Tesla has finally started the broad rollout of Full Self-Driving Beta v11, a significant update that is Autopilto with the Full Self-Driving Beta software stack.
Tesla FSD Beta v11 is both an exciting and scary step as it is supposed to merge Tesla’s FSD and Autopilot highway stacks.
FSD Beta enables Tesla vehicles to drive autonomously to a destination entered in the car’s navigation system, but the driver needs to remain vigilant and ready to take control at all times.
Since the responsibility rests with the driver and not Tesla’s system, it is still considered a level 2 driver-assist system, despite its name. It has been sort of a “two steps forward, one step back” type of program, as some updates have seen regressions in terms of driving capabilities.
Tesla has frequently been releasing new software updates to the FSD Beta program and adding more owners to it.
Since the wider release of the beta last year, there are currently over 400,000 Tesla owners in the program in North America – virtually every Tesla owner who bought the FSD package on their vehicles.
However, the bulk of these owners had yet to receive significant FSD beta updates as Tesla was supposed to release v11 to the fleet in November 2022, but the update has been stuck in testing within Tesla’s closed fleet since then.
The update is an important step because it includes many new neural networks, as Elon Musk stated. But from a consumer perspective, it’s also important because it is expected to merge Tesla’s FSD Beta software stack primarily used on roads and city streets with Tesla’s Autopilot software stack, which is used as a level 2 driver assist system on highways.
It has been delayed several times, but it finally went to a closed beta release last month. Tesla is slowly releasing it to more beta testers, but it had yet to go to a broader release.
CEO Elon Musk kept saying that it is about a week away from a broader release since last month, and last week, he said it was coming this weekend.
This time was the right one. Tesla has now started to propagate FSD Beta 11.3.2 (2022.45.11) to more vehicles this weekend.
Tesla owners with FSD Beta across North America are reporting having received the update over the weekend. However, you don’t have to panic if you haven’t received it yet. It seems that while Tesla has started a wider rollout, the update is still being gradually deployed.
As usual, be careful testing the new software. You should always keep your hands on the steering wheel and be ready to take control at all times.