Elon shares how to download Tesla's FSD Beta 10.1

FSD is as big of a topic as ever for Tesla right now. Tesla is releasing betas every two to three weeks and making some of the biggest improvements to FSD it has ever made in its history. Navigate on Autopilot for highways was a big deal, but this is absolutely monumental.

Tesla has been testing their FSD Betas to a closed group of testers, but is now nearing the point where they’ll be able to expand it to a wider audience.

10.1 Release

Version 10.1 of the FSD Beta is supposed to be the one that Tesla will expand to a wider audience. It'll also contain some big improvements such as the ability to creep backward and a single stack for highway and city driving. Tesla is aiming to release beta 10.1 on October 1st, just three weeks after the release of 10.0.

As we’re getting closer to the release of 10.1, Elon is releasing additional details on how users will be able to request access to the 10.1 beta.

Previously Elon talked about how Tesla owners will be able to tap a ‘Download FSD Beta’ button to request access to the beta and Tesla would then gradually allow more owners into the beta.

Good feedback from FSD Beta 10 users! 10.0.1 point release rolling out now.

10.1 rolls out a week from Friday with beta request button.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 17, 2021

Release of the Button

Elon is now releasing additional information on how this process will work. Elon said on Twitter that "10.1 rolls out a week from Friday with the beta request button". It sounds like the beta request button will roll out on September 24th and version 10.1 of the FSD Beta will remain on track for October 1st.

Tesla often phases in software updates to their fleet, so it’s unlikely at this point that everyone will get an update that will add a button to opt-in to the FSD Beta. Tesla has either already included the ability to display the button in previous software releases and just needs to enable it over an over the air update, or the button is not something that will be in the car. It could be a request made in the app or on their website.

How Tesla Will Decide

Elon also talked about how Tesla will decide who is let into the beta. He says that pressing the FSD Beta button will request permission to assess your driving behavior using the Tesla insurance calculator. I don’t believe Elon is saying Tesla insurance will need to be available in your state in order to qualify, but instead that Tesla will use the algorithms they use for Tesla insurance to determine a “good” driver to also assess whether you’d be a good fit for Tesla’s FSD Beta.

He goes on to say that your driving behavior will need to be in good standing for seven days before beta access is granted. It sounds like this this won't apply retroactively, but instead from the moment you request access to the FSD Beta. Since the button is going to be available on September 24th, it'll give Tesla a week to monitor your driving before giving you access to the beta on October 1st.

Beta button will request permission to assess driving behavior using Tesla insurance calculator. If driving behavior is good for 7 days, beta access will be granted.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 17, 2021

At this point, we’re just two weeks out from the release of the 10.1 beta. And with Elon releasing additional details on how to get into the beta, I’d say Tesla is feeling very confident in its ability to deliver. Of course, we should all take it easy on Elon if dates slip a little, this is unmarked territory and we’re lucky Elon shares as much information as he does about Tesla’s future plans.

Elon also shared some news on when he expects Tesla to expand the FSD Beta outside of the US. He said that the technology will probably be ready in a few months, but ultimately will depend on regulations. I think a lot of this will depend on how the release of the FSD Beta goes in the US. If it’s smooth then Tesla will have more resources to focus on expansion outside of the US. It’s possible that depending on a country’s similarities to US roads, traffic signs etc, it could also speed up or slow down the FSD Beta’s release in the given country.

Update: We have additional details on how Tesla insurance calculates safe drivers.

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Tesla May Add Lumbar Support to Driver Profiles, Offer Turn Signal Stalk Retrofit

Not a Tesla App

Tesla’s Vice President of Vehicle Engineering, Lars Moravy, recently took to X and opened the floor for user input. There, he asked the community for features and improvements they’d like to see to make Teslas better heading into 2026.

This post generated thousands of suggestions - and we recapped the best of them. There were also a few that Lars responded to, giving owners hope for some much-requested future changes, so let’s take a look at what may be coming

Lumbar Profile Support

Today, lumbar support is one of the few items that is not saved in the Tesla profile. That means if you have multiple drivers who use the same vehicle, you’re often left adjusting this setting manually, as it retains the setting that was last used. One community member suggested saving your lumbar setting to your profile just like Tesla does for other seat settings.

