Tesla's Full Self-Driving is Finally Out of Beta! My First Impressions...
Elon Musk announced an enormous surprise about a week ago on “X”. Tesla would begin sending an over-the-air software update to every Tesla owner in America giving them the full self-driving (FSD) feature for the entire month of April to celebrate the feature graduating beyond the beta version.
This no small gift considering this feature normally goes for a whopping $12k for as long as you own the car or $199/month if you prefer Tesla’s subscription model. Every single Tesla sold has this self-driving capability built in but you have to pay dearly to have it enabled.
I’ve never tried FSD myself because I wasn’t prepared to pay $12k for a feature that was still in beta and that I would lose when I sold the car. It’s a horrible investment because in today's market you don’t even recoup anywhere near the price of FSD in the car's resale value. I, personally, think if you pay the $12k then full self-driving should follow you to every Tesla you own or drive. Tesla does have the capability of accomplishing this by attaching FSD to your driver profile.
Prior to a year ago FSD worked with the help of a multitude of ultrasonic sensors, which are essentially radar. In 2023 Tesla made the controversial decision to discontinue these sensors in new cars and inactivate them in older ones (like my 2022 Model 3), only using the eight cameras mounted around the car and an A.I. neural net for self-driving. This system was trademarked by Tesla as “Pure Vision”.
Before Pure Vision, the backbone of what made FSD work was over 300k lines of computer code. After Tesla made the switch to Pure Vision the capability of FSD began to improve unbelievably fast.
I received the OTA software update a week ago, on Easter Sunday, and let me tell you it was much more exciting than getting a chocolate rabbit. I took my first FSD ride that afternoon. I typed a random address about a mile away into the car’s navigation and the car drove me there.
We have a lot of traffic and distracted driving in our neighborhood. I have to admit, my heart was beating like a drum for the first few four-way stops the car navigated. FSD gained my trust quickly though. As soon as I got over the initial shock of the car driving itself I was surprised by how smooth and confident it drove. FSD was cautious without being overly so, very human-like.
I was amazed to see on the car’s display everything Pure Vision was paying attention to. FSD didn’t make one single mistake on the drive and felt like a chauffeur. This experience was so overwhelming that when I got to my destination I sat there on the side of the road for a few seconds to digest the impact this will have on the world. It will be a Godsend for senior citizens and the handicapped/impaired who are unable to drive themselves.
Hallelujah! After many years of work Tesla finally did it. All it took was not being afraid to rethink their original approach.
With FSD being enabled in every Tesla in America, during the month of April, the Pure Vision neural nets will have added probably another billion miles of self-driving experience. This free trial was the most brilliant business decision I've seen in a very long time.
Tesla's full self-driving is already 5x safer than an average human driver but beginning the month of May FSD will be many more magnitudes safer. Sometimes technology just completely wows you and this was one of those occasions.
Will I buy it?
The answer to that question is probably not yet but I'm thrilled to know it's this capable and I have the option exists for those who want/need it. The world is about to change pretty drastically and I’m astonished by how few people currently realize this. Soon everyone will know. I just experienced a glimpse of a very near future where people will sit back and wonder how we all survived with so many distracted drivers behind the wheel.
Be well and make the most of this day. Thank you for reading!
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I don't like Elon. But, I have to hand it to him: giving this away for free to everyone for a month is a great idea, giving a preview of this tech.
I would still prefer mass transit in America. BUT that said, as things are, self-driving cars will revolutionize everything. A large part of the danger of driving is all the people who don't pay attention when they drive. Distracted, drunk, or just bad judgement: self-driving cars eliminate all of this!
Now the bad side is taxi drivers and truck drivers will all lose their jobs. That's unfortunate, but hopefully the overwhelming positive effects will offset that.
Did you see this:
I admire the man's intelligence and business acumen but he is a polarizing figure. I think a whole lot of folks who try it will end up either buying it outright or subscribing when they need it. Word is Tesla is considering a "per drive" model for FSD which might make sense for a lot of people.
I think this tech will make public transportation obsolete in most places. It'll be licensed to other companies.
I love that video! I wish my Mom lived closer to us so I could let her experience this before it expires in May.
Yeah, I agree with that. He has done well. Even if we discount some of the things his business partners have said about him (like the PayPal guys), he has still done very well in business. Something to learn from. But yeah, I do wish he would shut his mouth about politics...
This tech will integrate with mass transit in places it already exists. For example, in Japan they are testing out self-driving trains. Moving that over to streetcars will be a no-brainer. But yeah, in places without a pre-existing mass transit option, self-driving cars will pretty much eliminate the need.
