Tesla appears to have paused the rollout of Tesla FSD Beta software to new vehicle owners. Once the software glitch is fixed, it will be rolled out to new vehicle owners. The changes come as National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found safety concerns in the FSD Beta. Tesla is yet to address the issues.
However, it also reports that NHTSA has not mandated the automaker to pause the FSD Beta software rollout entirely, but the US-based EV manufacturer is doing that voluntarily. The report claims that unless the situation can be appropriately remedied, Tesla is stopping all new updates regarding the FSD Beta. The automaker reportedly said that until the software version containing the fix is available, it has paused the rollout of FSD Beta to all who have opted-in but have not yet received a software version containing FSD Beta.
In this case, even if a Tesla consumer has already paid for the FSD Beta, which currently costs $15,000 on top of the price of the vehicle itself, but has not yet received the software update, he or she will not get it right away. Also, while Tesla owners who already have FSD Beta active in their cars will be able to use that but won’t receive any new updates. Interestingly, all new Tesla cars come with a basic version of Autopilot. The FSD Beta, on the other hand, is a more upgraded version of the software.
FSD Beta recall
The recall has affected the FSD Beta software rollout and updates, but the basic version of the Autopilot remains intact. The Tesla Autopilot doesn’t deal with intersections, lights, stop signs, or speed limits, while the FSD Beta is involved in all the functionalities required to operate the vehicle in such situations. In recent times, several Tesla accidents have been reported where FSD Beta software was active, which propelled the safety agencies to probe the software.
But with the fix requiring merely software update, Musk agreed with a Twitter user who wrote: “Seems like there should be terminology introduced to differentiate between recalls and software updates. Because you know, one requires something to be recalled and the other doesn’t.” Musk replied: “Definitely. The word ‘recall’ for an over-the-air software update is anachronistic and just flat wrong.”
Definitely. The word “recall” for an over-the-air software update is anachronistic and just flat wrong!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 16, 2023
Last year, the consulting firm Deloitte published a study on software-defined vehicles, calling Tesla “the quintessential leader” of the trend. “The software-defined vehicle’s transformation will be an inexorable trend driving the development of the automotive industry over the next five to 10 years,” it added.
