Tesla’s biggest nighttime challenge for FSD isn’t traffic or lane lines. It’s a pet that blends into the road. According to Elon Musk, avoiding pets in the dark is the main thing Tesla is trying to solve right now before it starts operating robotaxis 24/7.
Musk shared the update on X, saying the goal is “making sure that we don’t run over pets when they’re hard to see at night.” He then described the exact scenario Tesla is targeting: “grey kittens on grey tarmac in the dark.”
Why Edge Cases Matter for FSD
What Musk described sounds like an extremely rare situation, but that’s the point. Technology only becomes autonomous when it’s built for edge cases, not just everyday driving, and Tesla has taken that approach with FSD and its Robotaxi software. A gray kitten on dark asphalt tests how well the cameras and neural network work together when there’s almost no contrast to work with. It’s all about the rule of nines — the only way to make sure the software works as intended as close to 100% of the time as possible is to train it for every potential edge case.
Musk has also pushed back on the idea of adding extra hardware like thermal cameras. In his view, regular cameras can see “very well in the dark when AI is doing the photon count analysis.” In other words, he expects the software to pull enough detail out of very little light to accurately identify and stop for our furry little friends.
How This Ties Into FSD v15 and Robotaxi
The timing is worth watching. Tesla VP of AI Ashok Elluswamy recently said that Robotaxis will get FSD v15 this month, unlocking 24/7 commercial operations. While Tesla has increased Robotaxi hours since launch, the latest expansion was just one hour. It remains to be seen whether round-the-clock service is still possible this month if nighttime driving is still being figured out. Musk didn’t say whether this work is tied to the v15 timeline.
FSD v15 is a 10x parameter upgrade, taking the neural network to about 10 billion parameters from roughly one billion today. It will debut on Robotaxi vehicles before eventually making its way to consumer vehicles. Tesla previously said some Robotaxi vehicles were already testing early v15 builds in the wild, with Elluswamy pointing to October for a fleet-wide rollout.
If Tesla can reliably spot a gray kitten on gray tarmac, 24/7 commercial service gets much easier to justify. Robotaxi operating hours over the next few weeks should show how close it really is.
Tesla’s Model 3 Performance and Model Y Performance come with a perk that’s easy to miss on the order page: free Premium Connectivity for life. Every U.S. order for either model includes it, and the subscription normally costs $9.99 per month or $99 per year plus taxes.
There’s one catch, though. The subscription isn’t transferable, so it ends when you sell the car.
How Much Free Premium Connectivity Saves You
Tesla’s Premium Connectivity subscription runs $9.99 per month or $99 per year in the U.S. Getting it for free with your order saves you at least $99 for every year you keep the vehicle. That’s enough to cover a free month of Full Self-Driving (Supervised) every year, and keeping a Performance trim for five years puts nearly $500 back in your pocket.
What Premium Connectivity Includes
Plenty of the basics are free on every Tesla, including navigation, phone notifications, software updates, and route traffic updates. Tesla’s Premium Connectivity package covers the extras that require a cellular connection on the road.
For maps, it adds live traffic visuals, satellite view, weather radar, 3D buildings, and traffic light and speed camera icons. It also unlocks Sentry Mode live camera access, plus Dashcam and Sentry Mode clips in the Tesla app.
Not a Tesla App
Most of the entertainment features also work over Wi-Fi or a phone hotspot. Live traffic and satellite view don’t, so those need a Premium Connectivity subscription even if you’re tethered to your phone. Here’s a full breakdown of what you get with Premium Connectivity that’s not included otherwise:
Tesla often offers free Premium Connectivity as a limited-time purchase perk on other models and trims, in the U.S. and in international markets. What sets the Model 3 and Model Y Performance apart is that it’s permanently included, and has been for a while.
If you’re weighing a Performance trim against a standard one, the free Premium Connectivity subscription is a small offset to the price gap. Tesla has changed which perks come with each model several times, so check the order page before you buy.