Let alone buying a Tesla car, the feauture itself would be much for me in my country :)
It's definitely overpriced. Eventually the feature will allow your car to do rideshare rides for others (like Uber) when you're not using it which will earn you extra income. This is the only way I could justify paying that much for it, if it was making money for me.
I think Elon is a genius! This app should be included in every car in the world. Obviously it may cause fear that any malfunction may lead to an accident, but still, I feel it is a breakthrough from every point of view. Do you know how many people with a visual impairment, for example, will be able to get around in their car? Years ago, I remember there was a famous case in my country of a girl who won a car in the lottery and the whole country made fun of her because she was missing both her arms. I think technology is a friend when it helps, when it allows us to do what we once dreamed of. Good Sunday, my friend
He undoubtedly is, he has flaws like we all do but in the end he'll have more impact on humanity than Edison. I am mystified that he doesn't get more support but people these days have a difficult time separating political views from everything else, Musk included. We live in such tumultuous and polarizing times.
Oh yes, absolutely, this tech will help a lot of people. Tesla is going to license it to other automakers and will be creating a fleet of robotaxi's that will drive themselves.
What a sad story about your country's lottery! Hopefully she was able to sell it and get something she could use. I hope you have a great week!
Same to you, my friend! Today is eclipse day. I decree much abundance, health and love for you.
Thank you, Nancy! I wish the same for you!
https://twitter.com/lee19389/status/1777131436728058195
#hive #posh
People will like this feature a lot and many people will pay 12 thousand dollars to get it but 12 thousand is too much and a middle class person will not be able to buy it
I agree! They need to figure restructure pricing.
Thanks
Wow, I hadn't realised that they were as close to doing this. That is quite a game changer,cand as you say, one heck of a business decision. I took would have been very apprehensive trying it out for the first time.
It was nerve-wracking to say the least. My heart was pounding like I was running a marathon for the first few minutes.
If this is going to be as "good" as those models released that overheated and locked people inside and made them french fries, then no thanks!
Believe it or not, there's actually a higher risk of being burned alive in a gasoline vehicle. This happens, on average, around 480 times every year with ICE vehicles but it's just not publicized as much. Fire fatalities have happened a total of 62 times with Teslas over a seven year period, a majority of these are after a major crash and not spontaneously. This example is an "apples to oranges comparison" but, on average, if you look at the stats EVs as a whole are much safer than ICE in this regard. You'd never know this from what you hear/read in the mainstream media though. The MSM would have you believe they're deathtraps that you can only drive when it's between 40 and 70 degrees outside. A large part of this is MSM is influenced so much by the larger auto manufacturers and Big Oil. This negative coverage will change once major automakers can ramp up manufacturing of EVs at scale profitably.
That's a lot of interesting info shared! Obviously, I had not clue about most of what you said so thank you for teaching me something new today!
You're welcome! After I became an EV owner in 2022 and started learning more about them I almost couldn't believe the sheer volume of disinformation out there in the media. They aren't perfect, for example, they aren't as green as the industry claims they are. I think it takes 25k miles of driving before they become greener to own than a petrol vehicle. I see a future where EVs occupy about 1/3rd of the global fleet.
A car driving itself to your destination! This is amazing and I think Elon has done great.
I wasn't prepared for how good it was!
Tesla?? People own that😂😂??
Actually this is a very huge upgrade that would shake the car industry.
Self driving cars like in the movies are now actually real.
12,000 Dollars is already enough to buy a really nice car in my country though 😂😂
Excellent features, the cars have become very efficient.
Wow… thats cool the US got a free month to try it. 😊 to get it, 12k is a lot though.
I can imagine you had to digest it all after it stopped.
So cool… it will change so much.
Thanks for sharing your first trip. 😎
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It was such a great surprise but not altogether altruistic on Tesla's part. They're logging probably 100x more miles in the month of April than they otherwise would have and this will make Pure Vision a whole lot better by May. They have sped up FSD development by probably a year or two in a single month.
You're welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I have three weeks left! : ) I'm going to do a video of Smart Summon next. This feature allows the car to drive itself to you when it's parked. This will be useful in bad weather.
It is such a great business model that he does it this way. He gains so much information by doing this… what other wise would take xx amount of time. Exactly… more like a year or two.
Oh thats awesome. Looking forward to that video. Have fun the last 3 weeks left. 😁
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The world is getting more sophisticated and Tesla has proven it. You are lucky to have this car Eric. Have a nice day.
I am so lucky to get to experience it. It's definitely a glimpse of the future! Thank you Eliana.
I feel like we have different Teslas where I am. I've ridden them a couple of times as uber-type service, and they just feel super tacky inside compared to pretty much every other regular car i've taxi'd in. It feels somehow badly put together just as the immediate impression sitting down, which is weird cause I was super excited to get in the first time, though i'd be traveling into the future but... wasn't.
