Tesla has been gradually rolling out the latest version of its Full Self-Driving (FSD) Supervised software, v12.5, over the past few weeks. However, this update has so far only been available to vehicles equipped with the newer HW4 computer. Many Tesla owners with the older HW3 hardware have been eagerly awaiting the update, and while CEO Elon Musk indicated over the weekend that the release is imminent, the company is still finalizing the process.
On Saturday, Musk mentioned that the FSD Supervised update for HW3 vehicles would come with a “different release number” than the current v12.5.1.3, which began rolling out on Friday. In an X post, Musk referred to HW3 as “AI3” following his recent mention of an upcoming vehicle computer called “AI5.” HW3 vehicles make up the majority of Tesla’s fleet, so this update is highly anticipated by many Tesla owners.
Musk’s comments come nearly two weeks after Tesla began the wide release of FSD v12.5.1. He had previously explained that the new version would first be available to HW4-equipped Model Y units before being released to a broader range of vehicles. On July 29, Musk estimated that FSD Supervised v12.5 would be ready for HW3 vehicles in about 10 days, which would have meant a rollout last Thursday if the timeline had held.
Musk also provided some insight into why the update is taking longer for HW3 vehicles. He explained that optimizing the software to run efficiently on HW3 hardware requires considerable effort and that the code must be separately validated before release. This additional work is necessary because v12.5 includes five times as many parameters as previous versions, making the optimization and validation process more complex.
Interestingly, despite the Cybertruck being equipped with HW4, FSD Supervised is not yet available on the vehicle in any capacity. However, Musk has indicated that the FSD update should be coming to the Cybertruck sometime in August, though he noted that the exact timing is difficult to predict.
The v12.5 update brings several notable improvements, including combining highway and city driving stacks into a single stack and introducing enhanced driver monitoring that allows drivers to wear sunglasses without receiving frequent warnings. Additionally, Musk has mentioned that the release will be bundled with “Actual Smart Summon,” though it will technically be a separate code.
As Tesla continues to push the boundaries of autonomous driving, the rollout of FSD v12.5 represents another step forward, though the timeline for full deployment remains fluid as the company works to ensure the update is ready for its vast fleet of vehicles.