“Tesla’s FSD Beta 9.3 is not so great,” says Elon Musk

Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk has admitted that the beta 9.2 version of the Full Self Drive does not perform well, but engineers are working hard to improve it and make it more efficient. 

Musk subsequently tweeted that he’d driven from Pasadena to Los Angeles International Airport to test FSD beta version 9.3, which hasn’t yet been released, and that it was “much improved.”

In July, Tesla released the long-awaited beta version 9 (v9) of its FSD software, but warned drivers that it “could do the wrong thing at the worst time.” Musk said in a tweet the day before the release that drivers should be “paranoid” when driving with the software.

FSD is a more advanced version of Autopilot, Tesla’s driver-assistance software that comes standard with every vehicle. FSD lets the automobile change lanes, park itself, and identify traffic signals and stop signs, but it does not make it totally autonomous.

Tesla began its FSD initiative in 2016 with the expectation that total automation will be achieved in a few years. The company provides a Full Self-Driving Capability (or FSD) package for $10,000, or $199 per month in the United States. FSD Beta is only available to drivers who have already purchased FSD and Tesla employees. The beta version adds new or updated functionality to the car’s premium driving assistance systems.

Tesla claims that FSD will have the capacity to automatically steer on city streets later this year, a long-delayed feature. The autosteer feature on city streets has been incorporated in FSD Beta, but in an incomplete form.