Tesla has decided to roll back FSD Beta 10.3 software just hours after the EV maker rolled out the software. Elon Musk says the rollback was instituted after Tesla internal quality assurance team discovered an issue where the vehicle will drive back in the middle of making a left turn.
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Tesla is currently testing the company’s Full Self Driving (FSD) Beta software using 3000 or so Tesla owners in the company’s Early Access Program (EAP). After testing the FSD Beta software using 2000 participants in the EAP for several months, Tesla finally started slowly rolling out the full self-driving capability to Tesla owners who have bought the $10,000 FSD option.
Two weeks ago, Tesla rolled out FSD Beta to around 1000 Tesla owners with a perfect 100 out of 100 Safety Score. If you happen to be unfamiliar with the Safety Score, it is Tesla’s proprietary software that it uses to assess the likelihood a driver will be involved in an accident based on his/her driving style.
The Safety Score is comprised of 5 “safety factors” and includes things such as forward-collision warnings per 1,000 miles, hard braking, aggressive turning, unsafe following, and forced autopilot disengagement. After assessing drivers based on these factors, Tesla assigns a safety score out of 100.
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And those Tesla owners with 100 Saftey Score have been enjoying FSD Beta 10.2 for the past couple of weeks. And this Saturday, Tesla started rolling out the next iteration of the full self-driving software, FSD Beta 10.3 to owners with a 99 Safety Score.
The feature was met with a lot of excitement, with owners practically staying up all night waiting to receive an email from Tesla officially welcoming them into the Beta program. After FSD Beta 10.3 rolled out, several first drive YouTube videos were released showcasing the latest improvements.
According to the FSD Beta 10.3 release note provided by Tesla, the latest software came with several improvements. These include new driver profiles that can adjust between different characteristics for the following distance, rolling stops, or exiting passing lanes; better detection of brake lights, turn signals, hazard lights; and reduced false slowdowns and improved offsetting for pedestrians.
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However, despite all the improvements Beta testers also noted issues with false collision warnings and reversing in the middle of a left turn. And just hours after the issues started to emerge, Tesla instituted a wide-ranging rollback of FSD Beta 10.3.
Currently, some owners were rolled back to the FSD 10.2 software whereas others have entirely lost access to the FSD Beta software. Few are in limbo as driving on FSD Beta 10.3 has decreased their safety score below 99 and they are not sure they will be welcomed back to the beta program once 10.3 rolls back out again.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk wrote on Twitter saying they are seeing some issues with FSD Beta 10.3 so the EV maker will be temporarily rolling back the software. Musk also added due to the early stage of the program it’s normal to see such types of issues emerge. Musk added this is precisely why the beta testing program is needed.
As is expected, several media outlets used the current FSD Beta roll back to make the point Tesla is irresponsibly testing a beta software in public. However, in my opinion, this is anti-progress thinking and is in its own way dangerous as full self-driving, once fully implemented has the potential to save millions of lives.
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And if Tesla is taking a dynamic approach and is releasing and rolling back the FSD Beta software quickly and is trying to add a layer of safety with the Safety Score, I think it’s for the greater good to allow Tesla to keep testing its beta software in public roads.
Musk said FSD Beta 10.3 should be released again today after the bugs are worked out. We will be sure to keep you posted as Tesla reintroduces FSD Beta 10.3. Make sure to visit our site torquenews.com/Tesla regularly for the latest information.
So what do you think? Do the issues with the collision warning and reversing mid left turn warrant banning Tesla from conducting FSD Beta tests on public roads? Let me know your thoughts down in the comments below.
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Tinsae Aregay has been following Tesla and The evolution of the EV space on a daily basis for several years. He covers everything about Tesla from the cars to Elon Musk, the energy business, and autonomy. Follow Tinsae on Twitter at @TinsaeAregay for daily Tesla news.
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