Tesla Adjusts the Length of FSD Beta Suspensions With Beta 10.69.25.2

Tesla adjusts the length of FSD suspensions

MKBHD/Twitter

Well-known Tesla hacker, @greentheonly, has found something new in Tesla's code that answers many questions. It appears that the company is moving forward with a two-week suspension for drivers who lose full self-driving access. This revelation puts an end to the speculation of FSD suspension times, and it should be a great relief to those who've been stuck in FSD jail in the past.

In a tweet, @greentheonly says that Tesla appears to have finally added the two weeks suspension to FSD Beta 10.69.25.2. He states that the internal wording has been updated to mention two weeks. Previously it was only mentioned in the FSD Beta 10.69.25.1 release notes.

Only a small percentage of customers have started receiving the latest beta, v10.69.25.2. However, the update continues to roll out to additional owners today and that trend is expected to continue.

Confusion on Suspension

The hacker was asked if this change is hard coded to two weeks or if it is an auto-regrade system similar to the safety score. Green responded that the phrasing in the software has been changed from:

"Feature will be restored with an upcoming software release."

To the following phrase, which matches the two weeks mentioned in the release notes:

"Feature will be restored approximately two weeks after suspension."

In another tweet, he explained: …the message is hardcoded to two weeks, so the code is likely same too otherwise the message would be variable as well I would imagine.

The original wording had many believing that with Beta 10.69.25.1, Tesla was transitioning away from global resets and instead resetting them after a specific period, believed to be two weeks. That belief stemmed from the company's previous release notes stating that the FSD Beta feature can "only be removed per this suspension method and will be unavailable for approximately two weeks." However, when the update started rolling out publicly, owners' suspensions remained.

Shorter Suspensions are Productive

To reiterate, because there are many new Tesla owners, FSD becomes disabled if there are too many inattention warnings. So, after being alerted three times (for legacy Model S and Model X cars) or five times (for vehicles with the cabin camera), FSD is disabled. Previously, the length of the suspension has been anyone's guess. Several users have said they were banned from the system for months. Now, the suspension appears to be about 14 days after receiving your last strike.

Hopefully, the shortened suspension is long enough to correct the driver's actions, but it's also short enough that Tesla can continue gathering Autopilot information and reduce frustration. The system has undergone significant improvements, and engineers have said it can only improve with more real-world input.

Tesla is expected to remove the need to provide resistance to the steering wheel with an upcoming update. However, drivers will still need to remain attentive because Tesla will likely start to rely more heavily on the vehicle's in-cabin camera or radar to measure the driver's attentiveness.

Tesla Confirms Hardware 3 is Robotaxi Ready

Image released by Tesla

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Tesla took to the Hollywood stage at ‘We, Robot’ last week, and lots of interesting new information has been revealed. One of the most interesting items that many people have been wondering about is Tesla’s plan with Hardware 3.

Tesla previously mentioned that there would be a divergence between AI4 and Hardware 3, but so far, Tesla has kept Hardware 3 going strong with code optimization and model improvements. However, it is pretty evident that Hardware 3 is hitting its limits, as Tesla sees that AI4 has much more capability to unlock.

However, they have said they’ll do their best to continue to support the millions of vehicles on the road today running Hardware 3. Tesla’s Cybercab, on the other hand, will be running on AI5, an as-yet-unreleased hardware stack that promises to greatly improve and expand the available compute performance.

Hardware 3 Robotaxi

Lars Moravy, the Vice President of Vehicle Engineering at Tesla, spoke to attendees at We, Robot, and mentioned that Hardware 3 will be Robotaxi capable (at the 7:25 mark). That means that it will be capable of Unsupervised FSD, according to Tesla. Kim Java, a YouTuber focused on Tesla and EVs in general, posted this video featuring her speaking with both Lars, as well as Franz Von Holzhausen, the Chief Designer at Tesla.

Given Lars and Franz both seem confident in the assertion that you can remove a HW3 vehicle’s steering wheel and get it Robotaxi capable, it definitely seems that Tesla intends to continue supporting HW3 well into the future.

So, while Hardware 3 might be reaching its limits, the company's not giving up on it yet. With this, they’ve essentially confirmed that the millions of vehicles with Hardware 3 won't be obsolete anytime soon when it comes to Robotaxi and Unsupervised FSD. 

Tesla is continuing to demonstrate its commitment to its customers and its vision of the future, and we’re looking forward to seeing what’s next on the list.

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Tesla Brings Back FSD Transfer; Offers 0% Financing With FSD Purchase

Not a Tesla App

Tesla has brought back its FSD transfer offer once again after its We, Robot event. If you already own a Tesla and are planning to buy another one, this is a fantastic opportunity to transfer FSD to your new car.

In addition to that, Tesla has also turned on another interesting offer - 0% financing with FSD, as well as another $0 down option.

FSD Transfer

This time, the transfer period is available for any orders placed on or after October 10th and delivered before December 31st. This offer is currently valid for anyone taking delivery of a new Model S, Model 3, Model X, or Model Y.

While the Non-Foundation Series Cybertrucks are now being configured, this offer appears to exclude the vehicle at this time. If you’re purchasing a non-FS Cybertruck and want to transfer your FSD, we recommend reaching out to your Tesla delivery coordinator through the app to determine if this is possible.

For those receiving the Foundation Series, FSD is included, so the transfer offer is not available. This particular promotion is available in all markets, including North America, Europe, China, Australia, and other markets.

0% Financing

Tesla is now offering 0% financing if you purchase FSD with your vehicle and are approved for the purchase. The catch is that you’ll need to add FSD to your vehicle purchase instead of transferring it. With Tesla’s interest rates hovering around 5-6%, this is a great deal, as you can amortize both the cost of the vehicle and FSD out to 72 months. A loan for $46k at 5.29% over six years would result in almost $8,000 in interest, more than the cost of FSD.

There are a few fine lines though. This is only available in the United States, not anywhere else in the world. In addition, you need to come up with a 15% down payment (which includes the $7,500 USD Federal EV Tax Rebate). This offer is only available on the Model 3 and Model Y - The Model X, Model S, and Cybertruck are not eligible for this offer.

$0 Down

Tesla is also offering $0 down in the United States, for those who qualify for both financing (at 5.29% APR), and the Federal EV Rebate. Essentially, the $7,500 rebate covers your down payment. Once again, this option is only for the Model 3 and Model Y in the United States.

Tesla has been making a push to increase sales and FSD's take-rate. The 0% offer is a great way to increase FSD’s take-rate, as for anything other than the Model 3 RWD LR with short (36mo) financing plans, you’ll actually end up saving money overall due to the 0% financing. 

If you’re interested in picking up a new Tesla, now appears to be a great time to do it.

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