Lars said making this change seems doable, but it’ll take some engineering magic. The lumbar support isn’t tied to an absolute sensor like the other seat settings. This suggests that Tesla does not have an exact value to save, as it does with other seat functions, but Lars believes Tesla can find a way to save lumbar preferences. Tesla could potentially time how long the motor runs to get to the user’s lumbar setting and save this value.

With that said, it seems the vehicle engineering team may take a look at this one, and we may see it included in a future update.

Model 3 Signal Stalk Retrofit

The move away from traditional stalks in favor of the steering wheel buttons on the Refreshed Model 3 has been a point of debate. While the author is squarely in the camp of steering wheel buttons (at least with the Cybertruck), many dissent and say that the buttons on the Refreshed 3 aren’t as satisfying or easy to use.

Many other drivers also prefer the tactile feel and muscle memory of a physical stalk for signaling. Tesla appears to favor stalks, as they retained the turn signal stalk with the new Model Y. There are also rumors that Tesla is going to reintroduce the turn signal stalk to the Model 3.

If Tesla adds stalks back to the new Model 3, current 2024+ Model 3 owners are still left without stalks. However, a user suggested adding stalks as a retrofit option. Lars said that he would try to consider a retrofitted signal stalk for the Refreshed Model 3, similar to the simplified version in the Refreshed Model Y.

While less definitive than the lumbar support response, it appears that Tesla may at least consider offering a stalk retrofit for the new Model 3. If you’re a lover of signal stalks and can’t wait for Tesla to get an official one - we recommend the Enhauto S3XY Stalks, which are customizable and feel very close to Tesla’s original fit and finish.

With that said, it’s nice to see Tesla incorporating more community feedback into its vehicle design these days. Perhaps one day, they’ll address the infamous auto wipers. They have gotten better, but they’re still not as reliable as what’s available in most other vehicles. With that said, we look forward to the changes that will emerge from these recent conversations.

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Tesla to Issue TCU Fix That Prevents Vehicles From Sleeping in Update 2025.14.6

Not a Tesla App

Sometimes, even with Tesla’s intensive bug-testing regime, bugs manage to make it out into the wild. In this particular case, a European user (@darkwaffle48484 on X) noticed that their 2024 Model 3 was using up more battery than normal while parked. Normally, they noted that the vehicle would lose about 1-2% per week; however, recently, they noticed much larger drops of 3-4% per night.

They monitored their Tesla widget and noticed the car wasn’t entering deep sleep. The widget consistently showed a recent connection time—usually within the past 45 minutes.

Fix Inbound

After discussing the issue with other Tesla owners and realizing it was somewhat widespread, they contacted Tesla Service. The service team confirmed that it was a firmware bug affecting the Telematics Control Unit (TCU), which prevented the vehicle from entering deep sleep mode.

The TCU is essentially the communications hub of your Tesla - and is mounted on the ceiling of newer vehicles such as the Model 3 and the new Model Y. It enables cellular and location services (via GPS) and also handles Wi-Fi and Bluetooth services. Tesla Service stated that this bug is planned to be fixed in update 2025.14.6, although the exact version number could change. However, they confirmed that they are aware of the issue and it is being addressed.

@darkwaffle48484

When the user reached out to Tesla Service, Tesla Service responded with the following (translated from Dutch):

“It has been confirmed that this is a firmware bug. The fix is in one of the next updates. Currently, it is planned for 2025.14.6 (subject to change). Do you have any more questions?”

Potentially Region-Specific

This bug could potentially be region-specific. TCUs often require specific hardware components, such as modems, as well as specific firmware versions that support different regions and cellular providers. These enable Tesla to comply with local cellular standards and regulations and ensure that your vehicle can connect to the networks available in that particular region.

At this point, it’s not clear when the fix will roll out, but given that update 2025.14.1 has practically stopped rolling out, Tesla may be waiting to resume the rollout with update 2025.14.3 or this 2025.14.6 version.

If you’ve noticed this issue and are in a non-European nation, let us know.

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