A new update to Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) Beta feature is coming this January, as confirmed by CEO Elon Musk in a recent tweet.
After several messages from FSD Beta users urging Musk to get rid of the steering wheel prompts while using the driver-assist system, the company’s CEO replied saying that the change is coming in an update scheduled for this month.
One user argued that replacing the nags with Tesla Vision, which uses cameras to check if the driver is paying attention to the road, would be a good solution, saying that almost half of the disengagements are caused by trying to get rid of the prompts from the nannies.
Somebody else mentioned that users with more than 10,000 miles on the clock using FSD Beta should get the option to turn off the steering wheel nag, and Elon Musk replied that he agrees, hence the upcoming update.
With this change, FSD Beta users will essentially get a hands-off driving experience, which will lead to Tesla improving its autonomous driving performance even further and, at the same time, raise some eyebrows among traffic safety advocates.
It’s worth noting that not all FSD Beta-compatible vehicles will get this feature, but only those that are equipped with an in-cabin camera, which is required to check if the driver is paying attention at the road ahead and not scrolling on his smartphone. So older Model S and Model X models, which don’t have a camera in the cabin, may still get the steering wheel prompts.
Tesla’s Full Self-Driving pack costs $15,000, requires “active driver supervision and does not make the vehicle autonomous,” according to the company’s official website. In the past, the system has had its highs and lows, with impressive self-driving on one version, and then getting drivers in trouble on another version. Not to mention the legal hurdles it had to go through over time.
It's not perfect, but with Tesla aiming to expand its availability on a global scale, it might just be the kick it needs to become a better, safer system.
But what are your thoughts on this upcoming update? Let us know in the comments below.
