Folks at TeslaMotorsClub are reported dramatic improvements with Autopilot on the last 2018.10.4 update. Tesla’s neural net is finally kicking in and impressing.

>The AP is now amazing! I spent over an hour just driving around my area with AP engaged on streets where I would have never considered using it, and was just in awe in how much better it works now. So excited I’m going back out to drive again just for more grins…

>Before, you’d have to drive on a street/highway for a few seconds with black lane lines (on the display) for the steering wheel to show up. Now, the steering wheel shows up almost instantly turning onto a road with lanes or when lanes appear. Amazing.

>I’m dubbing it the “Confidence Update”. It feels much more like a human is driving vs a scared computer.

>Just installed the update this morning and took plumAzul on her standard test course around the neighborhood. I can confirm that for the first time ever, she made it over several blind hills without disengaging or steering a hard right (previous actions on every update since I took delivery June ’17). I couldn’t believe it so I tried it 3 times. She performed flawlessly every time. I’ve been waiting for this fix for a long time. She also engaged autopilot on a section of poorly marked road that has never allowed autopilot to engage before. This is in addition to sections of road where AP engaged for the first time with 18.6

>I drove a short mile down the hill myself and made a right. The next 16 miles or so are all back country, winding road which is mostly well marked. I gave up counting the number of times that I used to have to take over.. Somewhere around 18 I think. With 10.4 I took the wheel ONCE. I’m not even sure I needed to. I think I was just chicken LOL. I have an AP2 car (9/2017). I think I’ve received 6 updates so far..? This is by far the best AP update yet.

>The past two days I drove Phoenix to Portland (about 1300 miles) and AP2 performance is now *incredible*! I’ve driven this route four times previously, but this was the FIRST (and only) time the lane keeping and TACC was 99% perfect. Even the steering thru the curves on I-5 from northern CA into southern OR for the first ever were smooth, perfectly centered in the lane and “no drama”. Fantastic. I could hardly believe this is the same car I’ve been driving for the past year.

>Autopilot is SO much more advanced – love this version! Prior versions couldn’t handle the 4 miles of curvy road down to the main road – now, it goes the entire way without a hiccup. It feels so much more confident, no micro movements, no moving around in the lane.

>OK tested 2018.10.4 on a 5 mile loop near my house with many tight twisting turns and only got 1 disengagement, where I had about a dozen with last firmware. It now handles turns it never even came close on before. Also noticed a new alert that sounds like a disengagement, but I guess just a warning as it sounded but AP stayed engaged (noticed on very tight turns). Might not be new, but I never noticed it before.







From Reuters:

Tesla Inc said the number of labor hours needed to produce its Model S and Model X cars have decreased considerably, following the latest report of quality problems that could prevent the carmaker from hitting its production targets. The electric car maker told Reuters on Wednesday production of 100,000 Model S and Model X vehicles is now possible in a two-shift cycle with minimal overtime, compared with three shifts and considerable overtime earlier.

This will help improve gross margins for Tesla in 2018.




Tesla has applied for a permit for “Tesla restaurant and supercharger station” at the address 1401 Santa Monica Blvd in Santa Monica, California.

It looks like this could be the site of a what Elon tweeted in January, “Gonna put an old school drive-in, roller skates & rock restaurant at one of the new Tesla Supercharger locations in LA.”

Further inspection shows there will also be solar PV at this site.

More info on this TMC thread.