Tesla plans to add ~1,000 new Full Self-Driving Beta testers per day

Tesla plans to add ~1,000 new Full Self-Driving Beta testers per day based on ‘safety score’

Electrek.co by Fred Lambert September 28, 2021

[{"selector":"#anim-829cafd3-6928-4ffc-a2b3-fbf80f37cb52","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Elon Musk announced that Tesla plans to start adding ~1,000 new Full Self-Driving Beta testers per day based on their “safety score” starting next week.

[{"selector":"#anim-0e3fce0b-2fc8-4b6f-968a-dceff9092fdf","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Tesla’s plan for a “wider release” of its Full Self-Driving Beta, which was first supposed to come six months ago, has changed a lot in the last week.

[{"selector":"#anim-0e692961-fe26-4192-bcc4-337186db5d4a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] It went from a simple “download button” that would have allowed people who bought the Full Self-Driving package to download the latest software to now a “request button” that starts a period of judging your driving based on some parameters and adds you to a queue to maybe get the new software.

[{"selector":"#anim-4bc8822c-b396-4912-884a-5831bd40d505","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] As we previously reported, there are also some problems with Tesla’s “safety score” as it penalizes some owners for no fault of their own. Now CEO Elon Musk clarified the plan for the rollout based on safety scores in a series of tweets last night:

[{"selector":"#anim-cc036afd-e998-4c31-b14b-ce4453c3e919","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] “Wow, lot of interest in FSD beta! Plan is to roll out version 10.2 midnight Friday, then on-ramp ~1000 owners/day, prioritized by safety rating. First few days probably 100/100, then 99, 98, etc.”

[{"selector":"#anim-a38bb34f-f6bf-4d1e-8e8a-98ef71eaffb6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] In a follow-up tweet, Musk corrected that the v10.2 release will be “a week from Friday,” which is apparently when Tesla will start on-boarding more beta testers.

[{"selector":"#anim-f6922356-86c4-4e41-ab6a-c9ca37e57608","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] With an estimated 2,000 people in the early access program, Tesla would be doubling the fleet of cars with access to the Full Self-Driving Beta after just two days.

[{"selector":"#anim-3b49c5a3-a40a-4856-8671-eef5bb1c1337","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] However, as a reminder, while the package is called “Full Self-Driving” (FSD) and comes with the promise of eventually enabling that capability, it currently doesn’t provide a full self-driving system.

[{"selector":"#anim-9d0e602c-7cc5-4b6b-942e-cff10705bee8","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Tesla FSD Beta enables Tesla vehicles to virtually drive themselves both on highways and city streets by simply entering a location in the navigation system, but it is still considered a level 2 driver assist since it requires driver supervision at all times. The driver remains responsible for the vehicle, and needs to keep their hands on the steering wheel and be ready to take control.