Tesla is pushing FSD Beta automatically to owners who qualify

By Lennon Cihak
Tesla automatically pushing FSD Beta to owners who qualify
Tesla automatically pushing FSD Beta to owners who qualify
Tesla

Tesla recently announced that it was dropping the requirement to get into FSD Beta to a Safety Score of 80+.

Once a driver’s Safety Score goes above 80+ and they’ve driven at least 100 miles on Autopilot, they should receive the latest version of FSD Beta. The latest version of FSD Beta is 10.69.2.2 (2022.20.17).

Tesla CEO Elon Musk took to Twitter to announce the improvements that the Autopilot and Beta teams have made to the driver-assistance software. On September 19th, Musk said, “FSD Beta 10.69.2.1 looks good, extending to 160k owners in US & Canada.”

As users and future FSD Beta testers chimed in with questions, Teslascope inquired about those in the Safety Score queue with an 80+ receiving Beta. Musk responded, “Yes, all US & Canada cars with safety scores above 80 should receive an invitation to download FSD Beta by tomorrow [September 20th].”

Additionally, Musk clarified BLCKMDL3’s question as to whether Tesla would automatically push FSD Beta to owners with a sufficient Safety Score with 100+ miles of driving. “Yes,” Musk says.

However, there appears to be one issue if you're trying to get into the FSD Beta program. It seems that Tesla wants to avoid rolling back vehicle software. So, if you’re in the FSD Beta queue and you’re running a 2022.24, or 2022.28 build, you may have to wait for an updated version of FSD Beta because the most recent version of Beta is built on 2022.20.

Rolling back a major update appears to be something Tesla wants to avoid. It's possible that Tesla does not rigously test rollbacks, while functionality and upgrade testing is a standard part of their releases.

In addition, customers downgrading from 2022.28 to 2022.20 would lose bug fixes, various improvements and features, and safety features that they may have already started getting used to.

Tesla's Safety Score was introduced in the fall of 2021 as a way for Tesla to keep a tally on owners' driving behaviors. Although the Safety Score is far from perfect, it is one metric Tesla uses to decide who they should allow into their beta program.

FSD Beta continues to go out to new owners. If you've requested access to FSD Beta and haven't received it yet, keep your Safety Score up and keep driving on Autopilot as much as safely possible. If you're on an update after 2022.20, you may have to wait until the next beta, which is expected to be FSD Beta 10.69.3 and should be available shortly after Tesla's AI Day Part II, which is scheduled for September 30th.

Tesla Introduces ‘Pay Later’ Option for Tesla Service Invoices in North America

By Karan Singh
@TESLA_winston

Tesla recently introduced Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) payment options in the United States and Canada for items in the Tesla Shop, letting owners pay later for new vehicle accessories.

However, with Tesla app update 4.46, they’re expanding support to a much more critical area — Tesla Service. Qualifying owners in the U.S. and Canada will now be able to use Pay Later options for service performed by Tesla, which includes maintenance or repairs.

Services are provided by Affirm and Klarna, as per Mark Fonte, a Senior Software Engineer working on the Tesla app.

Tesla app update 4.46 also added improvements to Tesla Assist, Wall Connector details, Tesla Energy ownership changes, and added visualizations for the updated Model S and Model X.

How It Works

The new feature is seamlessly integrated into the existing service workflow within the Tesla app.

On the Service Estimate, before work on the vehicle begins, you will see a new message on the estimate screen: Pay over time - see if you qualify.

Tapping this link opens the payment calculator, which allows you to view potential payment structures and monthly costs. This provides a clear picture of what a payment plan would look like before you commit to servicing your vehicle.

Additionally, after service is complete and you are ready to pay, the final payment screen will present Affirm and Klarna (region-dependent) as selectable payment methods, alongside the usual options of Tesla Credit or your primary payment card.

Tapping Affirm or Klarna here will reopen the payment calculator, and a confirmation prompt will appear before selecting either BNPL option.

Service Now, Pay Later

Overall, the integration of BNPL providers for service is a thoughtful one for vehicle owners. The terms can vary widely, so it’s important to compare them to other payment options you may have access to. The additional financial flexibility, when faced with a large repair bill, allows more owners to get their vehicle professionally and properly serviced by Tesla.

For those getting larger work done, such as high-voltage battery pack replacements, this is an excellent option to spread payments over a longer period, helping reduce the burden of vehicle repair.

