Has Tesla Full-Self Driving Beta V8.2 Improved Since Its Release?

Someone driving a Mustang doesn't seem to think so.

By: Michael Cantu

Apr 13, 2021 at 8:26am ET

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If you aren't familiar with James Locke, he is a Tesla owner who's been posting Tesla videos for over four years. He started posting Autopilot videos from his Model S over three years ago and made plenty of them. Then about six months ago he started posting Tesla Full-Self Driving (FSD) Beta videos from his Model 3.

His first FSD Beta video was posted last year on October 23. Only a small batch of testers had FSD Beta in October 2020, he must have been one of the lucky ones. So he's been able to test all the versions of FSD since its release.

In the video above, he puts FSD Beta through his "Test Loop 1." It's a relatively short loop but it has plenty of challenges. In the description of the video he puts:

"Interesting enough for the first time ever FSD Beta was able to see and slow down for all the speed bumps along my route. During the past 3 weeks my Model 3 with FSD Beta has been sitting quiet so interesting to see improvements without any continuous travel along this test route since early March. I'm sure a few of you will get a laugh from the awesome Mustang I had tailgating me early in the video and his greeting to me as he passes me as I turn left at the 2:30 mark in the video. lol"

The speed bumps he is referring to start at 3:05. The system slows down for all three including one at the top of the hill that it usually misses. James says this is an improvement from the past. What's interesting is that the speed bumps don't come out on the screen.

FSD Beta does a decent job on the test loop. A few times he had to hit the accelerator pedal in order to hurry the Model 3 through turns. The system tends to take most turns pretty slow. As I've seen in other videos, the system is also slow to commit to unprotected left turns.

There are two instances where the system didn't improve from past loops. At one point the system slowed down for what it thought was an intersection but James hit the accelerator to let it know it wasn't one. At another point, the system goes into a lane that wasn't there, something that James was ready for because it happened in the past.

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When FSD Beta V9.0 is released, you can expect more videos from James and we'll see if the updated system improves on his test loops. Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently announced V9.0 is almost ready and will be a big improvement over the current version.

Source: James Locke (YouTube)