Multiple owners confirmed over the weekend that Tesla is beginning to unlock its controversial Full Self-Driving mode in select Cybertrucks, with a wider software release expected to roll out during the next few months. Although initial vehicle deliveries began on November 30, 2023 to Tesla Cybertruck Foundation package purchasers, the company only announced the EVs would start receiving their pre-order’s long promised feature in a post on X earlier this month. According to the Tesla software-tracking website, NotaTeslaApp, the latest 12.5.5 v12 over-the-air software update including FSD is only available to some early access testers and Tesla employees at the moment. But it didn’t take long for those drivers to upload clips of the largely automated piloting system in action.
“Boys and girls, the wait is finally over! It is real! It is here NOW! AND IT IS SPECTACULAR!” one user posted on September 29 to Tesla-centric forum, CybertruckOwnersClub, along with a clip depicting the roughly 6,660 lbs, stainless steel EV navigating at night through lightly trafficked streets in California before merging onto I5 freeway towards Los Angeles.
As Engadget previously noted, Tesla owners can either purchase FSD outright for $8,000, or opt-in for a monthly $99 subscription model. CEO Elon Musk has claimed Level Five autonomous technology—completely self-driving cars that require no human oversight—was imminent for his company as far back as 2013. Despite allegeding “no fundamental challenges” stood in the way in 2020, his most recent end-of-2023 prediction remained unrealized yet again. Tesla’s Full Self-Driving mode has since faced recalls, regulatory and safety investigations, and allegedly was involved in multiple crashes—some fatal. It is currently classified with an Level Two autonomous rating, which temporarily handles acceleration, braking, and steering support. Earlier this month, the independent automotive testing group AMCI released a report that estimated a Tesla engaged in its so-called FSD mode requires human intervention due to traffic issues roughly every 13 miles.
[Related: ‘Militarized’ Cybertrucks are coming—if you can open the doors.]
Despite these potential issues and their current $99,990 base price, the Cybertruck is currently the bestselling EV truck on the market. It’s shown particular appeal for military industrial modification companies, police departments, and Chechan warlords.
The YouTuber account Dirty Tesla showcased its Cybertruck’s FSD mode in a video on September 30. Over 21-minutes, the EV appears to navigate evening roads while handling red lights, turns, and traffic. At one point, the narrator purported that despite accelerating up to 56 mph, the system often “just likes to go too slow” at night.
“If you think 35 [mph] in a 55 [mph] is acceptable: No, it’s not,” he says, later adding, “I’m just so excited that the thing I paid for six months ago is finally on my truck now.”