During Tesla’s Q1 2021, the company also provided an update on its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology.
According to Tesla, V9 of FSD City Streets beta “will soon become more widely available” in the United States. Tesla says it believes a “vision-only system is ultimately all that is needed for full autonomy.”
Tesla explains its “AI-based software architecture has been increasingly reliant on cameras, to the point where radar is becoming unnecessary earlier than expected.”
The company’s FSD team is “fully focused on evolving to a vision-based autonomous system and we are nearly ready to switch the US market to Tesla Vision.”
As for FSD subscriptions, Tesla previously said they are expected for May.
Tesla also notes when it comes to vehicle software, “firmware updates remain rare in the automotive industry.” During the first quarter, during the global supply chip shortage, Tesla says it was able to navigate through the uncertainty by “pivoting extremely quickly to new microcontrollers, while simultaneously developing firmware for new chips made by new suppliers.”
As for Tesla’s battery and powertrain, the company says “range improvements remain one of our main priorities,” in a bid to convince more ICE car owners to switch to electric vehicles.
