Tesla Releases FSD Beta 10.6: What's New

By Nuno Cristovao

Tesla has now released FSD Beta 10.6 to public testers. The beta is still rolling out slowly to all beta testers.

Tesla releases FSD Beta 10.6
Tesla releases FSD Beta 10.6
DirtyTesla/YouTube

The 10.6 beta went out to employees on Friday evening and started being released to the first public testers on Saturday night. The rollout is continuing to additional testers now.

The beta was released as version 2021.36.8.9. Many were likely hoping it would be released in the 2021.40 branch so that it would contain additional new features such as Waypoints and Tidal, but it looks like we'll need to wait for the next beta for that.

Early impressions of this beta appear to be an improvement over 10.5, but not as drastic of a change we've seen in previous beta. Beta 10.5 saw big improvements for many. It took turns much smoother and more confident than previous betas. The release notes for this beta indicate that there is better object detection for vehicles and static objects which has been a common theme among the last few months of beta releases.

Improving object detection is definitely still needed as the car can't identify as many cars as a human can, but it's getting quite good. In a crowded area such as a parking lot or busy road the car is doing a great job at picking up more vehicles that are only just partially visible. It's leaps and bounds better at recognizing vehicles when compared to the production releases.

This release also introduces a new visibility network and improved stopping position at unprotected left turns, which appears to be an area that Tesla is focusing on in the last few releases.

It also contains improved merging by allowing more time to merge into the new combined lane. I thought this behavior was already fairly good and much better than the bouncing from left lane marker to right lane marker that we sometimes see with Navigate on Autopilot on the highway.

The last improvement appears to be related to vehicles transitioning out of your lane or taking up space outside of your traveling lane.

We're awaiting various visualization improvements such as emergency vehicle detection, turn signals, hazards and more, but those don't appear to be included in this release.

Another big feature we're all looking forward to is FSD on a single-stack where Tesla applies everything it does and knows about in FSD city driving to highway driving. The current highway driving stack on the FSD Beta is the same as production versions. One improvement we're excited to see for highway driving is smoother merging, but we're not expecting to see FSD on a single stack until FSD v11.

Our list includes all known FSD visualizations and we'll continue to update that as new visualizations are released.

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 10.0.1 September 18th, 2021 2021.24.16
Beta 10.1 September 25th, 2021 2021.24.17
Beta 10.2 October 11th, 2021 2021.32.25
Beta 10.3 October 24th, 2021 2021.36.5.2
Beta 10.3.1 October 25th, 2021 2021.36.5.3
Beta 10.4 November 6th, 2021 2021.36.8.5
Beta 10.5 November 22nd, 2021 2021.36.8.8
Beta 10.6 December 4th, 2021 2021.36.8.9

Tesla Will Accelerate the Release of Its Next-Gen Model, While the Robotaxi Takes a Backseat

By Cláudio Afonso

Today, Tesla published its 2024 Q1 report, showing revenue of $21.3 billion, 9 percent lower than the same period last year and a total GAAP gross margin of 17.4%, down 19.1% in Q1 2023.

The company teased its upcoming Robotaxi and its next-generation platform saying its “purpose-built Robotaxi product will continue to pursue a revolutionary ‘unboxed’ manufacturing strategy”.

Tesla mentioned that it suffered “numerous challenges“ during the first quarter including the Red Sea conflict and the arson attack on its GigaFactory in Berlin and the ramp-up of the updated Model 3. Earlier today Tesla officially announced its new Model 3 Performance model.

Accelerating the Launch of its Next-Gen Model

The company said it will accelerate the launch of new models including its upcoming “$25k,” next-gen vehicle. Tesla stated:

“We have updated our future vehicle line-up to accelerate the launch of new models ahead of our previously communicated start of production in the second half of 2025. These new vehicles, including more affordable models, will utilize aspects of the next generation platform as well as aspects of our current platforms, and will be able to be produced on the same manufacturing lines as our current vehicle line-up.”

When it comes to layoffs, Tesla says it undertook “a cost-cutting exercise to increase operational efficiency” adding it is “focused on profitable growth” by “leveraging existing factories and production lines to introduce new and more affordable products”.

The automaker reaffirmed its focus on autonomous driving with the recent price cuts on the purchase and subscription of its FSD software in the US and Canada.

