Tesla has just released Full Self-Driving (FSD) for the Cybertruck this week, but that might not be the only new Tesla vehicle to receive the driver-assist software for the first time. It appears the Semi is next on the list, and the release of that software might happen sooner than most think.
Earlier this week Tesla released FSD for the Cybertruck ten months after its release. The milestone was noted on the social media platform X, where Tesla’s AI team commented on a video of the Cybertruck driving itself by saying, “And just like that, the last fledgling leaves the nest.”
Tesla fans were quick to note that there is one other Tesla vehicle currently on the roads without FSD, and that’s the Semi. The Semi has been in the hands of PepsiCo since late 2022, and more recently with several other companies, all of which are testing the class 8 electric truck ahead of it entering mass production in 2026.
While test drivers for these companies have all loved getting behind the wheel of the electric Semi compared to their previous diesel rigs, all of the test mileage has been done with manual driving.
However, that may soon change. When one fan pointed out that the Cybertruck isn’t the last fledgling and there is still the Semi waiting for FSD, the Tesla AI team responded with, “But wait, there’s more.”
But wait, there’s more
— Tesla AI (@Tesla_AI) September 30, 2024
Just hours later and the possible timeline for a release of FSD on the Semi was accelerated. Tesla Semi advocate and drone pilot Zanegler shared a video of a test unit with what appeared to be LiDAR sensors on the top of the cab.
Currently testing and calibrating. pic.twitter.com/EvGbuK7cXz
— Zanegler (@HinrichsZane) September 30, 2024
As we all know Tesla doesn’t use LiDAR in its production vehicles, instead opting for a pure vision-based approach with cameras to power FSD and Autopilot. However, Tesla does use LiDAR on test and engineering vehicles to validate what the cameras are seeing, which is likely what we are seeing in this video.
Tesla’s AI team has recently laid out a development roadmap for FSD. That update only included milestones for September and October, and some aspirational Q1 2025 targets for international expansion, and no mention of the Semi. However that’s not surprising, as Tesla likely wants to make a big splash with their own announcement of FSD for the Semi.
When do you think FSD for the Semi will launch? Let us know in the comments below.
