Tesla Cybertrucks are finally getting Full Self-Driving
Tesla (TSLA) has started rolling out its driving assistance software to some of its Cybertrucks, finally giving those owners of the futuristic electric truck what every other customer could already use.
The Austin, Texas-based company’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) software was missing when Cybertruck deliveries began last November after years of delays. Early adopters were still able to buy the software, but it couldn’t be activated until FSD had been programmed to suit the Cybertruck’s unique design. Past models sold by Tesla, such as the Model 3 and Model Y, were able to access and enable the use of FSD, or Autopilot, on release.
According to posts on Tesla forums and X, the social media platform owned by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Cybertruck owners have started using FSD with the company’s latest update. The update is labeled as “early access” and is limited to owners invited to Tesla’s testing program. It’s unclear when a wider release may occur.
“End-to-end on the highway is first shipping to Cybertrucks,” Ashok Elluswamy, who leads Tesla’s Autopilot team, wrote on X. “We are close to an early release build for remaining platforms and will release to internal employees in the next week or so.”
Earlier this month, Tesla released a roadmap for its artificial intelligence goals, which included giving Cybertruck owners access to FSD and its Autopark feature, as well as launching Actually Smart Summon. It also laid out a plan to improve how many miles a Tesla can drive on average with FSD enabled without a driver intervening, although the company hasn’t made such data public.
AMCI, a third-party testing firm, recently tested some of Tesla’s latest updates, driving more than 1,000 miles and discovering that it required an intervention every 13 miles. Electrek, citing crowdsourced data for a recent version of FSD, reports that drivers had a disengagement every 31 miles.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has linked Autopilot to more than 200 crashes and 29 deaths and opened more than 50 special crash investigations into Tesla vehicles thought to be linked to Autopilot. Tesla has been investigated by state and federal authorities over its marketing of both FSD and Autopilot.
Although FSD is expected to be a major money-maker for Tesla, and self-driving capabilities are a big driver of the company’s stock, the automaker has had difficulty getting customers to buy the software. Earlier this year, Tesla slashed the price to $99 per month. During Tesla’s second-quarter earnings call, CFO Vaibhav Taneja said he expects FSD to drive sales, primarily thanks to that reduced price.
Tesla is expected to reveal its plans for a robotaxi on Oct. 10 in California, months after it was delayed from an initial August unveiling.