That being said, I think self driving is only US right? Europe certainly has legislated against it. Without that, its just a cheaply put together electric car, of which half the roads where I am is littered way far superior cars you've never heard of XD. I'm talking better feel inside and style, but also significantly superior touch panel thingy with representative models of the traffic and surrounding people
Really? They say the ones made in Giga Shanghai are usually better quality than the Teslas made elsewhere. That said, I've heard that some people just get poorly made cars. I've been lucky with mine, two years in there are no rattles and I've had zero issues whatsoever. The interiors are extremely minimalistic, especially the 3 and Y. That was hard for me to get used to, even coming from a 2016 Toyota Prius (which I loved). From what I understand the newly designed (Highland) Model 3 has a much higher build quality that's more on par with a luxury car.
Yes, FSD is only available in North America at the moment. I think China will get it before Europe though. The EU is putting up some pretty major roadblocks to its release there.
I imagine China will allow it for Chinese brands first. Teslas are all over the place here but there's still a sense of skepticism and nationalism that is probably gonna hold it back.
Yeah the minimalism is a big part of it I think. As soon as I got in I'm like... where's all the gadgets and luxury? In hindsight it looks like the vast majority are indeed model 3's.
Well, I'm closer to 40 than 30 and I never did learn to drive. Maybe I will just miss that boat entirely and just have the car do it for me if I can hold out a few more years... lessons in England are like $100+ a pop!
I can see how it will probably play out that way. I think FSD is nearing rollout in China (maybe in the next year?). I read an article today about how Tesla has begun mapping out Chinese cities with cars fitted with Lidar. This is how it initially "trains" the FSD for the first wave of use.
Yeah, sparse is a good way to describe the Model 3/Y interiors. The S and X models have more luxury.
That would actually be awesome not to have the expense and complications of a car. If you would ever want to learn you'd probably pick it up quickly.
That's pretty awesome. I am glad it is working out for you. I guess $199 a month is still cheaper that if you rented a car service or had to pay a driver to take you places. I don't blame you for wanting to wait a bit longer. We know many times the prices of these things can fall and it will only get better.
Thanks my friend! Yeah, $199 isn't terrible. I would probably spring for it when I drive back home to Ohio. I wish I could make the trip during this free month but, sadly, I'm not going to be able to swing it. Elon has hinted that FSD will get much more expensive in the future but I just don't see how that can be. I think that's a tactic to get more people to buy it now.
Oh wow, I mean the cost of streaming services keep going up when they should really be going down, so it isn't surprising that this service might go up in price. We are heading down to OH this coming weekend to watch some softball at Worthington HS.
That's true. It'll be interesting to see how it plays out. It'll achieve Level 4 soon unless the US government can figure out a way to shut it down.
Very nice! I can't wait to visit again. I want to try to make it down for the ComFest this year at the end of June. I haven't been back since November, way too long! Enjoy and have a safe trip. P.S. Are you guys in the path of the eclipse?
I think where we work is in the 90 to 95% range. I don't have any glasses or anything, so I am not sure if I will be able to look. I'm honestly more worried about the kids, they will be on the buses during that time. I can see several of them not knowing any better and frying their eyes.
It should be like a really cloudy day at that range. I bought my mom glasses on Amazon but she's not going to chance it since she has macular degeneration. They aren't in the totality range either in Johnstown. I think she said she'd have to drive to either Mansfield or Hilliard. I'd be worried about the kids too, it's a real risk.
I know most schools down in the Columbus area have the day off. My niece up at Tiffin University also doesn't have classes today or tomorrow. We have pretty clear skies here right now, so I might try to walk out with a piece of paper and see if I can catch the shadow.
My nephew is in Boardman, OH and he had the day off too. I hope you caught a glimpse!
This is such a revolution. I’m constantly looking at drivers with their vision pointed down at their lap and it both angers me and makes me extremely nervous to drive near them. It’s a pleasant feeling to know that as time moves forward, more and more phone will be relying on FSD technology & the roads will become much less rampant with distracted drivers.
Thanks for the inside look as to how it works at this point. Such a wonderful surprise to get a month free trial I’m sure. Congrats!
Oh man, most people don't even realize what a revolution this will be. I'm so surprised by how few people know about it but then the only stories you hear about Tesla in the MSM are negative. I think you have to be a part of the Tesla community or follow it to be privy to the real scoop. Distracted driving is an epidemic. I have coffee on our balcony and I can see how many people are looking at their phones, and even texting while driving, it's astonishing.
You're welcome! It felt like Christmas on Easter. : )
This was the first time I heard of the FSD trial. Somehow it slipped past me until today. Thanks for relaying the info. Now I can ask the only friend I know with a Tesla irl if we can go for a ride and see it happen in person.
