FYI: Tesla has initiated the first phase of its widely anticipated Full Self-Driving (FSD) 12.5 rollout, focusing on Model Y units equipped with Hardware 4.0 (HW4).
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Tesla’s Elon Musk Offers Insights on FSD 12.5 Launch Strategy
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has shed light on the company’s strategy for the initial rollout of FSD 12.5, a highly-anticipated upgrade to its advanced driver-assistance system. Musk stated that the initial release of FSD 12.5 is focused solely on Model Y vehicles outfitted with Hardware 4.0 (HW4).
### Initial Rollout Details
The deployment of Tesla FSD 12.5 has commenced, and early observations from veteran testers indicate that Tesla is restricting the release to HW4-equipped vehicles. A notable figure in the FSD testing community, @WholeMarsBlog, pointed out that vehicles with Hardware 3.0 (HW3) have not yet received the update.
### Elon Musk’s Explanation
Replying to @WholeMarsBlog, Elon Musk confirmed that the focus is currently only on Model Y units with HW4. Musk indicated that this strategy aims to ensure a smooth initial rollout before expanding to other vehicle models. He also noted that while HW3 vehicles could eventually run FSD 12.5 with the same parameter count as HW4, additional work is required to optimize the code for HW3 hardware.
> “We are focusing on just Model Y with HW4 for the initial release. Make sure that works well, then broaden. This has the 5X increase in parameters. HW3 would run the same parameter count, but requires extra work to optimize the code,” Musk tweeted.
### User Feedback and Upcoming Features
Long-term testers of Tesla’s advanced driver-assist system have responded positively to FSD 12.5. However, some noted that the update is missing features previously teased, such as the merger of city and highway software stacks and vision monitoring support for drivers wearing sunglasses.
Tesla’s Autopilot Director, Ashok Elluswamy, addressed these concerns, stating that end-to-end highway functionality and the sunglasses driver monitoring feature are slated for future 12.5.x releases.
> “End-to-end on the highway is coming in follow-up 12.5.x releases. So is driver monitoring support for sunglasses,” confirmed Elluswamy.
### Real-World Performance
Curious about how FSD 12.5 performs in real-world scenarios? You can watch it in action in the video provided below.
### Conclusion
Tesla’s methodical approach to rolling out FSD 12.5 by initially focusing on Model Y units with HW4 seems designed to iron out any issues before a wider release. Initial feedback has been promising, though the update lacks some of the anticipated features that are expected in future versions. As always, Tesla continues to push the boundaries in advanced driver-assist technologies, and it will be interesting to see how FSD 12.5 evolves in the coming months.
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William Kouch, Editor of Automotive.fyi
