Tesla released their latest FSD Beta on the 25th. Beta testers have now had a few days with the latest beta and we take a look at how it compares to previous iterations. I am not (yet) a beta tester. Ever since I pushed the button three days ago, I had only one drive. Then I got sick. Today I am in the hospital, and I may need an operation.
@BLKMDL3/Twitter
Dirty Tesla (he doesn't wash his car very often, and he lives on a dirt road) is a bit disappointed in 10.1. It's still too hesitant at stop signs, and other drivers take advantage of the Tesla's timidity. And it can't read the No Right Turn On Red signs.
Tesla Joy gives a good description of the Tesla insurance algorithm and how to convince it that you are an excellent driver. Just keeping the car on Autopilot all the time won't do it.
AI DRIVR tried to get FSD 10.1 to shift into reverse. Elon said the feature would be included in 10.1, but when shifting to reverse was the right thing to do, 10.1 didn't do it.
HyperChange lives in Seattle. He's been testing FSD Beta against streets where the rectangular concrete columns hold up the monorail. It has not done well until now. FSD 10.1 maneuvered well in the test.
Rocco Speranza took a drive with 10.1. It did well until near the end of the drive when 10.1 tried to go around some cars that were stopped in traffic. Going around would have been inappropriate so Rocco had to intervene.
At the very end of the drive, a car heading in the opposite direction was stopped a bit over the center line, and it appeared to Rocco that 10.1 didn't realize that the other car was over the center line. Rocco took over to avoid the accident. This was an example of the warning that Tesla gives to the beta testers, that the car might do the wrong thing at a crucial time, and that the human must be alert with hands on the wheel and able to take control of the car at any instant.
Tesla is making steady progress in the race to autonomous driving, but there's still work to be done. The single stack for highway and city driving didn't make it into this beta release as expected. Tesla is looking to release FSD Beta 10.2 on October 6th.
Tesla has begun to reach out to customers in the United States and is offering demo drives of the Cybertruck on an invite-only basis. @brandonhd on X shared the first invite image, and it looks like it's going out quite quickly to multiple locations that have Cybertrucks on display.
Up until now, display vehicles have been for just that – looking, but no touching. Some Tesla delivery centers and showrooms have also allowed viewers to take a seat inside and open it up, but most are still locked away behind the velvet rope.
It’s exciting to see that Tesla has begun to demo them – and it can only be so long until demo drives open up to everyone.
Advisor-led Demo
This Demo Drive is led by a Tesla Advisor – while you’re driving, the advisor will be in the passenger seat, walking you through the experience. They’ll explain steer-by-wire, off-road controls, and will introduce new-to-Tesla buyers to all the features that are currently available.
The list of locations so far for demo drives appears to be fairly limited, but we will hopefully see demo drives roll out throughout the United States, and eventually Canada too. Here is the current list of city/state locations that have seen demo drive invites.
Actually Smart Summon, the successor to Tesla’s Smart Summon feature, has been confirmed to be coming as soon as next month as per Elon Musk. Colloquially known as “ASS”, Actually Smart Summon is supposed to improve on the regular Smart Summon capabilities, which have historically used ultrasonic sensors (USS) to navigate parking lots.
We’re looking forward to Actually Smart Summon, and we’re quite excited about what other features will be unlocked once it finally shows up at our doorstep.
Vision-based Improvements
ASS is supposed to bring Smart Summon to vehicles that don’t have USS – using Tesla Vision. Most recently, Tesla has brought Autopark to vehicles without USS, and Vision-based Autopark has been a huge success. It is faster, more reliable, and smoother than the older USS-based solution. It can also park and maneuver in tighter locations.
Today, Smart Summon is sometimes useful at best, usually a party trick, or downright dangerous at worst. It’s excellent and best used in straight lines, where you have a clear line of sight of the vehicle, and can stop it if doesn’t see an obstacle.
I used Smart Summon today, just before writing this article – my 2022 Model Y (with USS) – did manage to show up just fine – in a straight-line location from where I was parked, after exiting the parking spot fairly cleanly. However, I’ve previously used Smart Summon and have had the vehicle turn towards obstacles, such as cart returns or curbs. Overall, it’s a sometimes-useful feature that has a lot of drawbacks right now.
Smart Summon is also restricted to a certain distance – and it's pretty small. The max distance is shorter than most parking lots, being only about 215 ft (65m). If you’re lucky enough to park close, it's very useful to bring your car right to you.
Actually Smart Summon
ASS will bring FSD V12-like capabilities to Smart Summon – the vehicle will primarily use Vision to drive toward you (or the location you’ve indicated). ASS has been supposed to be coming since about September 2022 and has seen many delays – we’re almost at the 2-year point today.
We’re looking forward to Actually Smart Summon being able to bring the vehicle – safely – right to you. ASS is also one of the key steps towards bringing some other cool features that Elon Musk has previously mentioned – Park Seek and Banish Autopark.
We’re also hopeful that Actually Smart Summon will increase the maximum range a vehicle can be summoned, because the current range is fairly small. Alongside Park Seek and Banish Autopark, we’re closing in on a Robotaxi-based future.
Park Seek and Banish Autopark
When the FSD v12.4 showed up, Elon also mentioned that going forward, vehicles would automatically park themselves when arriving in a parking lot – Park Seek – and that if you got out of the car at the entrance to a business, you could get it to automatically park itself in the parking lot – Banish Autopark. These are two features that are needed for Robotaxi to work – which itself is delayed to October 10th of this year. We’re looking quite forward to them – as in combination with Actually Smart Summon, Tesla has reached the cusp of vehicle autonomy.
A vehicle that arrives, driverless, at the location you’re at, then drives somewhere, parks itself there, and waits for you – is the definition of a Robotaxi.
While we’re likely to have to wait for Banish Autopark and Park Seek just a bit longer, Actually Smart Summon being around the corner is exciting! Gone will be the days of having to run out to your car when you forgot your umbrella – your car will just come right to you instead.
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