FSD V12.6.1 Rolls Out for Model 3 and Y

Alfred Glover

2 months ago

Tesla rolled out Full Self-Driving (FSD) V12.6.1 to more cars, including Model 3 and Model Y owners with Hardware 3 (HW3) chips.

Previous Update Limitations

Until now, only Model S and Model X drivers had access to this version.

Tesla’s VP of AI Ashok Elluswamy confirmed that V12.6.1 represents a major step forward for HW3 vehicles.

The update introduces several new features, including:

End-to-End Highway Driving: This allows for more seamless highway navigation
Improved City Street Navigation: City driving becomes smoother and more efficient
More Precise Tracking: Enhanced tracking enables more confident maneuvers

Early testing reveals performance that is significantly closer to V13 than previous versions, particularly in:

Lane Selection and Decision-Making: Hesitation is reduced, and overall operation is smoother

Test drivers report that this update feels like a scaled-down version of V13, earning it the nickname “V13-mini” among early users.

The improvements bring HW3 vehicles’ capabilities notably closer to those with newer HW4 hardware. However, some features remain exclusive to HW4.

Legacy Model S and X still don’t have access to V12.6.1.

Their unique hardware setup means Tesla needs to build special software versions just for them.

No word yet on when these older models might get the update.

Tesla started sending out V12.6.1 last Saturday to the newer S and X models with HW3, along with 3s and Ys that have HW3.

We’ll probably see more cars getting it over the next couple days, and a bigger rollout could happen next week.

The update seems to work about as well as what’s running in the Cybertruck right now with its V13 system. Pretty impressive for the older hardware.