I honk at every person I see on their phone while driving. It pisses me off so much.
Yeah, if it were any other auto manufacturer this would have been on all the major networks. You're welcome. Can't wait to hear about your experience with it. How old is your friend's Tesla? I think as long as it is from 2018 or newer the free trial was rolled out in the last OTA software update.
It makes me angry too. Here in the Twin Cities I would guess over 50% of the people behind the wheel are distracted by their phones. It's a miracle there aren't more accidents.
He has a model Y that he got about 1-1.5 years ago. Should be good to go. He’s also the type that may just pay the $12k for it once he gets used to it after a month.
Oh nice, yeah, he'll definitely have it. Lol, I have a feeling a lot of people will find a way to buy it after April. I wish I could justify the cost but I just can't. It's good to know it'll be there when I'm old and feeble though!
Lol! Marques.
Jesus that's so weird. Scary. I mean, I'm sure you're right and it's probably a lot safer (judging from the drivers you see everyday) than human drivers. Still. It feels so weird even just watching. Did you have to fight back the urge to hold the wheel? I think I'd keep reaching for it every 2 seconds.
You're right, the world is definitely changing. At a very rapid pace. Guess only time will tell how all this ends up.
Gloom and doom aside, it looks hella fun. Enjoy your month! :D
Weird is a great way to describe it! It's like the ghost of a chauffeur driving your car. : ) The system itself forces you to take hold of the wheel every so often. In the video you'll see the screen flashing blue and that's the warning to touch the steering wheel and if you don't, the self driving feature turns off automatically. It also senses if you're not watching the road or if you're looking at your phone and it'll shut down in those instances too. This "babysitting" feature will end once FSD is perfected. I was surprised by how quickly I got comfortable with it. I've taken four separate drives so far.
I'm a tech-geek so this preview has been a lot of fun for me but, honestly, the car is much more fun if you drive it yourself. I'll never get used to the acceleration. 0-60 in 4.2 sec feels like flying a fighter jet. My last car was a Prius, so there is that. Lol. Thank you! I hope you have a wonderful week.
Wow, this is a huge step forward. I didn't know they had abandoned the radar element. Kinda makes sense as worth AI onboard for detection and translation is what is being seen I can imagine camera being away better!
The future, here we come!
I've watched lots of videos of others using it but I wasn't prepared for just how good it was in real life. Yeah, I think I got one of the last batches of cars in 2022 with the sensors still included. It was a bold move, one that they were heavily criticized for but I think it will pay off huge for Tesla. Elon just loves to take those huge risks but, thankfully, they often pay off.
I can't wait till the day that all cars are driverless! That's the bold step we need!
Nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I really think you have a point in that. I also believe that $12k is too much to pay for a feature that is still in the beta stage. Well Elon musk have always been a business man so he always want to find his way of making his money he invested.
These types of cars, I am wondering when it will finally reach countries like Nigeria because self cars need good roads. But we are optimistic about the future.
Tesla is really coming up with several updates as day goes by also
I'd be interested to know how many people paid $12k for it.
Tesla is working on a $25k car that should be out before the end of 2025 but I think some of the Chinese EVs will flood into Africa before Tesla. Chinese manufacturers, like BYD, are making great cars and have started to focus more on compact/affordable vehicles. I would think you'll see them hit the market there within the next 2-3 years.
People have high taste for Tesla cars due to the name and the class. I am so sure people will rush those cars when it hit the market
This ad is great, having a new autonomous driving function in your car without paying anything for this update is wonderful. It's a good thing you never invested those $12,000 to add this feature.
How beautiful that you have had the opportunity to experience autonomous driving, and you will enjoy a safe ride, watching the video of the car moving autonomously is exciting
I appreciate you sharing this driving experience Dear friend @ericvancewalton hope you enjoy it very much
Yes, unfortunately, it'll vanish at the end of April. That's okay though, at least I got to try it. Thank you!
Man, you seem to be having really bad roads over there. Does the feature work if no one is sitting in the driver's seat?
The roads are horrible here! Shortly after I got the car I hit a pothole so deep the front of the car slammed against the road. I was astonished to find no damage to the car. I was sure I'd have to take a trip to the mechanic and body shop. No, currently, someone has to be in the driver's seat, paying attention, and touching the wheel every 20 seconds. This will change once Level 4 autonomous driving is approved.
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This person is very intelligent and has become number one in the whole world through business, so people will like this feature and buy it. will buy because whenever there is a passion for anything and like it, then this is the effort of a person to buy it and test all its features.
I wonder what Tesla sees as the "cost" of providing FSD. One day when FSD is basically complete, I can see it as a huge money maker!