By Karan Singh
Not a Tesla App
Following the recent release of V12.4.2 to employees and early access testers, Tesla has now released V12.4.3 to employees, according to X user Farzad. The update is version 2024.15.15.
We recently took a deeper look at the new features available on V12.4.2 here.
Given how rapid-fire Tesla has begun releasing updates to internal testers, employees, and early-access customers, it seems there could be a couple more iterations of V12.4 before it hits customers, as Tesla tunes FSD.
Update: As expected, the release notes remain the same as FSD v12.4.2 and this update just includes bug fixes.
Update 2: In the past hour, early-access customers (“OG testers”) have started receiving this update. This is the first time FSD 12.4.3 has gone out to the public. These owners were previously on FSD 12.4.2, which also didn’t go into a wide release. Given how fast this update went to employees and then to OG testers, Tesla must be testing a specific issue that quickly passed testing. We could see this version expand to additional customers later this weekend or early next week.
Update 3: Tesla has now expanded the rollout to more customers. It has now gone beyond the “OG” testers and to many regular customers. You can follow the progress of the rollout on our statistics page for FSD 12.4.3. This appears to be the version that will go wide to everyone that’s still on a 2024.14 update.
Update 2024.15.15FSD Supervised 12.4.3Installed on 4.9% of fleet52 Installs todayLast updated: Jul 12, 11:00 pm UTCWhy so many Versions and Delays?
While nobody is happy about delays, one needs to keep in mind that Tesla has to keep safety as a priority for FSD releases. If a release goes out wide to hundreds of thousands of vehicles that are unsafe, there could be considerable impacts on people’s lives.
Beyond that, each subversion is Tesla adjusting their AI model, fine-tuning it to be able to better drive in both normal and edge cases. As such, watching these subversion releases go by is a good thing – at the end of the day, we’ll end up with a better, safer product.
Every version also has to be tested internally first among their dedicated ADAS testers, then among employees, and finally with Tesla’s early-access customers. Once all these people give a green light, and most errors and major bugs are addressed, does a release get the green light to go wide.
So, stay tuned for when this release goes out wider than this leak and possibly comes to your vehicle with nag-free FSD.
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By Karan Singh
Sugar Design
In a report from Bloomberg, it is claimed that Tesla will be delaying its much-anticipated 8/8 Robotaxi event by two months to October 2024.
While sources other than Bloomberg haven't confirmed this report, Bloomberg has a positive track record of reporting on financial decisions. We’ll be sure to update the article if there is confirmation on X from Elon Musk or another Tesla senior official.
Tesla’s stock has dropped nearly 8.5% over the day, ending back-to-back gains over the last two weeks. It closed yesterday at $ 241 after hitting a peak of $270 earlier in the day before the news broke.
Why the Delay?
The delay – of approximately two months – has been communicated internally, but not publicly announced just yet. Bloomberg goes on to mention that the design team was told to rework certain elements of the Cybercab, necessitating the delay.
If Bloomberg’s report is correct, it sounds like Tesla’s unveil event will be largely focused on showing off the vehicle, instead of demoing how it will work. Of course, it could still be both, but given past events, Tesla has always shown off the vehicle years before it hits production.
Rimac recently showed off their version of robotaxi vehicle named Verne, and surprisingly, it could almost pass for Tesla’s own robotaxi. A lot of design cues in Rimac’s version are elements we have already seen or expect to see in Tesla’s autonomous taxi.
A recent Tesla patent revealed that Tesla is incorporating a sanitation system into their robotaxi that will be responsible for analyzing and cleaning the vehicle’s interior, although the delay itself is likely tied more to a physical feature rather than software.
Another element we know almost nothing about is how Tesla plans to charge these robotic taxis. Will they rely on the existing charge port and adapt a solution like the robotic charging arm (video below) we saw almost eight years ago, or will wireless charging or a dock finally become realized?
While the delay for Tesla’s event appears to be related to the vehicle’s design itself and not further development of FSD, Tesla is wasting no time in getting FSD working for the upcoming vehicle. Model 3 vehicles have already been spotted with camera locations that resemble a robotaxi.
Is the Delay Accurate?
We expect that this delay might actually be true – Elon Musk usually takes to X within hours of such news breaking if it's false to refute it and hasn’t done so yet.
Tesla has delayed several of their events in the past, and a delay of a couple of months seems plausible. We should hear from Musk himself soon on whether this report is accurate.
By Karan Singh
Not a Tesla App
Tesla’s newest Quicksilver paint color, which was recently launched for the Model Y Long Range and Performance models in the United States, is expected to expand to the Model 3 lineup in North America soon.
Tesla teased the new color option for the Model 3 on social media, stating “Quicksilver for Model 3 now available in Europe, Asia and the Middle East — more markets coming soon.”
The Model X and Model S have the older, but similar Lunar Silver paint option available, but it’s not clear whether Quicksilver will also become available on those models.
Musk has previously talked about why Tesla has limited paint colors and like most things Tesla, it comes down to cost. When Tesla decides to offer a new paint color, it essentially has to support that color for many years.
Tesla launched Quicksilver and Midnight Cherry Red in Europe approximately three months ago for vehicles produced at Giga Berlin. There is no news of Ultra Red in North America being replaced by the new Midnight Cherry Red just yet.
Yesterday, Tesla started selling a Long Range version of the Model 3 in the U.S. Thanks to the government incentive, which isn’t available on the lower-end version, the new Model 3 becomes Tesla’s most affordable and longest-range Model 3 (363 miles) available, starting at $34,990 after government incentives.
Comparing Silver Metallic to Quicksilver
Tesla used to offer the Model 3 in “Silver Metallic,” but discontinued the color in 2018. The new Quicksilver color much darker and gray rather than silver. The new darker silver color matches Tesla’s black trim better, whereas Silver Metallic matched Tesla’s then chrome trim nicely. The video below compares the Silver Metallic paint color to the Quicksilver available on the Model Y.
Quicksilver Now Available in Canada
In Canada, the Quicksilver option is now available on the Model Y Long Range and Performance as of today. Further options will probably launch within the coming months, as color options for Canadian vehicles are dictated by what is produced at Giga Shanghai for the Model 3 and Model Y, and Giga Texas and Fremont for the Model S and Model X.