Tesla’s newest Full Self-Driving (FSD) V14 software has a new low power mode for the camera heaters. Now cameras defrost without using much battery. The AI team tested many ways to clear snow and ice and found the most efficient solution. This makes winter driving less stressful for owners. Still, the company did not sacrifice safety. “We spent a lot of time figuring out how to defrost in the most efficient manner without draining much of batteries,” said Tesla’s AI team.
Tesla added features from Robotaxi vehicles to consumer cars with FSD v14. That includes smarter camera cleaning, new energy controls, and more driving options. The software now feels more like a ready-to-go chauffeur, even in bad weather. “We brought a lot of Robotaxi changes to v14 to make it feel like a ready to go chauffeur,” the team said. Owners can now choose parking spots at the end of a trip, such as lots, curbs, or garages.
How the heating system works
Tesla studied wind flow and real-world driving as part of its design. The new cleaning mode keeps cameras clear by adjusting based on speed and weather. The system uses a narrow water spray and wipes only when needed. Cameras on Tesla’s HW4 cars also have heating inside the lenses to melt ice or snow. This helps the car “see” in tough weather and keeps the self-driving system reliable.
Low power mode goes beyond camera heating. The update helps cut “phantom drain” when a car is parked for a long time. Extra features like Sentry Mode and Cabin Overheat Protection now use less battery. Tesla says this mode saves miles of range over a day.
More real-life features
Other new FSD features include:
- The car yields for emergency vehicles.
- Vision-based routing now handles detours and blocked roads better.
- A five-level speed profile lets drivers pick how fast or slow self-driving runs, from careful to aggressive modes.
- FSD recovers smoothly after small errors or faults.
Tesla is rolling out FSD v14 to newer Hardware 4 vehicles first. Older cars will get a “v14 Lite” version later, but some features might be missing. As more updates come, Tesla aims for safer, more independent driving. Soon, every Tesla could be ready for unsupervised self-driving in more locations.
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