2022.24.6 is updating vehicles to Tesla Vision, although you may have missed it

Tesla is continuing to transition cars to Tesla Vision

@TeslaStars

Tesla recently started rolling out update 2022.24.6. Although we'd expect this update to only contain minor fixes, similarly to 2022.20.9, it contains a big feature that is sort of hidden.

With update 2022.24.6 Tesla is continuing its transition to Tesla Vision for radar-based vehicles, although at first glance it can be easily missed. 2022.24 updates prior to 2022.24.6 do not include Tesla Vision.

Tesla first started transitioning some vehicles to Tesla Vision with 2022.20.9, although ironically the feature was titled "Speed Assist" in that release, but the description was clear that the vehicle was moving to Tesla Vision.

Tesla hacker @Greentheonly speculates that Tesla is first transitioning vehicles that are showing some issues with radar. Although with 2022.24.6 Tesla appears to be transitioning additional vehicles.

The transition to Tesla Vision is sort of going out in "stealth" mode. Since Tesla Vision was initially released in 2022.20.9, it's a part of Tesla's 2022.20 features. After an update is installed in a vehicle, Tesla will automatically bring up the release notes for the given release (2022.24), which means that Tesla Vision won't be listed even if your vehicle was transitioned.

In order to see whether your vehicle has transitioned to Tesla Vision, you will need to open the full release notes by navigating to Controls > Software and tapping on Release Notes.

These release notes will display all features, including those for previous updates as well. If your vehicle was transitioned to Tesla Vision, you will see "Tesla Vision Update" listed under 2022.20.

With the transition to Tesla Vision, Tesla appears to have greatly reduce its reliance on radar. It's not clear exactly how often Tesla is using radar or in what situations, but it appears to be reduced to emergency features such as Automatic Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Warnings, but it could be used in other situations as well.

Although Tesla is relying on vision much more after this update, there are still situations that have been shown that radar hasn't been completely disabled.

The transition to Tesla Vision has been somewhat of a mixed bag. Some owners are excited to be transitioning to Tesla Vision, which is clearly the future for Tesla and the direction they're going to continue moving in, however other owners aren't quite as excited by vision-based limitations.

Two shortcomings that come with Tesla Vision for everyone are reduced maximum speed while on Autopilot, which is reduced from 90 MPH to 85 MPH (140 KPH), and a minimum follow distance of two.

The maximum follow distance remains the same at seven. Radar-equipped vehicles allow you to go as close as one car length.

These two limitations of Tesla Vision are unlikely to affect the majority of owners, but it will vary on location and the maximum speeds in your area.

Some owners are reporting that their vehicle is smoother with Tesla Vision and they're even experiencing less phantom braking, however, not everyone's experience has been the same.

So let us know, did your vehicle transition to Tesla Vision with update 2022.24.6? Let us know your thoughts in our forums below.

Tesla Increases Price of Model S; Starts Offering Free Lifetime Supercharging

Not a Tesla App

For the first time in quite a while, Tesla has increased the price of one of its vehicle offerings. The Model S Long Range and the Model S Plaid have both received a hefty price increase. However, not all is bad - as Tesla also added a new benefit for buyers.

Price Increase

The price increase for the Model S is $5,000 - currently only in the United States. This price increase will likely impact other markets, including Canada, in the coming days.

The Model S Long Range now starts at $79,990, while the Model S Plaid now starts at $94,990. The Model S and Model X now have the same starting price. Interestingly, that’s also the same pricing point for the Cybertruck AWD and Cyberbeast Trimotor non-Foundation Series. 

The vehicle configuration does not appear to have changed, so the new pricing is simply an increase rather than the addition or removal of features. Tesla previously cut the price of the Model S and Model X by 15% in 2023, so this could simply be an adjustment to ensure that the vehicle pricing stays in line with inflation and other factors.

Free Lifetime Supercharging

For those on the fence about ordering a Model S, Tesla has brought back Free Lifetime Supercharging when you order a new Model S on or after December 13, 2024. As always, Free Lifetime Supercharging is restricted to the buyer’s Tesla account and to that specific vehicle. It cannot be transferred to another vehicle or another owner after ownership transfer. It’s worth noting, that it also doesn’t exclude the owner from receiving Supercharger idle fees or congestion fees. There is currently no end date for this promotion.

There are currently no changes to the Model X, neither a price increase nor the addition of Lifetime Superchargering. However, when Tesla makes changes to one of their premium vehicles, it usually affects the other one as well. So be on the lookout for potential changes to the Model X offering in the coming days.

We’ve seen Tesla value Lifetime Supercharging at $5,000, so this falls in line with the price increase we’re seeing. It’s possible that Tesla will begin to bring back Lifetime Supercharging as a perk for buying into their more premium Model S and Model X cars, or this could be another temporary promotion to get buyers who are on the fence to go ahead and make their purchase while this promotion lasts.

Follow

Follow

Follow

Tesla’s Optimus Robot Learns to Walk Without Vision [VIDEO]

Optimus Falls - but catches itself!

Not a Tesla App

Tesla recently showed off a demo of Optimus, its humanoid robot, walking around in moderately challenging terrain—not on a flat surface but on dirt and slopes. These things can be difficult for a humanoid robot, especially during the training cycle.

Daily walks help clear your mind pic.twitter.com/dUsW58trS6

— Tesla Optimus (@Tesla_Optimus) December 9, 2024

A Look Behind the Curtain

Most interestingly, Milan Kovac, VP of Engineering for Optimus, clarified what it takes to get Optimus to this stage. Let’s break down what he said.

Optimus is Blind

Optimus is getting seriously good at walking now - it can keep its balance over uneven ground - even while walking blind. Tesla is currently using just the sensors, all powered by a neural net running on the embedded computer. 

Essentially, Tesla is building Optimus from the ground up, relying on as much additional data as possible while it trains vision. This is similar to how they train FSD on vehicles, using LiDAR rigs to validate the vision system’s accuracy. While Optimus doesn’t have LiDAR, it relies on all those other sensors on board, many of which will likely become simplified as vision takes over as the primary sensor.

Today, Optimus is walking blind, but it’s able to react almost instantly to changes in the terrain underneath it, even if it falls or slips. 

What’s Next?

Next up, Tesla AI will be adding vision to Optimus - helping complete the neural net. Remember, Optimus runs on the same overall AI stack as FSD - in fact, Optimus uses an FSD computer and an offshoot of the FSD stack for vision-based tasks.

Milan mentions they’re planning on adding vision to help the robot plan ahead and improve its walking gait. While the zombie shuffle is iconic and a little bit amusing, getting humanoid robots to walk like humans is actually difficult.

There’s plenty more, too - including better responsiveness to velocity and direction commands and learning to fall and stand back up. Falling while protecting yourself to minimize damage is something natural to humans - but not exactly natural to something like a robot. Training it to do so is essential in keeping the robot, the environment around it, and the people it is interacting with safe.

We’re excited to see what’s coming with Optimus next because it is already getting started in some fashion in Tesla’s factories.

Follow

Follow

Follow