Tesla releases FSD Beta V9 at last and it looks way better (release notes, videos)

-

-Advertisement-

“Two Weaks” of Elon time are at last over with the limited release of the FSD Beta V9 during this past weekend. This major beta version of the Tesla Full Self-Driving software was getting delayed since CEO Elon Musk announced it was almost ready back in April.

However, as he had said at the time, “step-change improvement is massive,” holds true after looking at the results the beta testers are getting out of the early evaluations of FSD Beta V9 (videos below).

Tesla currently has two types of testers for the FSD Beta 9, employees recruited for the very purpose and Tesla owners that the automaker has identified as “safe & careful drivers”. These owners are enrolled in the Tesla Early Access Program. A good chunk of these non-employee testers possess a significant presence on social media followed by other Tesla owners and enthusiasts.

Tesla Accessories by EVANNEX.
– Sponsored –

FSD Beta V9 Release Notes

The Tesla firmware update version number 2021.4.18.12 is the current branch associated with the FSD Beta V9 software release. This is not a public release so the release notes were shared by a beta tester James Locke on Twitter.

Full Self-Driving (Beta)

Full Self-Driving is an early limited access Beta and must be used with additional caution. It may do the wrong thing at the worst time, so you must always keep your hands on the wheel and pay extra attention to the road. Do not become complacent. When Full Self-Driving is enabled, your vehicle will make lane changes off-highway, select forks to follow your navigation on route, navigate around other vehicles and objects, and make left and right turns. Use Full Self-Driving in limited Beta only if you will pay constant attention to the road, and be prepared to act immediately, especially around blind corners, crossing intersections, and in narrow driving situations.

FSD Beta V9 Release Notes (2021.4.18.12)
FSD Beta V9 Release Notes: Full Self-Driving (Beta).
Screenshot: FSD Beta V9 Release Notes: Full Self-Driving (Beta).
– Advertisement –

Driving Visualization Improvements

The driving visualization has been improved to better support Full Self-Driving capabilities. When Full Self-Driving is engaged and apps are not displayed, the driving visualization will expand to show additional surrounding information. To disable the Expanded Full Self-Driving Visualization, tap Controls > Autopilot. With the larger visualization, select items have slightly moved but will continue to look and behave the same.

FSD Beta V9 Release Notes (2021.4.18.12)
FSD Beta V9 Release Notes: Driving Visualization Improvements.
Screenshot: FSD Beta V9 Release Notes: Driving Visualization Improvements.

Cabin Camera

The cabin camera above your rearview mirror can now determine driver inattentiveness and provide you with audible alerts, to remind you to keep your eyes on the road when Autopilot is engaged. Camera images do not leave the vehicle itself, which means the system cannot save or transmit information unless you enable data sharing. To change your data settings, tap Controls > Safety & Security > Data Sharing on your car’s touchscreen.

FSD Beta V9 Release Notes (2021.4.18.12)
FSD Beta V9 Release Notes: Cabin Camera.
Screenshot: FSD Beta V9 Release Notes: Cabin Camera.

An interesting debate broke in the Tesla Community when the Silicon Valley-based automaker introduced the cabin camera in Tesla Model 3 back in 2017. Later on, it became obvious that this camera was there for driver attentiveness monitoring especially for the future autonomous Tesla Robotaxis.

Until now the cabin camera was inactive. But now it’s clear that this camera will monitor the FSD Beta testers from V9 onwards.

New driving visualization in Tesla FSD Beta V9.
New driving visualization in Tesla FSD Beta V9 (night time). Credits: Eli Burton / Twitter.

Stay tuned for more interesting FSD Beta 9 updates, follow us on:
Google News | Flipboard | RSS (Feedly).

FSD Beta V9 Test Videos

As I mentioned earlier, several of the non-employee FSD Beta testers are social media influencers and YouTubers from the United States, so we get tons of testing videos as soon as Tesla releases a new FSD Beta version, in this case, V9.

