a conclusion.

Tesla, as well as Elon, have motioned several times for owners to reach out to their elected representatives to move the process forward, as it seems that Tesla’s own efforts are being stymied. 

This can seem odd, especially since Tesla has previously demoed FSD working exceptionally smoothly on European roads - and just did it again in Rome when they shared the video below on X.

DCAS Phase 3

While the approval process has been slow, Kees Roelandschap pointed out that there may be a different regulatory step that could allow FSD to gain a foothold in Europe.

According to Kees, the European Commission is now taking a new approach to approving ADAS systems under the new DCAS Phase 3 regulations. The Commission is now seeking data from systems currently operational in the United States that can perform System-Initiated Maneuvers and don’t require hands-on intervention for every request.

This is key because those are two of the core functionalities that make FSD so usable, and it also means that there may not be a need to wait years for proper regulations to be written from scratch. Now, the Commission will be looking at real-world data based on existing, deployed technology, which could speed up the process immensely.

What This Means

This new, data-driven regulatory approach could be the path for Tesla to reach its previous target of September for European FSD. While the cogs of bureaucracy are ever slow, sometimes all it takes is a little data to have them turn a bit faster in this case.

Alongside specific countries granting approval for limited field testing with employees, there is some light at the end of the tunnel for FSD in Europe, and hopes are that a release will occur by the end of 2025. With Europe now looking to North America for how FSD is performing, Tesla’s Robotaxi results could also play a role.

Tesla Launches 'TeslaVision' Contest With Big Prizes — See Last Year’s Winner [VIDEO]

By Karan Singh
Not a Tesla App

Tesla’s marketing has always been relatively unconventional, relying on word-of-mouth rather than traditional advertising. The passion of the owner’s community is always massive, but it is especially high now with the launch of the Robotaxi network just around the corner.

Tesla is now tapping into that spring of fan creativity and announced the TeslaVision video contest, with some seriously impressive prizes up for grabs.

The Contest

The core of the contest is simple. Create a video that shows how your Tesla gives you more in life. Tesla is looking for submissions that highlight themes of freedom, safety, fun, and convenience.

Prizes

The prizes definitely make this contest worth entering if you’re good with a camera and have some basic video editing abilities.

For North America, the prizes include a brand new Model Y AWD Long Range, alongside an all-expenses-paid trip to Austin for a tour of Giga Texas. The grand prize winner will also be able to custom order their Model Y, allowing them to select their preferred wheels and color.

The two runners-up won’t get a Model Y, but they’ll also enjoy an all-expenses-paid trip to Giga Texas for a tour of the factory.

The travel and tour include lodging in Austin for 2 nights, as well as economy-class round-trip tickets from anywhere in North America. Tesla will also provide a vehicle for use during the trip.

Hopefully, these winners will also have the opportunity to experience the Robotaxi network while they’re in Austin, as it’s expected to be opened to the public later this month.

Project Loveday

For long-time followers of Tesla, this contest may feel familiar. The contest is a direct throwback to the 2017 Project Loveday contest, which was inspired by a letter to Tesla from a 10-year-old aspiring marketer. That contest was won by MKBHD, with his submission below:

How to Enter

If you’re ready to start filming, here are the key pieces of information you’ll need to know:

  • Video must be 90 seconds or less

  • Video must be uploaded to YouTube with a public URL

  • Make a post on X and Instagram tagging “@Tesla” and include the words “TeslaVision contest” in the post.

  • Provide links to both social media posts in your submission to Tesla’s form

  • Provide your personal details in the form

  • You have until July 17th, 2025, or until Tesla receives 10,000 entries, whichever comes first.

You can find the official submission form and all region-specific details on Tesla's website.

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