Tesla Beats The Clock With Early Access To Cybertruck FSD 12.5.5, As Early Videos Show Promise

Though it came right down to the wire, Tesla has made its autonomous driving software available just before the month closed out.

Full Self Driving, or FSD, is the central component in Tesla's autonomous driving strategy so it was ironic that it had not been available for Tesla's most advanced vehicle for the last 10 months. The Cybertruck began shipping to customers, sans FSD and Autopilot, at the end of November 2023.

Getting FSD to work on the Cybertruck has presented special challenges. The CT has unique requirements because of its large wedge-shaped stainless steel design. The CT also has different sensor configurations compared to other Tesla vehicles. The upshot is the FSD software needs to be adapted to work with the CT's odd design.

Tesla had promised several times that Full Self Driving, or FSD, would arrive for the Cybertruck on version 12.5 , most recently saying it would arrive by September . It was enabled in a limited fashion on Sunday. The update is available to some but not all, as evidenced by CT owners commenting on social media on Monday.

Early video of FSD on CT: Videos from Early Access Testers show it performing well but not perfectly. One video (below) shows FSD handling a u-turn on a busy street with aplomb, though, in another instance, it forced itself unceremoniously into lanes as it prepared to make a left hand turn. In another challenging intersection the CT handled the turn "just like the Model Y did," according to the driver. In another instance, however, it failed to recognize a flashing sign that warned drivers to slow to 15 mph. A separate video showed the Cybertruck heading toward the median strip. The driver then had to intervene to disengage FSD to prevent the vehicle from hitting the median."There were a few more interventions that you wouldn't see on the Model 3," Whole Mars Catalog said.

Issues aside, many CT owners appear to be anxious to try out FSD. I chatted with a Cybertruck Foundation Series owner who has been counting the days for the FSD update to arrive. He has yet to see it enabled on his CT. "A little disappointed but I also understand it's new tech that needs the utmost caution before rolling out to these 6k lbs massive trucks," the owner, who is based in Los Angeles, told me. He has also been waiting for Autopilot, a lane-centering technology that comes standard with all Tesla vehicles. "They haven't given us autopilot yet. That's basic tech in many new cars now," he said.

The FSD and Autopilot updates are increasingly crucial as the Cybertruck gains popularity. Tesla sold over 5,000 Cybertrucks in the month of July, beating the Ford Mustang Mach-E by a couple of hundred units and taking the the No. 3 spot among the top 10 best selling EVs in the U.S., according to S&P Global Mobility .

FSD — or some manifestation of FSD — is expected to be fleshed out at Tesla's "We, Robot" event in Los Angeles on October 10.