After months of stagnation, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has given a rare update on Full Self-Driving (FSD), revealing that the company’s system is on the verge of a significant leap forward.
In a post on X, Musk stated that Tesla is integrating key upgrades from the Austin robotaxi program into the general production release of FSD, which he says will result in “a step change improvement” for the system.
Your Tesla self-driving capability will see a step change improvement as we integrate upgrades for the Austin robotaxi build into the general production release
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 20, 2025
The announcement comes after a relatively quiet period for FSD updates, with the last notable improvements focused on refining version 13 and its variants. This new development suggests Tesla is aligning its consumer-facing FSD software with the more advanced system being tested on its internal Austin robotaxi fleet.
However, while Musk did not elaborate further to confirm, these improvements will likely only be rolling out to vehicles equipped with the latest Hardware 4.0 (HW4/AI4) self-driving computer. Since last year Tesla’s focus has been on AI4 vehicles, with owners of AI3 still sitting on FSD v12.6, which was first released in December 2024.
Along with no clarification on whether the improvements will be for AI3 and or AI4 vehicles, there was also no timeline given for when they will begin rolling out. Given Musk’s post, which was unprompted, it could be within the next few weeks. However, since he added that additional testing is required to ensure no regression in other areas of the system, the improvements might roll out towards the end of the summer.
UPDATE: Elon has since clarified on X that a Q3 release (Jul-Sep) is “looking good so far.”
Your Tesla self-driving capability will see a step change improvement as we integrate upgrades for the Austin robotaxi build into the general production release
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 20, 2025
If the integration from the Austin robotaxi build is as transformative as Musk suggests, Tesla owners could see improvements in vehicle decision-making, smoother driving behavior, and increased reliability in complex urban scenarios. These advancements are likely to further bridge the gap between supervised FSD and true autonomous driving, a goal Musk has long championed.
Regulatory Approvals Still Pending in Europe and China
While North American Tesla owners may soon benefit from these enhancements, FSD’s rollout in Europe and China remains dependent on local regulatory approvals. Musk noted that the company is “awaiting regulatory approval” in both regions, adding, “Hopefully, soon.”
Tesla has previously faced regulatory hurdles in both markets, where autonomous driving laws are stricter and require extensive validation before consumer deployment. Despite this, Musk has repeatedly expressed optimism about Tesla’s ability to secure the necessary approvals.
