FSD regulatory & rollout: Europe approvals accelerate; US NHTSA rulemaking; China; safety data controversy; HW3 v14 Lite timeline; Blumenthal demands; Polestar ban; FSD lawsuit settlement
Key Questions
What improvements are in FSD v14.3.5/6?
The update includes Camera Preview, Blind Spot Warning, and Dashcam Encryption, with early impressions described as 'boringly good'.
What issues are HW3 owners facing with FSD v14 Lite?
HW3 owners get a distilled AI4 model but report regressions like reversing blind spots due to 15% memory bandwidth limits, raising retrofit concerns and confirming no unsupervised autonomy.
How many FSD subscribers does Tesla have now?
Subscriptions reached 1.48M, up 56% YoY, with a 55% attach rate and $1.76B ARR, plus a new stats feature in the Tesla app.
What is NHTSA demanding from Tesla on FSD marketing?
NHTSA escalated its probe by requiring Tesla to defend specific marketing claims line by line, targeting phrases and videos like 'espresso' and 'dancing'.
What real-world validation supports FSD reliability?
A Tesla owner completed over 20,000 intervention-free miles on FSD v14, verified by telemetry across diverse conditions.
When will FSD come to the Tesla Semi?
Musk confirmed FSD for the Semi by early 2027, while noting HW3 upgrades may skip AI4 and jump to AI5 or an intermediate board.
How are European regulators responding to FSD approval?
France and Spain oppose EU approval, while NHTSA's focus has shifted from engineering fixes to advertising claims.
What does Musk say about FSD learning individual habits?
Musk confirmed FSD v15 will learn personal driving styles, with an early build already running on the robotaxi fleet and HW4 exclusivity confirmed.
FSD v14.3.5/6 rolling out with Camera Preview, Blind Spot Warning, Dashcam Encryption; early impressions 'boringly good'. Critical OTA alert: Update 2026.20.200.1 downgrades FSD and wipes streaks. FSD v14 Lite (2026.20.6.10) in public rollout for HW3 with 'Start FSD from Park' feature, but early reports show reversing blind spots—a regression due to memory constraints. HW3 owners face permanent limitation: no unsupervised autonomy. New software update 2026.20.10 brings FSD v14.3.5 with RL upgrades, vision encoder improvements, MLIR compiler rewrite for 20% faster reaction, new arrival options, SLOTH speed profile, intervention-free streak tracking, and FSD driver authentication via cabin camera. However, HW4 owners report regressions in v14.3.6 with brake stuttering. Unreleased FSD v14.3.7 spotted on test unit; now rolling out with update 2026.21.5 adding lane biasing, small animal handling, MLIR compiler rewrite, improved vision encoder, RL training, and Cybertruck Smart Summon. Early reviews confirm smoother driving, better handling of rare events, and a near-miss accident avoidance story. FSD subscriptions hit 1.48M (+56% YoY), 55% attach rate, $1.76B ARR; a separate report cites $791M annual revenue. European safety data released: 5.2x safer over 65M km across five EU countries, zero highway crashes. European FSD approval progressing via Dutch RDW, unlocking four other EU countries through mutual recognition; Level 2 limitation and HW4 exclusivity; provisional pending Brussels decision. A new FSD crash in Issaquah, WA, with police confirming FSD engaged, further challenges safety narrative. FSD reaction times: v14 Lite on HW3 averages 0.72s, v14.3 on HW4 averages 0.45s—37% improvement from v12.6.4 on HW3. NHTSA escalates probe, demanding line-by-line defense of FSD marketing claims. France and Spain oppose EU approval. FSD confirmed coming to Tesla Semi by early 2027. Musk now says HW3 upgrade may skip AI4 and jump to AI5 or intermediate board. A Tesla owner drove 20,000+ miles on FSD without intervention, verified by telemetry. FSD v15 early build now live on Robotaxi fleet, HW4 exclusive. Recent user report: FSD 14.3.5 disengaged in heavy rain despite Tesla's whiteout claims. A whistleblower lawsuit alleges severe overwork in Houston FSD testing fleet (38:1 ratio, 60-80 hour weeks, sleep-deprived manager mishandled March 2025 crash call, cars called 'rolling hazards'), pretrial November 2026, directly challenges safety narrative. A fatal Autopilot crash in Texas involving a motorcyclist adds to safety scrutiny. FSD v14.3.5 now rolling out in Australia, New Zealand, and Denmark. FSD v14.3.6 rolling out in 8th batch; Korea gets FSD v14 Lite update with Brake Confirm disable option for HW3. A new major spring update is incoming: new FSD subscription app, Grok voice integration, blind spot accent lights, and automatic updates. Summer 2026 update (2026.26) adds browser video calls, Grok voice integration (AMD only), traction control modes (2024+ Model 3), and blind spot accent lights—widening HW3/HW4 divide. Gordon Johnson's bearish critique highlights FSD's $1.8B revenue vs $350B implied value, adding to valuation pressure. New: FSD coast-to-coast record (47h15m, no wheel touch) demonstrates system maturity and senior adoption as mobility preservation tool ($47B market). A new lawsuit over a test drive accident with Insane mode highlights a gap in Tesla's self-serve model, adding to safety/liability concerns.