V9 is also a huge step for Tesla Full Self-Driving as the Autopilot and AI teams at the company have decided to pursue further development on a pure vision-based approach.

Tesla never used a lidar on production vehicles and now the forward-facing radar is also eliminated from FSD decision making, training the neural net purely on video feeds. Tesla AI director Andrej Karpathy explained in detail why Tesla took this new approach in a video talk lately.

Creeping for a Blind Left

FSD Beta V9 Drive down busy Thames Street (Newport, Rhode Island) – Excellent job creeping for the blind left (Kim Paquette).

Lombard Street Challenge

The next video is particularly interesting as one FSD Beta V9 tester puts Tesla’s latest self-driving software to its ultimate test on the crooked Lombard Street in San Francisco. If Tesla Autopilot masters the hairpin turns on Lombard Street, it would be fun to drive there in a Tesla vehicle without making any effort in the future.

FSD Beta 9: Lombard Street, the wild ride (AI Addict).
Contextual Ads

Roundabout Challenge

FSD Beta V9 Roundabout Challenge (Eli Burton / My Tesla Adventure).
Iqtidar Ali
Iqtidar Alihttp://www.teslaoracle.com
Author of more than 1500 articles on Tesla, SpaceX, and EVs. His work has been liked and tweeted by Elon Musk and other prominent influencers. You can reach him on Twitter @IqtidarAlii

Latest News

Tesla is testing FSD Supervised ride-hailing in Texas and California, preparing for Unsupervised FSD, says Musk

Elon Musk's electric vehicle and real-world self-driving AI company Tesla (TSLA) shared an update on the status of its...

Tesla (TSLA) surges after Q1 2025 Earnings Call, Musk’s time at DOGE to drop significantly soon

Surprisingly, after reporting negative Q1 2025 automotive and overall revenues yesterday, the Tesla (TSLA) stock price surged this morning....

What to expect from Tesla (TSLA) Q1 2025 Earnings Call with Elon Musk

Today's Tesla (TSLA) Q1 2025 Earnings Call is probably the most awaited call by investors, customers, enthusiasts, and Elon...

Camouflaged Tesla Model Y spotted in India as PM Modi and Musk meet in the US

A camouflaged 2026 Tesla Model Y Juniper has been spotted in India multiple times over the last week. This...
- Advertisement -

SpaceX accelerates Starship Gigabay development in Florida, OLM construction makes progress, more

Elon Musk's spaceflight and astronautics company SpaceX is accelerating the Starship program in Florida as well. SpaceX is building...

Static fire test of Booster 14, SpaceX’s first step toward Starship reusability

After two previous partial failures of Starship flight tests, Elon Musk's spaceflight and astronautics company SpaceX is gearing up...

SpaceX installs redesigned shorter Chopsticks on Pad B launch tower for Starship catch, Gigabay construction preps, Starbase updates

Elon Musk's spaceflight and astronautics company SpaceX is not just working on the next Starship launch but on near-future...

Tesla Tips & Tricks

Cybertruck update 2025.2.9 fixes the oil pump failure issue

Tesla (TSLA) started deploying the OTA update software version...

Even red wine doesn’t stain Tesla white seats (video)

Tesla's futuristic white interior option is the most popular...

Leaked photo of the Tesla Cybertruck bed reveals 3 power outlets of 120 and 240 volts

As close as we get to the Cybertruck Delivery...

Tesla Quarterly Reports & Eearnings

Tesla (TSLA) surges after Q1 2025 Earnings Call, Musk’s time at DOGE to drop significantly soon

Surprisingly, after reporting negative Q1 2025 automotive and overall...

What to expect from Tesla (TSLA) Q1 2025 Earnings Call with Elon Musk

Today's Tesla (TSLA) Q1 2025 Earnings Call is probably...

Tesla (TSLA) announces time and date of the Q1 2025 Earnings Call

Elon Musk's electric vehicle and energy storage company Tesla...
- Advertisement -

You might also likeRELATED
Recommended for You