Tesla Robotaxi: A Breakdown of Its New FSD Abilities

By Karan Singh
Not a Tesla App

With the launch of Tesla’s Robotaxi Network, we didn't just get a peek into the future of transportation—we got a detailed look at the next version of FSD.

Videos from early access riders revealed some additional capabilities over current public FSD builds, showing off how it handles emergency vehicles and more.

Safety First for First Responders

One of the biggest changes in FSD’s capabilities is its improved handling of emergency vehicles. During a ride in Austin, Robotaxi is seen identifying an approaching ambulance using a combination of visual and audio data, activating its turn signal, and smoothly pulling over to the side of the road to let the ambulance by (video below).

This is a driving task that requires more than simple awareness of laws. It requires reasoning skills to determine where to move the vehicle to create a safe path, as well as the ability to quickly identify an ambulance or another emergency service vehicle with its sirens and lights activated. Understanding the context and executing a safe and predictable maneuver is crucial, as a wrong maneuver could actually make matters worse.

For FSD and Robotaxi to gain both public trust and regulatory approval, this skill is non-negotiable, and Tesla demonstrated its advancements right here. It’s not surprising Tesla added this ability before Robotaxis made it to public roads.

This is a feature that Tesla previously mentioned would arrive as part of future updates to FSD V13, so expect it in future customer builds as well.

Automated Camera Cleaning

How does a fleet of Robotaxis keep its eyes clean without constant human intervention? Well, a clever new feature that Tesla has previously hinted at in their FSD release notes provides the answer. Robotaxi can now trigger a specific wiper and washer fluid sequence designed to clean the main front-facing cameras.

This might seem like a small detail, but it’s a brilliant solution to one of Tesla’s primary challenges - maintaining sensor clarity. While the vehicle could simply wipe the windshield multiple times, this is a clever solution to clean the most important area of the windshield as thoroughly as possible by focusing extra wiper fluid and wipes on that area.

Complex Maneuvers

Two areas where current builds of FSD V13.2.9 sometimes show hesitation are U-turns and navigating busy parking lots. The latest Robotaxi build appears to improve on both of these areas.

This first video shows a Robotaxi performing a flawless U-turn with no hesitation, and then smoothly switching lanes to take a turn.

Another video on X shows FSD’s updated confidence in navigating a complex parking lot for a precise drop-off. Today’s builds can sometimes struggle in parking lots, being slow and overly cautious when not needed, or too confident elsewhere. This appears to have been improved in these Robotaxi FSD builds with improved path planning and confidence.

We’re also likely to see FSD begin to handle more complex destination options, including parking garages and driveways, which have been promised features for almost a year. The Robotaxi FSD build has also gained the ability to safely pull over on a road, similar to the ambulance example above, but it uses this capability to drop off and pick up passengers. This is a feature that was mentioned in FSD v13.2’s Upcoming Improvements section.

Better Nighttime Performance

Driving at night presents additional challenges, including headlight glare and reduced visibility. The latest version of FSD appears to handle it with almost the same grace as it does during the day. Remember that Tesla’s Robotaxis are available up until midnight.  Early access riders mentioned that FSD is far smoother and is a step up from the behavior of current FSD builds.

Human Support

Now, what happens when a passenger feels unsafe or has a critical question? Tesla has placed two key buttons on the rear screen for just those purposes. Users are given control over the ability to Call Support, which almost instantly connects them with a real human agent at Tesla’s Robotaxi Operations Center via video call.

While it isn’t a fundamental driving feature, it does mean that Tesla’s team can provide support to Robotaxi vehicles remotely, like issuing directive commands to have a vehicle proceed straight, rather than attempting to turn through a gated community.

The other option, Pull Over, allows a rider to immediately request the vehicle to safely pull over, which it will do when it can find a safe and open location. At this point, you can either continue your trip or get out of the Robotaxi.

Both options prompt you with an “Are You Sure?” button before letting you continue, which means you won’t have your Robotaxi ride come to an abrupt stop if you tap the ‘Pull Over’ button by accident.

What This Means for Tesla Owners

These features are likely to be included in future FSD builds. This is essentially the new benchmark by which to judge FSD, at least once it begins rolling out to customer vehicles.

Many of the core driving improvements, such as the more confident maneuvering and emergency vehicle response, will make their way to the wider fleet in upcoming FSD updates.

Remember - Robotaxi isn’t just a service, it is also a preview of Tesla’s driverless FSD builds.

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