Tesla’s next major Full Self-Driving (FSD) update is shaping up to be its biggest yet. CEO Elon Musk confirmed on X that the company is training a new FSD model with 10 times more parameters than the current version, with a public release possible by the end of September if testing goes smoothly.
“Tesla is training a new FSD model with ~10X params and a big improvement to video compression loss,” Musk said in a Wednesday post on X. “Probably ready for public release end of next month if testing goes well.”
Musk said the goal of this upcoming build is to minimize the probability of injury, but added that Tesla will also improve other aspects of FSD — either in this release or shortly afterward. More parameters essentially give the system a much larger “brain,” enabling it to recognize rare road scenarios, plan paths more intelligently, and drive more smoothly.
Tesla was previously alpha testing an FSD build with 4x as many parameters, which Musk teased in July as “looking good” for a Q3 release. Could this be the same FSD build, but upgraded during Tesla’s testing? At the time, Musk also promised that advancements from the private FSD builds powering Tesla’s Robotaxi pilot in Austin, Texas, would eventually trickle down to FSD’s public branch.
Speculation from industry observers points to more parameters enabling major enhancements: better pothole detection, smoother lane selection, improved handling of chaotic environments like airport pickup zones, and greater ability to understand parking lots and drop‑off areas. Musk didn’t confirm specifics, but said these features will be addressed “if not entirely in this build, then shortly thereafter.”
The current FSD version already demonstrates impressive behavior — recently stopping at an ungated park toll booth, waiting patiently while passengers completed payment, then driving away autonomously. A 10x larger model could take this human‑like judgment to a whole new level.
If the update lands by late September, it will arrive just as Tesla pushes to expand FSD adoption before the U.S. government axes the $7,500 federal EV tax credit at the end of Q3.
