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Tesla begins rollout of Full Self-Driving beta software

Members of Tesla's Early Access program have a chance to take a spin with a beta version of the company's Full Self-Driving upgrade.

Chris Jarrard

October 22, 2020 1:15 PM

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Tesla Motors is a company that carries lofty expectations from its investors and the public. Some of the promises that founder Elon Musk has made about the features of its vehicles are arguably loftier. One such feature is coming ever closer to being a reality, though, as Tesla has announced a rollout of a beta version of its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software to select members of the Tesla Early Access Program.

FSD beta rollout happening tonight. Will be extremely slow & cautious, as it should.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 20, 2020

Musk took to Twitter last night to announce the staggered rollout of the software. This update brings the hope of computer-assisted autonomous vehicle operation one step closer to reality. While the current beta version of the software is not feature-complete, Musk promises that data collected from these early testing sessions will shape the future of feature releases in the Early Access Program. The current FSD system only works in limited, low-speed scenarios and will still require driver interventions until as many bugs can be ironed out as possible.

Some of the Tesla owners in the Early Access Program have already started posting videos of their experience with the update to social media.

Overly cautious at a roundabout... I didn’t have to interact until the end of the process. Not bad for the first attempt! Go FSD BETA! pic.twitter.com/3gPkztUWgY

— Brandonee916 (@brandonee916) October 22, 2020

As great as the software may be, drivers should still maintain awareness at all times. Tesla has already experienced difficulty with autonomous driving development and the potentially deadly results. Most of our readers are familiar with the state of early access game software and the unforeseen bugs and issues it can bring. Mixing in full-sized cars into the equation adds another layer of risk, but the potential future rewards are promising.

Chris Jarrard

Contributing Tech Editor

Chris Jarrard likes playing games, crankin' tunes, and looking for fights on obscure online message boards. He understands that breakfast food is the only true food. Don't @ him.