Tesla has extended its free trial of Full Self-Driving (FSD) by 30 days. The extension of the trial was announced through emails to owners, although no explanation was given as to why it was being extended.
Last week on October 17 Tesla started another round of free FSD trials to owners who haven’t purchased the optional software package. This was the second time Tesla had granted owners a free trial of FSD, and like when it happened for the first time earlier this year, it was good for 30 days from the day the software was downloaded to the car.
When Tesla launched their first FSD trial in March, it was because the company has recently released FSD v12, a noteworthy version of the software because it was the first use of Tesla’s new end-to-end neural net for city streets driving, a change that brought with it overwhelmingly positive feedback.
This time around the FSD trial didn’t appear to be tied to a major update as owners received FSD v12.5.4.1, which has received mixed reviews. However, one week into the 30-day trial and Tesla has extended it, according to an email sent to customers on Thursday night.
The email didn’t say how long it was being extended for, but it is for 30 days from Thursday, which means the trial will now expire on November 23, 2024.
So why did Tesla extend it? We don’t know for sure, but it could be tied to a major release that is in the shadows waiting to be released – v13. According to Tesla this update is supposed to be released in October and promises a 6x improvement in miles between necessary interventions.
However, with just one week left in the month that timeline might be slipping, so Tesla may be providing themselves enough time with the extension for owners to experience v13 on their trial.
Have you received the FSD trial this time? What has your experience been like so far? Let us know in the comments below.
