Tesla Full Self Driving Supervised: Incredibly Good Except When It Isn’t

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A whole lot of us clear power proponents are so dissatisfied with Elon Musk recently that we wish to promote our Teslas to make a press release. Nonetheless, as a retired individual, I don’t have the cash to try this. My 2019 Tesla Mannequin 3 has almost 150,000 miles on it and continues to be going nice. I will probably be 85 this 12 months and I’m planning to make my Mannequin 3 my final automobile. Additionally, my spouse and I will probably be making our annual spring migration from Utah to northern Wisconsin in Might, and a Tesla continues to be the one EV that may make that run with out us worrying about charging. Many different manufacturers can use Tesla Superchargers now, however solely the newer V3 250kW variations. All of the Superchargers on I-80 throughout Wyoming are nonetheless the older V2 150kW variations. I’m certain different model EVs may make the run, however solely with cautious planning of the entire route.

Full Self Driving Supervised V12 (2025.2.8) does many issues extremely nicely. Once we first received Tesla’s FSD Beta in December of 2021, I used to be blown away by the way in which it will make our Mannequin 3 drive mechanically to any handle you entered into the NAV on metropolis streets with out intervention more often than not. Within the newest variations, it can additionally completely keep away from parked vehicles, bicycle riders, development barrels, and so forth.; navigate rotaries completely; and decelerate for pace bumps. It drives in most conditions like a easy, skilled driver.

Slightly one thing the NAV system does that blows me away now: If I’m going someplace regularly, the NAV anticipates and places that location on the prime of the record NAV decisions. It is aware of that I’m going to church on Sunday in northern Utah, southern Utah, and Wisconsin and places the proper handle for the church on the prime of the record. If I’m beginning my journey at 6:30 a.m., it is aware of I’m going snowboarding with my brother and places my brother’s handle first after which Alta Ski Space (see the lead picture) on the prime of the record of NAV decisions. Sadly, it nonetheless can’t learn my thoughts — I nonetheless have to pick out my vacation spot or it gained’t know the place I wish to go.

Nonetheless, FSD Supervised nonetheless makes errors.

• For instance: a couple of days in the past, I used to be driving in Utah County and set my navigation for Alta to go snowboarding. We had been driving north on State Road in American Fork, which merges properly onto I-15. FSD Supervised missed the exit onto I-15 and I needed to intervene. Coming house final night time from Heber, Utah, twice FSD Supervised put me within the flip lane when that was not the proper alternative. It recovered properly, however I by no means ought to have been within the flip lane. I’ve had different events the place FSD would decide a lane inconsistent with the navigation at a light-weight or cease signal. After I flip proper onto State Road from 200 South in Lindon, Utah, it turns first into the bike lane. Nonetheless, it corrects into the auto lane a lot faster than it used to do.
• FSD nonetheless gained’t decelerate to twenty mph for the flashing college zone indicators/lights.
• One thing that drives my spouse loopy: I-15 the place we stay is a 12-lane freeway with HOV lanes within the middle. The HOV lanes prolong for 63 miles and if we’re driving within the HOV lane for 10 miles or extra, we like to remain within the HOV lane. It’s now very troublesome to get FSD to maintain me within the HOV lane, it’s at all times making an attempt to exit the lane. You’ll be able to solely get it to remain within the HOV lane for those who maintain down the flip sign stalk. If you happen to let up, it can attempt to exit and even at instances will attempt to illegally cross the double white strains.
• FSD Supervised has two strategies for figuring out in case you are listening to the street: a) you’ll be able to apply a small quantity of torque to the steering wheel b) significantly better: the digicam above mirror observes in case your face is directed in the direction of the street. There have been instances when I’ve my hand torquing barely on the steering wheel and am centered like a laser on the street and I nonetheless get the blue flashing warning on the display that I’m not listening to the street. At this level, I’ve to push the correct stalk as much as disengage FSD. I then pull it right down to activate FSD once more. Despite my greatest efforts, a couple of minutes later I will probably be warned once more. At this level, I’ve to show off FSD from the management display and may solely use site visitors conscious cruise management. This drawback is intermittent. There are different instances when FSD works simply high-quality.
• A brand new characteristic of FSD Supervised is to take away the requirement to torque the steering wheel. Hurray! I find it irresistible! The digicam observing your face is aware of in case you are paying consideration. Drawback: It doesn’t work at night time when the cabin gentle is simply too low. Even turning on the cabin gentle doesn’t resolve the issue. At night time, I nonetheless have to use slight torque to the steering wheel.

I’ve a confession to make. After I first received my Mannequin 3 in 2019, I used to be chatting with a Mannequin S proprietor at a Supercharger. He instructed me that if I caught a plastic water bottle into my steering wheel, I wouldn’t have to use torque with my hand. This labored till you needed to spin the steering wheel in a parking zone, for instance, and the bottle would fall off. Finally, I had a 2 lb metal weight made with a groove in it which I’d strap to my steering wheel with a tie wrap. It labored nice and I used the burden for 4 years. Since I don’t belief FSD, I’d at all times supervise it like a hawk and intervene when crucial, so I by no means had an incident or an accident. An amusing factor: Tesla’s software program would detect the burden and provides me a textual content warning (Defeat Machine Detected) on the display. Nonetheless, it by no means took motion or penalized me. When Tesla eliminated the requirement to torque the steering wheel, I rejoiced and reduce off my weight. Since torquing the steering wheel was nonetheless required at night time, I strapped the burden again on. Lately, nevertheless, the burden not served its goal and I took it off. I’ve been alcohol (I imply weight) free for 3 months now and see no motive to ever return.

If you happen to discover any of my articles useful to you and also you wish to purchase a Tesla, be at liberty to make use of my referral hyperlink: https://ts.la/arthur73734. In case you are shopping for a brand new Tesla and use my hyperlink (you’ll want to use it if you make your order), you’ll obtain $1,000 off your buy value of a Mannequin 3 or Mannequin Y and three months of Full Self-Driving. (Simply be ready to intervene instantly if it screws up.)