“The future is not only electric, but also autonomous. We believe scaled autonomy is only possible with data from millions of vehicles and an immense AI training cluster. We have, and continue to expand, both. To make FSD (Supervised) 5 more accessible, we reduced the price of subscription to $99/month and the purchase price to $8,000 in the US.”

Robotaxi

Tesla also revealed that its Robotaxi will now differ from its next-gen vehicle. Although Tesla will follow more traditional processes for producing its more affordable vehicle, Tesla says the Robotaxi will still follow the new, more efficient, “unboxing” manufacturing strategy. This comes just days after Musk said the Robotaxi will essentially be its next-gen model without a steering wheel.

Tesla’s quarter-end cash, cash equivalents and investments were $26.9 billion.

Earlier today, Tesla launched officially the highly expected Model 3 Performance with deliveries starting in May. The new version starts at $45,490 (after applying the $7,500 Federal EV tax credit).

In recent weeks, the company has been reducing prices in its primary markets, including China and the United States. The initiative followed the recent introduction of lower and even 0% interest financing programs in certain markets.

At the time of this writing, Tesla stock is currently trading 7 percent higher at $145 per share.

Tesla Officially Launches the New Model 3 Performance, Deliveries Start Next Month

By Cláudio Afonso

Today, a few hours before releasing their first quarter financial results, Tesla launched the highly anticipated Model 3 Performance. The new version starts at $45,490 (after applying the $7,500 Federal EV tax credit) and deliveries are scheduled to start in May.

With 510 horsepower and a top speed of 163 mph, the new Performance variant brings an improved sound system, a re-designed interior featuring more comfortable rear seats with some features coming directly from the recently revamped Model 3. Tesla also says that the new Performance model has “significantly less” road and wind noise thanks to the rear spoiler and changes to the front bumper.

“The front and rear fascias, rear diffuser and carbon fiber spoiler work together to help reduce drag and improve lift balance at high speeds”

Tesla’s most powerful Model 3 ever is now cheaper than the Model 3 Long Range after the federal tax credit. The Model 3 Performance model is the only Model 3 variant that is eligible for the government incentive.

Performance

The new Performance model comes with 20
The new Performance model comes with 20

While the new Performance model is largely based on the recently revamped Model 3, while including design changes to the front and rear diffuser, as well as the addition of a rear spoiler. In terms of performance, the model announced today offers a 22% increase in continuous power, a 32% increase in peak power, and an additional 16% of peak torque. The Performance model now has 500 hp and includes a “performance” motor that’s unique to the Performance model.

The new Model 3 Performance is capable of going 0 to 60 in 2.9 seconds, 0.2 seconds faster than the previous incarnation. It didn’t take long for Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk to comment on X stating that the Model 3 Performance is “quicker than a Porsche 911.”

Specs of the new Tesla Model 3 Performance
Specs of the new Tesla Model 3 Performance

Track Mode V3

The new Model 3 Performance is equipped with an updated Track Mode, v3, that features an all-new calibration for the powertrain and adaptive suspension.

Tesla's Track Mode V3
Tesla's Track Mode V3

Range

The Model 3 Performance has an EPA range of 296 miles (476km) on a single charge, an increase of 10 miles (16km) when compared to the previous version while being slightly lower than the Long Range variant.

Rear Display

As seen in the revamped version of the Model 3, Tesla is also bringing the rear 8” touchscreen with climate controls, Bluetooth connectivity and entertainment for the rear passengers. With Tesla update 2024.14, Tesla is improving the rear screen by adding trip information, time and temperature information to the top of the display.

Exterior view of the new Tesla Model 3 Performance
Exterior view of the new Tesla Model 3 Performance

All-new Adaptive Suspension

According to Tesla, the new adaptive dampening system adjusts to driver and road input in real-time. While the new Model 3 already included suspension improvements over the previous generation, the Performance model takes it one step further.

New Seats

The new model includes the new Sport Seats that we’ve seen in spy shots before. Although the new model is officially named “Performance,” the sport seats feature the Ludicrous badge. The seats include improved side and cushion bolsters to help keep you in an ideal driving position

The new Sport seats feature the Ludicrous badge
The new Sport seats feature the Ludicrous badge

Deliveries

The model just went up for sale a few hours ago, but orders placed minutes after the launch show an estimated delivery of May/June 2024 in the United States. In Canada, where the Model 3 Performance starts at CA $69,990, the estimated delivery is currently slated for June/July.

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Although we share official Tesla release notes, we are not affiliated with Tesla Motors. We are Tesla fans and supporters.

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